Izland Interview: Vik Kovacs of Telling Secrets

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Tell us how your diverse cultural background and musical journey have shaped you as an artist today.

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I think my musical journey was a complete accident. I caught onto Drake and Josh, liked Drake - then caught onto Guitar Hero (because I’ve always liked computer games) and then picked up the real guitar. I’m not convinced the cultural background has anything to do with my work sonically but it definitely does visually. The flats I grew up in in Budapest had a very 1910’s vibe and I think that comes across in the music videos. For the most part, I think I’m attracted to quite aggressive sounds in music. In the UK, I’ve always felt like I wanted to take the intensity a bit higher than the others in any of my bands at the time. I do cherish the fact that I can switch off, plan and collect myself, at home in the UK.

 

Growing up between Hungary and the UK, and later moving to the US, how have these transitions influenced your musical taste and style?

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The first album that really caught my attention was Led Zeppelin IV. I used to be afraid of the Mona Lisa so I had a ‘thing’ against paintings, and the cover for that album is a painting.. BUT as soon as Black Dog kicked in, I was hooked. From then on it was; Jimi Hendrix, Iron Maiden, AC/DC etc.. I really developed a special appreciation for modern rock and the music scene in the US when one of my friends showed me Situations by Escape The Fate. At first I was like “this sucks!”. But then I watched the music video a few times, found out about warped tour, and it was over - I wanted to be a rockstar.
 

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What was the first album that you couldn’t put down, and how did it inspire you to pursue music professionally?

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The first album that really caught my attention was Led Zeppelin IV. I used to be afraid of the Mona Lisa so I had a ‘thing’ against paintings, and the cover for that album is a painting.. BUT as soon as Black Dog kicked in, I was hooked. From then on it was; Jimi Hendrix, Iron Maiden, AC/DC etc.. I really developed a special appreciation for modern rock and the music scene in the US when one of my friends showed me Situations by Escape The Fate. At first I was like “this sucks!”. But then I watched the music video a few times, found out about warped tour, and it was over - I wanted to be a rockstar.

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In your biography, you mentioned your vocal transformation with help from Matt McAndrew. Can you describe what that process was like for you?

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Happy accident! Before connecting with Matt I was looking for someone to sing my songs and lyrics but couldn’t find anyone. I think Matt unlocked a really hesitant confidence within me. My biggest assets are my feelings and my ears. I know what I want to feel and hear, so with lessons on warm ups and techniques, coupled with what I knew I wanted to hear from myself, I kind of just figured it out through trial and error. 

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Could you take us through your song writing process? How do you go from concept to completion, particularly with tracks like ‘Full Moon’?

My song writing process changes all the time. I think it’s important to have dexterity in song writing to keep thing interesting. Sometimes I start with a chord progression, sometimes it’s a melody, sometimes it’s lyrics, maybe even a drum part occasionally. I always try to make the song sound good with an acoustic guitar and vocals though before I commit to recording. I think if the bones form a really strong foundation, then you can build a great house on top of that. 

For “(Wake Up) Full Moon”, I had a really crazy process. The song changed multiple times. It was originally inspired by the climax scene with Lupin in “The Prisoner Of Azkaban” in the forest. I ended up changing some lyrics because I wanted to distance myself from Falling In Reverse. They are my favourite band, but I do not want to rip them off. But yeah, I think I re-wrote the chorus about 6 or 7 times. For that song instrumental was basically done, by me, and then I think of a top line or lyrics after.. It was honestly a horrible process and I’m glad it’s done!

The song writing processes for this whole album varied from song to song. I probably wrote the first song on the album in 2020, so I can’t remember absolutely everything! Sometimes it just flows out of me effortlessly, sometimes it takes graft. 

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Can you elaborate on your experience shooting with Industrialism Films? And what can you tell us about your upcoming album? Are there themes or messages you’re particularly excited for listeners to hear?

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I’ve shot plenty of music videos.. but not like this! Matt McAndrew told me about them. Fernando and Vincente were fantastic. We had a production crew of about 6 or 7 people, makeup, the whole deal. I felt an extra sense of pressure because it wasn’t cheap, and it was like betting on myself. It did push me to get more into cinematography and VFX though, which I’m doing now. The music video is “(Wake Up) Full Moon” and it’s out now. We had to make a censored version because I shoot, stab and contort people in the video..! We shot it over 2 or 3 days and I think it looks pretty cool. 

You’ve spoken about living between two worlds and not fully identifying with one. How does this sense of cultural fluidity come through in your music?

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I’m sure it transpires in the music and stories I tell, but it’s not really something I think about actively. I acknowledge it, but I’m also aware of the fact that in almost every situation I’ve ever been in, I’ve been different. Maybe not quite an outsider or misfit, but a unicorn. I’m proud to be Hungarian as there aren’t any high profile rock musicians. I also appreciate having grown up in England. If anything, I think my background influences my visuals a lot because of the gothic vibe.

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Discuss how winning the Petőfi Rádio single award has impacted your career. What does recording in Europe mean to you at this point in your career?

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Winning the Petőfi Rádio single award felt great because I felt acknowledged in Hungary. I was also featured in HammerWorld HU which is the biggest Hungarian media outlet for metal/rock music. It’s definitely an audience I’d love to have accept me, so that I can put the country on the map for its musical output. Recently I teamed up with Martin Merenyi, who’s now a good friend, who did additional production, mixing and mastering on the album, and happens to be Hungarian. It was really nice to be able to work together, albeit remotely, but being able to speak in a hybrid of Hungarian and English with someone is always great. 

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Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for your music and your career? What does "raising the bar for modern hard rock" look like to you?

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In my opinion the new music icons are all in pop and hip hop music. There hasn’t been a David Bowie, Prince or Mick Jagger in rock for decades. I think the modern rock icons are just now locking themselves into history. Oli Sykes from Bring Me The Horizon and Ronnie Radke from Falling In Reverse come to mind. I’m interested to see how bands like Bad Omens and Sleep Token do in 10 years’ time. I am more than just a singer or a songwriter. I truly do do most of my visuals and all of my music - Whether that’s writing, recording, producing or performing the parts. I see myself as a creative director and executer and I think playing that role will ‘raise the bar’ for the genre. I think with defiance, persistence and determination there’s a spot for me somewhere around there as well despite being a one man army. Having said that, I’d like to officially announce my debut album ‘Telling Secrets I’ which will be released June 14 2024.