Name: Deniz Çiçek aka Kraków Loves Adana
Nationality: German
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Recent release: Kraków Loves Adana's Oceanflower is out now.

If you enjoyed this interview with Kraków Loves Adana and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

The strongest impulse to write new songs comes from listening to music that manages to truly touch and inspire me. The amazement how a person can touch others with their music has an almost otherworldly effect on me and wants me to recreate that feeling, over and over.

In dormant phases I often dream about making music. So that is a strong impulse to create something, too.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

Before starting with the process of writing a new album I often start without a concrete idea and in the process of writing a particular idea comes to mind. It often takes a certain amount of songs to truly create a vision for an album as a whole.

I like to work a lot with references, making playlists for how the music should sound like, which style or which genre it should reflect.
 
Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

The only preparation for me is to just sit down and try things out.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

Space is limited in our household but I tried to create a recording space that reflects my visual tase and feels comfortable to be in. Colors are very important to me in that regard.

Knowing that I have enough time is also a very important factor to truly get me in the zone.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

I like simple lyrics that fit the rest of the instrumentation and meaning behind the song. I don’t see myself as a singer, vocals are more of an additional instrument for me instead of a way of showing off vocal skills.
 
Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Once I got an idea I try to find a balance between controlling the outcome and letting myself be guided by the idea itself.

It’s more about trusting your gut instead of trying to following a strict schedule.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

It’s a way to connect with myself and be completely in the moment. It has a healing quality, a zone I try to keep as judgement free as possible.
 
Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

Some songs are undercooked, some are overcooked, some are right in the middle.

I find that it’s more about having the courage to abandon a song at a certain point and finding contentment in it instead of crossing off points on a list.
 
What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

I do everything except mastering myself so this step is very important and time consuming for me since I’m not a pro and have to figure all those steps out myself with the help of tutorials etc.

Of course sometimes I wish to have someone professional to mix my music but I must admit that I am very picky in that regard. And since I have a concrete vision in my mind for a song it’s hard to give it into someone else’s hands.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

Since there is always some time between producing and releasing a record, I always try to work on the next album in the meantime. This way I already have my focus elsewhere and am not so sad about releasing the finished record into the world.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Those are definitely two different things although I think that you can find creative fulfillment in both.

Creativity is more of a state of being instead of simply producing a bunch of artworks. For me it’s about finding ideas, getting carried away by them and expanding your mental capacity.