Yorige consists of singer-songwriter Aaron Fross and instrumentalist/producer Nix Bakx. Aaron and Nix have known each other for a long time; they began making music together at the beginning of 2022, and after their debut EP, "Motina," this is their first single released with Žemyna Trinkunaite. "Kaledu Belaukiant" is a Christmas song to remember the ones who are not with us anymore. With a sad undertone, this is actually a blissful song, reminding us that our loved ones are always with us. Singer Aaron Fross wrote the song on the anniversary of her grandfather's passing.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Yorige, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hi, Kamil, thank you for having us. And that is a question harder to answer than I thought. For me (Aaron) and Žemyna, it was our families I think. We both grew up in very musical surroundings so to remember specifically what got us into it would be hard. But for me I would say - the feeling of it and pleasure of music execution. For Nix it was their first memories of the radio being on all day long when they were still crawling around, that prepared them subconsciously. Later on when they started playing guitar it was seeing the Jimi Hendrix “Live at Berkeley” DVD that blew their musical brain for the first time, they wanted to be able to play like that!
What is your creative process like?
So for this project, “Kalėdų Belaukiant” and the upcoming EP “Sodas” (eng.’Garden’) it was quite simple. Žemyna Trinkūnaitė sent us her recorded compositions on kankles, then Nix did their magic and wrapped them in guitars and their production style and then it was my turn to solidify some vocal melodies and lyrics for the show. And that is how it usually works, I like to sing on top of someone else's work, then it really feels like a collaboration. Everybody does their share instead of doing the same thing together.
Your latest song is 'Kalėdų Belaukiant'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
“Kalėdų Belaukiant” means “Awaiting Christmas”, with the only lyrics being “ While awaiting Christmas, remember me, sit down next to me..” The process was the same as for all other songs, although this song came together so easily. Žemyna has named the composition “Awaiting Christmas” whilst we were considering songs for collaboration and it stuck with me. I wrote the lyrics and the melody on my grandfather's passing anniversary on Halloween. The song is about people we have lost in flesh, but still have them in our hearts and by our festive family tables.
What was the most difficult challenge you faced?
For me (Aaron) it was accepting myself for who I am as an artist and not by what I am expected to be.
(Nix)- Finishing stuff! I have a tendency to jump from style to style and obsession to obsession a lot because my musical interests vary so wildly. Creating a consistent workflow and mindset that allows me to focus on a project until it’s finished took me a while, but I feel like I’m there now!
For Žemyna it was learning how to play in a big group. A couple of years ago she was invited to play as a soloist in an orchestra with a choir acoustically without any microphones, but as she said, the challenge was overcome and the conductor was very happy.
What is the biggest mistake you have made within your career to this point?
Aaron: doubting myself.
Nix: I’m tempted to think about practical things, missed opportunities and that kind of thing. But if there’s one thing I’d tell my younger self it’d be to not compare myself to others so much. Music is not a competition, it’s about finding your own voice, and only you are the best at your own voice!
Žemyna: not trusting your instinct.
Are there people who help you with the production of the songs?
Well, Nix has an extraordinary experience with DAWs and music in general. I trust them with everything. And the biggest help we get is our creativity and experience in music.
What are your long term goals?
We do not like to set goals. Our goal is to enjoy what we are doing and so far we are achieving it everyday we get to work on our projects :)
What do your fans mean to you? What do you value most in them?
Žemyna says that the biggest gift for her is when the fans ask to be her students in kankles, that is when she knows that she is doing something meaningful.
Since we (Yorige) are quite young and not as well known, we get to interact with our fans more personally, which we love! It gives us inspiration and a community sense. Knowing that there are people who love our creations just as we do makes us feel not so alone. And that is a nice feeling. We value that feeling of togetherness and mutual understanding in them.
What memorable responses have you had to your work?
I have noticed people who reach out to us in response to our music tend to get very emotional and moved. Cleansing tears and catharsis is what they are usually thankful for. These are the responses that make me feel grateful that our music has reached them. Another response that is quite often is the comparison to movie soundtracks, I guess our music is quite visual to listen to.
Žemyna has a long career in the Lithuanian folk scene as a master of kankles, but one of the biggest appreciation gestures she has received was a trip to Japan from her Japanese student which she made friends with through teaching her kankles. She hasn’t received a more memorable award yet, she says.
Where is the best place in the world you’ve ever been to?
It is a place where the magic of creativity happens. All the creators know that place - the soft meditation zone where it seems that what you are doing is not directed by you but by some other force and it is one of the best places and feelings in the world when you can hear everything coming together and you don’t even know how you did it and how it happened :)