An Interview With The Industrial/Downtempo Artist/Producer, RESIN!

On August 25th, the LA-based, downtempo/industrial songwriter, Resin, released her newest album, Fidget. Resin “deviates from the well-travelled road of dime-a-dozen electro-pop in favour of unexpected, unsettling chords and melodies, drawing on hallmarks of genres from grunge and ambient to classical, folk and industrial music, wrapped up in an exceptionally delightful downtempo bow.”

Born and raised in Prague, Niko Antonucci, aka Resin, now resides in Los Angeles.  Starting out as a pianist at age six and stealing her father’s guitar as a teen, she cut her first demo at 15 and sang in different bands for several years. She realized at a young age that in order to get the sound she wanted, she would need to do it herself and has been producing her music ever since. Resin’s music combines sophisticated melodies and sexy vocals set against dark yet catchy electronic beats. Fidget represents the evolution of her songwriting and producing capabilities.

Learn more about Resin in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! How has 2017 been treating you? Musically, did you approach this year any differently then you did last year? 

2017 has been intense. I committed to getting a lot done and it really payed off. I finished my EP Fidget that I’m about to release. I played some great gigs, played some bad gigs, shot a video for my song “Hoarse” and I still have few months to go. It’s scary, but exciting.

Where does this interview find you today? Is there music playing in the background? If so, what is it? What kind of music do you listen to when you are working? What music gets you instantly out of a bad mood?

I am laying in my bed, Friends playing in the background. My cat is right by me and I’m eating cherries. If I’m working, I most likely listen to my music. But I like to listen to big band, ambient and film scores while focusing on parts of work that don’t require me to listen to my music.

Growing up, did you always want to be a musician? Can you recall your earliest musical memory?

Actually yes. I wanted to become a professional pianist. I think that one of my earliest memories is me playing my tiny keyboard. I was about 4 or 5 years old I think.

If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing?

I love fresh cut flowers so I would want to be a florist. Or a mother. Or a farmer. But the more I consider myself doing other stuff than music, the more I give up on my dream of making it as a musician.

I always like to ask artists about where they came from and how that city or town has influenced them as an artist now. So how do you think your hometown has affected who you are as a musician and the art that you create?  What was it like moving to Los Angeles after being born and raised in Prague?

Prague influenced me more than anything. The fact that I was so interested in American grunge and punk but grew up in the middle of Europe paved my way to my current sound. In Prague I was exposed to tons of drum’n’bass, industrial techno and alternative rock but also folk music and acoustic rock. It all affected me a lot. Moving to LA just made everything clearer in my head. I had the time and space to figure out where I am musically.

Last month you released your newest album called “Fidget.” What was the inspiration for this collection? What was it like putting it all together?

It felt easy. I started collecting the material at the right time. I knew that I wanted to merge all the genres that inspired me at that time but still make it sound as one cohesive record. And honestly, even though I feel like I’ve grown since then, I am happy with the way it turned out, considering the fact that this was my first record that I worked on entirely by myself.

How do you think your sound has grown through the years? What has stayed the same about the way you write songs?

I still respect the traditional song structure even though that might change too. I came from grunge and acoustic folk to this blend of everything that inspires me. I realized that I don’t fit into a band even though my dream was always having one. I got better technically and learned that I enjoy dark and heavy. And that’s what I do.

What made you first decide to start producing all your own music?

I just couldn’t deal with the people anymore. It was as simple as that. I knew I had to start working alone. I was playing with acoustic guitar for some time but I wanted more, more options, bigger, more intense sound. And it wasn’t until I started producing when I began to understand who I am as a musician.

What are your plans for the rest of this summer? Do you have any plans to play out live at all?

I played a few shows here in California and also in NYC.

How do you think being a musician gives you the most joy in life today?

It feels good when you start vibing. Writing songs and get carried away.

Who are some of your very favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What musicians would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

Kurt Cobain has always been my icon. I listen to old music rather than new. But ambient and techno are two genres I love. I would love to work with Trent Reznor, Brody Dale and Moby.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

I don’t know. That’s for them to answer. There is a hidden theme that I hope they will uncover eventually but I want people to process it in their own way.

What advice would you give to someone just getting started on this music path? Or even to someone young that is thinking of becoming a musician one day?

Just ask yourself the question of how much is your life worth to you. This is not a hobby. Are you possessed enough to go through the hell that comes with choosing this path? Is it what you were born to do?

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself or your music?

Please, listen to it. Thank you.