Govorukha On the Making Of “Scissors”
What was the creative process like for "Scissors?"
It was one of those songs that I wrote in about a few hours. I remember sitting in my studio apartment around 5 years ago with literally nothing around me - I just moved in, so all I had was a mattress on the floor and no Wi-Fi. It helped me in a way - I had a long “me and my guitar” moment :)
Can you talk about the recording and production process for "Scissors?”
Recording took place in my apartment. And I must say, it’s quite challenging when you have road construction going on seven days a week and a lovely, but a loud dog. So, oftentimes, I had to wait for that few-hour gap between the end of the workers’ shift and the silent hours. Then, make sure upon each take that my dog is not making any noises. I think there is still a guitar take somewhere in the project where my dog makes a really deep sigh as if she is tired of me recording one strumming pattern again and again.
Also, “Scissors” is the first song I took seriously from a production standpoint. I saved money, enrolled in a production course, received great help with some invaluable tips and eventually with some guidance did all the mixing in my bedroom.
What are you most proud of this track?
I’m truly proud of the overall mix. It could have always been better, especially, when I’m hearing it again now, but at the end of the day I’m just doing my best to level it up every time. I even left my demo EP out I released last year on all the platforms as I reminded myself where it all started and how the quality improved with practice.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in music?
I was born in Russia at the Chinese border and later on moved to Saint Petersburg to study. For a few years, I’ve been based in Czech Republic, where I have my solo acoustic project and a post-punk/gothic rock band. All my childhood my dad would sing me some songs from around the world - from Scorpions and Modern Talking to Toto Cutugno and Joe Dassin. He would also let me strum the guitar while he was changing chords and singing. That way I felt involved in the process in a way and even imagined myself playing in front of someone one day. So I think getting interested and then starting in music was inevitable in my case.
I remember asking my parents for a guitar for my 15th birthday. I had tons of motivation to learn but with the birthday still 5-6 months ahead…I just couldn’t wait. So, eventually, I grabbed my dad’s 12-string fender and got started. It was incredibly hard to begin with a 12-string guitar from scratch, but I liked the challenge.
Are there any specific artists or musicians you dream of collaborating with?
Honestly, I haven’t thought about it in terms of my solo project. But I think I would love to do something with either Flatsound or Damien Rice :)