Interviews

Anastasiia Sysenko is a Ukrainian composer, the author of Hana no Rei and a co-author of Mine in collaboration with Alisa Balaieva. For Anastasiia, music is прежде за все energy rather than its technical side — notes or instruments. This year, she gave her first solo concert at the Solomiya Krushelnytska Museum, where she performed both original compositions set to the poetry of prominent Ukrainian writers and experimental works, including A-ff-air. In this interview, Anastasiia opens up with Drive Music Media her experience of her first authorial concert and the meanings embedded in her new works.

Kyrylo Teslenko is a Ukrainian writer for whom russia’s war against Ukraine became the turning point that pushed him to fully pursue his literary path. Kyrylo had been writing since childhood, but his first truly serious work became his novel Island. The author didn’t want to portray people with superhuman abilities – on the contrary, his characters are ordinary individuals who, as part of a competition, find themselves on an island where only one of them can win the prize and survive according to the rules. Kyrylo opened up with Drive Music Media about the beginning of his writing journey, the first presentation of his book, and the deeper meanings he wove into his story.

Anika Boyle is a Polish-Scottish, award-winning actress and the star of the film Day Drinker, where she plays the lead child role alongside Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz. She also stars in the series Summerwater, marking her television debut which premiered on Channel 4 on November 16. The series is an adaptation of the novel by Sarah Moss, directed by Robert McKillop and Fiona Walton. The script were written by John Donnely. The ensemble cast includes Dougray Scott, Shirley Henderson, Valene Kane, Arnas Fedaravičius, Anna Próchniak, and Daniel Rigby. Anika remains true to herself and, just like during her first in-depth interview with Drive Music Media, continues to choose roles that contrast strongly with who she is in real life. Violeta Zaliskeviciute-Piotrowska – her character in Summerwater – shares only two things with Anika: her mixed Polish-Scottish background and a certain observant nature. In everything else, they are complete opposites. Anika is an extrovert in real life, while Violetta is deeply introverted. These are exactly the kinds of roles Anika is drawn to – layered, complex, and far from her own personality. The series carries a tense atmosphere that grows heavier with each episode. Every character harbors their own fears and secrets, which inevitably shapes the environment around them. In her second interview with Drive Music Media, Anika opened up about the fire scene, the process of seeing herself through the lens of her characters, the influence of the Scottish setting on the production, and what her first-ever television appearance meant to her.

YAN LIENSHYN is a Ukrainian photographer and cinematographer whose worldview – and artistic vision – was profoundly reshaped by the ongoing russian-Ukrainian war, now lasting more than eleven years. His works have been published in international magazines such as MALVIE, STYLÉCRUZE USA, GMARO, Eclair, Darkly Art, Looplite, BOYS BOYS BOYS BOYS, Vigour, 6X, Spellbound, World Encounter, Beautica. According to the photographer, there is always something personal in his projects. He strives to intertwine aesthetic beauty with truth. Lienshyn continuously walks the line between extremes, merging beauty with chaos – as seen in his photo project “Jocker” – as well as pain with ascent, and other emotional dualities. Yan shared insights with Drive Music Media about the beginnings of his journey in photography, his artistic vision, and the impact the war has had on his creative identity.

George Manta is a digital artist, illustrator from Argentina, and founder of his own design studio — someone who was never drawn to the traditional path or classical art education systems. George believes in self-education and is convinced that if you truly love what you do, you will succeed. He works in the field of concert posters, portraying artists with a deep sensitivity — capturing their individuality while maintaining his own distinctive style. According to the artist, his journey into creating concert posters began with his friends who played in local bands. It was the independent music scene that first opened the doors to art for him. The artist’s main goal is to evoke emotions and create true works of art — not just serve as a visual tool to convey information about a concert. George has created posters for artists such as Paul McCartney, Dante Spinetta, The Rolling Stones, and many others. Most recently, he designed a poster for Paul McCartney's Got Back Tour 2025. George shared with Drive Music Media his insights on the beginning of his artistic journey, his commission for Paul McCartney, the creative vision behind the concert poster, and the easiest and most challenging sides of the artistic profession.

Sofia Lapsiuk is a Ukrainian makeup artist specializing in creative makeup who has chosen to avoid using any animal-based products in her work, creating all her looks without gelatin. Unfortunately, the exploitation of animals for the sake of art still goes unpunished in the fashion industry. According to Sofia, she doesn’t like it when her work is called “creative,” as she considers her looks simple. With Halloween approaching, her next project will be a Frankenstein-inspired look — Sofia is drawn to eerie and macabre styles. Sofia shared with Drive Music Media about the beginning of her journey, her refusal to use animal-based products in cosmetics, and her upcoming projects.

FEIA is a Ukrainian singer who feels a deep connection to nature and believes that her defining quality is her sense of magic. For her, FEIA is not just an image — it’s who she truly is. She brings all her emotions and the breath of a forest fairytale into her music. In our conversation, FEIA opened up about the beginning of her musical journey, honesty in music, and the meanings she weaves into her songs.

Oleksandra Stepanenko is a Ukrainian writer and the author of 9 Circles of Heaven, which tells the story of a soldier with the call sign Dante. The writer’s goal was to show that, despite the hell of war, the soldier achieves ascent rather than decline. The story also intersects with her own life, as her husband is a defender of Ukraine. Oleksandra shared with Drive Music Media the meanings embedded in her book 9 Circles of Heaven and her upcoming projects.

Julia Brevetti is a Canadian artist working in realism and pop art, known for her “Vintage Cars” series previously featured by Drive Music Media, is now creating a new painting collection featuring various liquor bottles. The series has already gained recognition on social media, which earned her a spot in a group exhibition featuring the iconic liquor brand Campari. The story of this collection begins with Julia’s family, who have been collecting bottles for many years. In addition, Julia released a rather unusual collection for her style — a series of skull paintings. This body of work carries a therapeutic meaning for the artist, as through the prism of art she portrayed the “death” of another version of herself. Julia shared with Drive Music Media about her new liquor bottle series and the skull painting collection.

Sergio Kinoman – singer-songwriter and frontman of the project Monkey Shock Band, who believes that musicians must take responsibility for what they perform and share with the world. Monkey Shock Band was founded in 2016 by two friends, Sergio and Maksym Yakymenko. In 2020, Monkey Shock Band released their rock record XXII, which became the soundtrack to the film Illusion — a project that found success at festivals across Europe, Asia, and the USA. Since 2022, the band has switched to the Ukrainian language, starting with the single Echo, which tells an abstract story of a soldier returning home. Sergio shared with Drive Music Media the beginnings of his journey, the creation of Monkey Shock Band, and his mission as a musician.