Interviews

TANKATAKA is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter who recently released her debut album Anesthesia, capturing her emotions and experiences triggered by russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite facing a challenging period in her creative journey, she continues to write Ukrainian-language songs while living abroad and introduces international audiences to Ukrainian original music. She shared with us her thoughts on the "identity crisis", her debut album "Anesthesia", and her plans to "kill" TANKATAKA to create something new from its remains.

Anna Totska is a Ukrainian UI/UX designer who refers to this field as "architecture" and aims to improve people's lives through her work. Anna shared with Drive Music Media s the story of how her design career began, the large-scale projects she has worked on, and the types of commissions she would never agree to take on.

Ihor Sniatynchuk is a Ukrainian writer specializing in the genres of mysticism and horror and the author of the short story collection "Beznizhnist", which combines works with diverse atmospheres. In his writing career, Ihor strives to develop literature and organizes a series of literary evenings where authors can read excerpts from their works to an audience. Currently, Ihor is working on a new short story collection that will include both previously published works and new ones that have yet to see the light of day. He shared with Drive Music Media his thoughts on his writing journey, the collection Beznizhnist, his love for Ukrainian literature, and the challenges he has faced during russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Varvara Yampolets is a Ukrainian photographer who believes her mission is to bring light through her photographic works. Through her lens, she aims to preserve people’s warm moments, especially during russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. In her photography, Varvara pays special attention to portraits, as this genre allows her to capture genuine human emotions in intricate detail. She shared with Drive Music Media her journey into photography, the unique essence of portraiture, and her latest projects.

Renata Litynska is a Ukrainian writer, author of the short story collection Renata Sometimes Writes and co-author of the memory tales Grandma, Tell Me About Yourself. She believes that writing "simply" is difficult, as the ability to bring calm and offer hope in a rapidly changing world is no easy task. Renata shared with us her love for novellas and essays, the process of creating Renata Sometimes Writes and Grandma, Tell Me About Yourself, and her experience presenting her book in Athens, the capital of Greece.

Mariia Kosian is a Ukrainian writer and the author of two novels, "When It Rains in the City of N" and "A Hero Instead of Me", the latter of which is set to be released soon. Her literary journey began with academic work at university, which became the foundation for her first major novel, "When It Rains in the City of N". In January 2025, the author will present her second book, "A Hero Instead of Me", which has been available for pre-order for several weeks now. The book is being published by one of the largest publishing houses in Ukraine – "Vikhola". Mariia shared with Drive Music Media her journey as a writer, the birth of her second novel's concept – created before but set to be published during russia's full-scale war against Ukraine – and the message she hopes to convey through her work.

Tiana Shevett is a Ukrainian illustrator and author of children's books such as Twilight Tales on Halloween Night, Monsters: Not Scary Book at All!, and the sea-themed illustration series Sea Portraits. Her goal is to create magical stories for the youngest readers, helping them feel joy and hope, especially during russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Through her stories, she teaches children about friendship and brings smiles to their faces. Very soon, her new book Rules of Behavior for Little Witches will be released, where she aims to teach the importance of friendship. Tiana shared with Drive Music Media her thoughts on the new book, the Sea Portraits series, and the message she instills in her books.

Kyrylo Pysarenko is a Ukrainian musician who created his solo project Lightingale, continuing his musical career under this name. His first serious original music project, The Tempest, emerged spontaneously during his university years and concluded after four years of dedicated work. This decision came as all the band members recognized the inefficiency of creating "gargantuan" music. Following this, the musician decided to establish the solo project Lightingale, through which he released the track "Hummingbird". The song explores an important topic: humanity’s purpose in the world. Kyrylo shared his journey into music, his original projects The Tempest and Lightingale, as well as his future plans for his solo career with Drive Music Media.

Maria Shyshak is a Ukrainian singer in the alternative rock genre who has decided to continue her career through her new musical project, ENAVE. Despite her academic background in music, Maria chose to step beyond its confines, showcasing different facets of her personality by experimenting with various genres. This fall, the singer released a new single, "Broken Promises", which became a kind of manifesto for her. Maria shared her journey, from starting out as part of the band Endless Times to creating her own musical project ENAVE, as well as her recent releases, with Drive Music Media.

Olena Tereshchenko, a Ukrainian writer and author of Mages Love Too, believes that rejection from publishers should not discourage new authors from pursuing their craft, nor does it mean that the manuscript is flawed. Despite a pause in writing due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she found the strength to complete her novel, which was published and will soon be followed by the second part of Mages Love Too. Olena shared her journey as a writer, her collaboration with Oleksandr Bilohura, and the continuation of her story with Drive Music Media.