Ukrainian photographer Varvara Yampolets: Photography for me is a way of telling stories through images

Olga Bolotaeva is a Ukrainian singer-songwriter whose main professional background was in the field of economics, but her love for music never left her. It all began with cover songs, and over time she wrote her first original song. A key milestone in her career was participating in the British talent competition Golden Time Talent. Olga shared insights about her work in economics, her first song, and her experience with Golden Time Talent with Drive Music Media.

Marian Fil is a Ukrainian composer for whom the most important part of creating a new composition is having an inner feeling that he has something to say. Marian has been involved in music since childhood — he independently chose to study the accordion at a music school, and he wrote his very first étude for this instrument. About how a profession can choose you, the process of composing music, and the future of the composer’s craft in today’s technology-driven world, Marian shared his thoughts with Drive Music Media.

Vaughan Murrae, the star of The Way Home and Before I Change My Mind, is an actor who began their journey in a modeling agency and went on to find their true place in the film industry. Through their presence on screen, Vaughan aims to shift perceptions of non-binary actors, advocating for roles that exist not as a checkbox, but as fully realized stories — with deep, authentic engagement in the non-binary experience. Open to creative challenges, Vaughan recently appeared in the comedy Malcolm in the Middle, a genre they had never worked in before. In a conversation with Asya Radko, founder of Drive Music Media, Vaughan spoke about their path in the modeling industry, the beginning of their acting career, how an award category was changed specifically for them from “Best Actor/Best Actress” to “Best Acting Performance,” and about their first leading role in Before I Change My Mind.

MJ Kim is a photographer who believes that the most important thing in portrait photography is for people to be truly seen; that landscapes should be more than just a beautiful visual — they should convey atmosphere; and that concert shots should evoke new feelings every time and remain unique. For him, photography is about living moments. Not about perfection, but about that very frame he captures during the many years of touring with Paul McCartney — even when it’s the completely unglamorous view from a hotel window. In portrait photography, it always starts with a conversation — with contact and presence. Only then does everything become real. MJ Kim has been Paul McCartney’s personal photographer since 2008 and recently returned from McCartney’s months-long Get Back 2025 tour across North America. He has created profound portraits of Johnny Depp, Michael Jackson, Natalie Portman, and many others, and has documented key moments that have become part of music history. His path in photography began by chance. He simply needed a job — and became a photojournalist in London. That decision became a turning point, the very accident that shaped his future and led him to who he is today. About how he senses “the moment,” the hardest and most important part of touring with Paul McCartney, his project Rooms Without A View, and the mission he carries as a photographer — shared with Asya Radko, founder of Drive Music Media.

Hugo Nicolau is a Portuguese actor, photojournalist, and musician who played the lead role in the profound social short film Avenue to Nowhere, directed by Jacob Migicovsky — a project that became deeply personal and significant for him. This year, Hugo also appeared as a Maître D’ in Johnny Depp’s second directorial film, Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, and attended three major premieres: the world premiere at the San Sebastián Film Festival, the UK premiere in London, and the North American premiere in Los Angeles. Hugo’s creative journey began with music — from classical piano training to performing in successful rock bands such as Slave and Mary Me. Among all artistic disciplines, music has remained the one constant in his life. His path then led him from studying economics to the media field — specifically photojournalism, where he worked with a strong ethical focus on respecting personal boundaries and developed a sharp eye for detail. Photography became Hugo’s second great love and an essential foundation for his artistic sensitivity. Acting entered his life unexpectedly in 2001 and has remained with him ever since, gradually becoming a central part of his creative identity. All the disciplines he has been involved in have shaped and enriched his work as an actor, helping him bring his characters to life on screen. About the role of music in his life, his work as a photojournalist for the Portuguese newspaper O Comércio do Porto, and his approach to choosing roles, Hugo opens up in conversation with Asya Radko, founder of Drive Music Media.