If you cross paths with him on the street, you might not recognise him, which is something he still struggles with. “I’m only really ten months into anyone remotely knowing who the fuck I am. I’m actually annoyed that I can still get on a tube around London without anyone knowing who I am,” he confesses in this interview. But it’s impossible you haven’t heard one of Artemas’ songs: from the super viral i like the way you kiss me to other earlier hits like if you think i’m pretty, his music has been omnipresent all over social media these past months.
Currently touring Europe and ready to also visit North America and Australia, the self-taught artist remains a rather mysterious figure to the audience. But he’s aiming to change that by visiting half of the planet and bringing his album yustyna (2024) to life. “We’ve upgraded the live show. Everything is being played on the same synths we used in the studio, we have an extra band member and it’s more visual now. I feel like it’s a much more honest representation of the recordings,” he says about it. Today, we speak with him about fame, enduring a worldwide tour, and sex.
Hi Artemas, it’s a pleasure to speak with you. How are you feeling today, and where do you answer us from?
I’m feeling very tired, currently on the way to Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands after playing Pukkelpop in Belgium yesterday.
You’re a self-taught artist when it comes to production, recording, etc. Tell us a bit more about what this self-teaching process looked like, and how have you kept honing your craft after becoming a global success?
It’s been a very slow eight-year process, a lot of trial and error. I still don’t really know what I’m doing. I make everything with my pal Toby, we usually just get drunk and see what comes out. I don’t really do anything else and I think if I wasn’t in the studio all the time, I’d go insane.
I’m sure music has played an important role in your life before it became your career. What are some of your earliest memories about it? From the music that your parents used to play at home, to your first concert or what inspired you to pursue this artistic expression.
My earliest memory of being a music fan was listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers with my mum. She always had really good taste and put me onto a lot of things that are strange for a six-year-old to be listening to. The last time I was a superfan of something was Nirvana and that was my introduction to making music myself.
You’ve recently released the mixtape yustyna, but earlier in February, you released another album, pretty. So it’s been a strong year for you! Tell me, did you work on both at the same time but thought the songs had to be released in two different records because of their vibe, sound, etc.?
None of the songs on yustyna existed when pretty came out and really I don’t know exactly what’s gonna come next, except for the fact I’d like to release one more project this year. I like to keep everything quite fluid and try not to overthink things as I think it leads to a more authentic form of my art.
Inspired by grunge and shoegaze, this record also bridges influences like goth pop, left-field hip-hop, and other electronic genres. Could you give us more insight into the creative and recording process behind yustyna?
I’m just trying to make exactly what I love. I’m taking influence from all of my favourite shit. We always start by making some kind of beat or vibe and there’s really no telling where it’s gonna end up. When it’s working the best, you kind of wake up two hours later with a song and don’t know where it came from.
Sex plays a very important role: from titles like wet dreams or ride me darling to the lyrics of i like the way you kiss me, the record is hot and horny. In what way does it inspire you artistically?
I’m still actually waiting to experience sex itself but it’s fun to play this character!
This latest mixtape includes the massive success i like the way you kiss me. In an interview with Clash, you said that “I genuinely thought it was so dumb in the studio.” So what made you change your mind?
On every song that has really resonated with me there has been a moment where you start to doubt it and I think that’s where the magic of the song really is.
It feels like you don’t ever get tired. A few days after yustyina, you’re back to releasing new music. I’m speaking of your new single, So Stunning. It’s so dreamy and ethereal, the sound and your vocals are very enveloping until, bam! A guitar riff and grungier atmosphere take over in the end. Tell us more about this contrast.
We were actually working on the production and Toby was in the corner with his headphones on working on the ending. He airdropped over that epic guitar and that’s how that contrast came together and it just worked.
Your first mega hit was if you think i’m pretty (2023). So you became famous almost overnight. How did you experience that rise to fame, and how are you navigating it now?
To be honest, the songs are much bigger than me. I’m only really ten months into anyone remotely knowing who the fuck I am. I’m actually annoyed that I can still get on a tube around London without anyone knowing who I am.
Despite your worldwide acclaim, you’re still a pretty mysterious figure. Do you feel it’s important to remain private? Do you ever see yourself growing into the pop star (or just music star) figure?
I never want to be too much in people’s faces even, if that route takes longer.
You’re currently on a worldwide tour through Europe, North America, and Australia & NZ. How do you aim to bring yustyna to life?
We’ve upgraded the live show. Everything is being played on the same synths we used in the studio, we have an extra band member and it’s more visual now. I feel like it’s a much more honest representation of the recordings.
With over thirty dates, it’ll be a very demanding experience to endure. How have you been preparing both physically and mentally to undertake this tour?
A lot of electrolytes, green juices, I carry Rennies with me everywhere and I’ve recently started a skin routine.
You say of the album’s latest song, i love you regardless: “I think for the next project it’s time for the Artemas character to have an arc. I don’t know what it is yet but this song feels like a cliffhanger.” So can we expect a radical change in future releases, or just an evolution that makes sense within the Artemas identity?
I think I was in love at the time I said that. Those were the ramblings of someone who was in love and I have since had my heart broken, so maybe the loverboy era is postponed. However, I think naturally with every project, I’m always trying to push things. yustyna was me doubling down, who knows, maybe I’ll double down again. I think we’re still in season 1!
