The soloist of Artik & Asti Seville talks about dreams, partings and the strength of the family

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Sevil, recently the group Artik & Asti released the track “Doll”, which quickly became popular. To whom does the song owe its success?

There is a whole team behind each song, and all these people are equally important: Dima Loren is the author, Oleg Sashko is the arranger, Dima Makarenko is our sound designer. And of course, Artik is a producer. He participates in the work on music at all stages. And I am a performer, a person who, in this whole company, makes dreams come true. (smiling)

The work of the performer is more obvious, but the artist is not one person, behind him there is always the hard work of the team, which leads to a great result.

On the single “Doll” there is a 20-second excerpt from the new song “Be Happy”, and in the video there is a hint of its imminent release. So when is the premiere?

I’ll tell you a secret – I, like the audience, was surprised by such an announcement. Artik can sometimes give out something that even for us, the team, becomes a surprise. The new song was written by him. She’ll be out soon. He is amazing – a closed person, often silent, but then he gives out something out of the ordinary, brilliant, I’m not afraid of this word. He does not stop the workflow, it seems, not for a minute. I don’t know when he has time to sleep. Every time we go somewhere, he listens to demos, talks to the authors, writes songs, etc.

Why was the video for the song “Doll” filmed in Hong Kong?

We were looking for a match on the vibe. The directors wanted something Asian, stylish, futuristic, with neon lights and big widgets on busy streets. By the way, the clip was filmed by very talented guys – Sasha Sakharnaya and Nikolai Frantsuzov. They came up with the idea and creative together with Artik.

How do you like Asia, China? How close are these areas to you?

I didn’t have enough time to get to know the city well. Only one and a half free days that we spent on solving some technical issues.

I managed to walk a little along the streets of Hong Kong, go to roadside cafes, try fast food. It has its own specific cuisine, for an amateur. Also, I noticed that the people there are very polite. When we were filming on the street, it was necessary that a large number of people appear in the frame so that there was movement. (Laughs) And the pedestrians, seeing that the filming was in progress, slowed down and patiently waited for a sign that they could pass. In general, of course, I really liked Hong Kong.

Usually, artists are busy at the end of the year – shooting New Year’s programs, corporate parties – and at the beginning of the year, in January and February, they go on vacation. Didn’t you manage to rest?

No, what holiday? (Laughs) I have to work, but I have time to rest. Now, more than ever, I want to break into new projects, shoot, present, show! In principle, I am such a versatile staunch soldier in this regard.

Tell us about your image in the video. Everyone is used to seeing you with a short haircut, in the new video you have a completely different styling, wig and hair is longer. Do you plan to save it for future performances?

In the video, I’m wearing a wig for two reasons. Firstly, we wanted the seam to be visible, like on dolls, but at the same time we didn’t want to completely go into some kind of clowning and comedy, we decided to stop somewhere in between. And in my life I walked with longer hair for a long time, but during the filming of the Harmony video, the director said: “You have such collarbones, cheekbones, you just need to open it all.” And I got a short haircut, which I was incredibly happy about. In my opinion, long hair makes me grow up.

The other day I made a new haircut – a “cold” caret. I like!

In the photo shoot for this issue of HELLO! you also have a wig – long blond hair. Do you like art and experiments?

I love! This photo session was an experiment. And I like that I’m different in it. I am part of the Artik & Asti group. And by changing the image, in a sense, I change the perception of the group. With all due respect to the history of the band, I like that part of his style remains intact, and part is being created right now – and looks completely different.

For us, this shooting is also unusual – there have never been such photosets on the pages of the magazine.

You see, we are trying new things, you are trying … Cool!

Sevil, the song “Doll” is about a girl who has a broken heart and who has to pretend that everything is fine with her. How long have you been in a similar situation yourself?

Well, of course, I’ve experienced it all. I am a very emotional person, I want everything at once. If I love, then it captures me entirely. As much as women should not love. 2022 was a difficult year for me, I got out of a relationship, and left in an adult way, for which I am very grateful to my ex-young man. We are now in a working relationship (he is also from a creative environment), but we did not remain friends, no. I do not believe that there is friendship after a relationship. If we part with someone, then we can remain close, relatives, but not friends. Rather, the opposite is true: it is possible to be friends in a relationship. My favorite line in this song is “I’m sorry I lost myself in your strange friendship.”

Do you break up abruptly or postpone the decision until the last moment?

It seems to me that, by their nature, women are so arranged that they will test everything before they put an end to it. And often this happens abruptly, in one day. The negative accumulates and accumulates, and in the end it turns out to be so much that it remains only to say goodbye. I am the same. If I understand that this is the end, I leave and do not return.

How do you get through tough times easier? Are you pulling yourself out or do you need the help of your friends?

It may sound strange, but I love to suffer. I don’t need to be coddled, so I don’t involve those close to me in my problems. Friends rarely find me crying. When I feel bad, I allow myself to go through the pain: to cry sobbing, not to get out of bed for a couple of days … I allow myself to feel the pain with every cell, and then direct it into creativity. Perhaps some hysterical personality lives in me, but so what? I understand this, I see it and I don’t want to push her somewhere and prove: no, no, I’m perfect, I’m an angel …

For the artist, this has its own benefits.

Certainly. You just need to try to control, manage your emotions.

Is it easy for you to find a common language with new people?

Easily. In general, I really believe in people, right with all my heart. I’m cautious, yes, but open. I can talk absolutely on any topic, I just hate gossip.

Many musicians try themselves in cinema, theater, embody their creative ambitions in different ways. Do you have such plans?

I would like, figuratively speaking, to grow in width. My life was divided into before and after when I joined the Artik & Asti group. I have grown up a lot. But I don’t want to stop there. In the near future, I would like to get an education in acting. I am a translator by profession, but without constant practice, the skill goes away, and I would like to maintain it, therefore, additional English classes are also in my plans.

I don’t know how it will be useful to me in the future, I don’t want to guess anything. I remember our first meeting with Artik: I said that I wanted to sing at the Super Bowl. And I will sing there. I don’t know how, but I will get it. (Laughs) And the louder and funnier my dream, the funnier it is. I want to show myself, a girl from a simple city, who lived in a house without windows as a child, that I can. From an early age I said that I would sing, and everyone laughed at me. And I went to the goal. If I could do it then, why can’t I do it now? My big dream is to prove that I can achieve serious results without denying the experience of my ancestors, my family. And I believe that with their power, I can do something important.

You have such a high employment now, and you are still planning additional classes. A banal question, but a relevant one – how do you manage to do everything, how do you motivate yourself?

I read somewhere that if a plane flies from point A to point B, it follows its own trajectory. But if he changes his route even by 1 degree, he will definitely not get to point B, he will go to another point. And I tell myself every day: if you do something for your development at least 1%, without deviating, you will definitely achieve the result you are going to. I want to make a small studio in my house, I want to develop as an author, as a melodist. And sometimes it seems: Lord, when will all this be done? Yes, it’s normal, it’s a matter of prioritization and proper planning. I’m very excited about the life I’m in right now. I want a quality and cool life and my big dream is worth the effort.

Interview: Marina Savelyeva

Photographer and creative director: Sasha Sakharnaya

Producer: Liza Volnaya

Gafer: Ilya Gorbunov

Digital assistant: Ivan Sverchevsky

Makeup: Fariza Rodriguez

Hair stylist: Julia Bukreeva

Art Director (Artik & Asti): Bicholla

Production Designer: Maria Shestak

CG: VELLIER, ED APP

Retouching: Ksenia Pershina