"Blues, Rock and Jazz music is a real action packed adventure. It is an emotion that makes your day unique. Especially when you are playing it; live, at home, in a studio, just about anywhere it makes you forget your troubles and worries. You ‘charge your battery’ and carry on. Every journey is a music album and vice versa, every tune is a breath of life."

Lazytrains: All Aboard The Music Groove

Lazytrains are a blues based four piece act from the region of Greece, who love to perform and share their passion for music delivering high energy performances from small clubs and venues to festival arenas. At 2022 Lazytrains will be represent their country at the Blues Challenge organized by the European Blues Union at Malmo Sweden. Despite the tough times, Lazytrains are still envision of a world that money doesn’t buy happiness and people come together as one through their love for the arts and not marginalize each other. They released their second single titled Ain’t This Kind of Woman, from their new debut album release. Ain’t This Kind of Woman is a song that captivates the inner strength and the ongoing battles that a woman has to deal with through her life and the journey to find her integrity. Lazytrains are: Maria Ioannidou – Vocals; Petros Koutroubis - Guitar; Leyteris Katsas – Bass; and Eleni Fiseki - drums.

(Lazytrains / Photo by Savvas Palaiologos)

The Lazytrains after many years of presence on the Greek scenes have just released their first complete work. With the eponymous album The Lazytrains (2021), they try not to introduce themselves to an audience that already knows them well enough, but to show their different side. The 8 original songs of their new release are characterized by their stylistic diversity, reflecting the influences of the members and going far beyond the classic form of the Blues. Maria Ioannidou talks about the band, their new album, local Greek blues scene, and European Blues Challenge in Sweden.

Interview by Michael Limnios                      Lazytrains, 2014 Inteview @ blues.gr

How has the Blues, Rock and Jazz music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Blues, Rock and Jazz music is a real action packed adventure. It is an emotion that makes your day unique. Especially when you are playing it; live, at home, in a studio, just about anywhere it makes you forget your troubles and worries. You ‘charge your battery’ and carry on. Every journey is a music album and vice versa, every tune is a breath of life.

What started the thought of Lazytrains? Where does band's creative drive for lyrics and music come from?

We were looking for original names that do not belong to other bands. We came up with “Lazytrains”, we google searched it, saw there was no other band with the same name, we liked the concept of lazy trains and blues, so the name giving took place.

Do you have any interesting stories about the making band's debut album ‘’The Lazyrains’’ which you’d like to share?

In a rehearsal for “give me wings: we needed a washing board and we didn’t have one at the time, Εleni -our drummer- went to the kitchen, as we were at her place, and brought a cheese grater and a knife! Perfect sound! Afterwards we had spaghetti with grated cheese! Delicious!

If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

I’d like to see equal opportunities for development given to more and more musicians based on artistic and not financial criteria.

"I want people to have a good time with our music and the Lazy trains songs to cheer them up, enjoy our gigs, experience beautiful feelings, and if they’ re up to it… dance to the sound of the blues!" (Lazytrains are: Maria Ioannidou; Petros Koutroubis; Leyteris Katsas; and Eleni Fiseki / Photo by Nikolaos Papadakos)

What's been the highlights in your career? What are your hopes and fears for the future of music?

One of the most significant moments for the band is the creation of this album; a milestone for us. As for the music, so long as there are people, there will be music and beautiful new things will emerge.

What would you say characterizes Greek Blues/Jazz scene in comparison to other European scenes?

I don’t know about other countries, but the Greek Blues scene consists of excellent musicians, who are truly talented and passionate, bands that give it the best that they’ve got; we need to find a way to attract a larger audience, which is kind of hard, as music with Greek lyrics remains the most popular in Greece 7-What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths? Patience, perseverance, dedication, hard work, being authentic, true, be honest on stage, respect your partners and of course never stop dreaming!

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want it to affect people?

I want people to have a good time with our music and the Lazy trains songs to cheer them up, enjoy our gigs, experience beautiful feelings, and if they’re up to it… dance to the sound of the blues!

Lazytrains will be the Greek band of EBC 2022 in Sweden. Anything you'd like to say before you go?

We are really looking forward to this event-especially given the many impediments we’ve run into, the biggest one being covid-19 pandemic, but where there’s a will there’s a way, or as we say in Greece “the one who insists, wins”, so we’re ready to stir up Europe! Sweden here we come!

Lazytrains - Home

(Lazytrains: M. Ioannidou; P. Koutroubis; L. Katsas; E. Fiseki / Photo by Nikolaos Papadakos)