Kristina: Everywhere I looked for information, I kept finding the same bio for Neon Fir, which states that your music doesn’t belong to a single genre but is instead a blend of synthpop, neo-soul, and post-punk, all of which are clearly recognizable in your sound. Since Neon Fir consists of five members, was it difficult to decide what kind of music you’d like to perform? Do you ever fight during rehearsals (hahaha)?

Eeva: I think it’s never been a conscious decision what we’re going to sound like. Usually, when someone gets an idea for a song, everyone just follows that instinct. We might have different opinions on some things, but mostly it’s a blessing to make music with very open-minded people. We all listen to a lot of different styles, and we’re happy to show our influences through our music.

Paul: We don’t fight, because we all have black belts (hahaha). But yeah, we haven't had any serious fallouts. I guess the journey into unknown or unheard territories is satisfying enough in itself.

Kristina: How did you meet? Do you all come from the same place? Are you longtime friends, or did you meet more randomly?



Eeva: Paul, Kaarel and I were in music college together. Actually, when we started in 2019, it was our drummer Harald who was also in the same year as us, and he got the idea to form the band. I was supposed to play the keys while singing, but some of the stuff Harald was bringing to rehearsal was just too much to coordinate, so I desperately reached out to Miina (our keyboardist), who I knew from choir. Then after releasing our first album, we parted ways with our drummer and were looking for someone who would have an understanding of what we’re trying to do, and a lot of soul! Thankfully, Markus came along through Paul. <3

Paul: And later we found out that Markus was Miina’s friend of a friend. Might seem random, but every piece of the puzzle is important.

Miina: It is also an Estonian thing that everyone knows everybody, and we’re probably all related as well.

Kristina: I came across Eeva’s side project, SEPT, described as a jazz duo, and I found your 2024 EP Good Luck! perfect for the beginning of autumn. Eeva, are you the one who brought jazz influences into Neon Fir? Also, what kind of music do each of you prefer listening to privately?

Eeva: We all studied jazz music together in college, and our favourite band to cover was Hiatus Kaiyote, so I’d say we all have jazz influences. I personally mostly listen to niche pop music; if the beat is broken or the sounds are freaky or dark, I just get a high from the unexpected. Lately I’ve been obsessed with My Love by Metronomy and Nourished by Time.

Paul: Elijah Fox and Mk.gee are on my list at the moment.

Kaarel: Among other things, I love music from my Estonian friends. There’ve recently been new albums from The Nonconceptual Art Club and Vesi Päästab, which I’ve enjoyed a lot.

Miina: I like all styles of music when it is done well. When I see musicians who love what they play and feel passionate about it, the style doesn’t matter, it’s always very enjoyable. Daily, I play accordion in a punk band and work with the Estonian Folk Music Center, so I also like to play different styles and world music instruments.

Kristina: Would you say that Estonia provides a supportive and thriving environment for newly emerging bands? In 2021 you won the Uno Naissoo Composition Competition, which focuses on original songwriting. Did that award mean a lot to you?

Eeva: Estonia is very small, so none of the more alternative scenes we have here are as big as you’d need them to be to truly thrive. However, it’s very special; I recommend coming to Tallinn and going to small venues like Paavli Kultuurivabrik or Philly Joe’s Jazz Club, there are so many great local bands playing all the time! There’s always this question of “Why doesn’t everyone know so-and-so? How aren’t they big yet?”

Kaarel: The music scene in Estonia is definitely small, but there are positives that come with that. Even quite alternative music such as ours gets some coverage in the national broadcasting channels.

Paul: Definitely. About the award, it helped us a lot, as it covered most of our costs for the debut album, but also gave us courage to carry on.

Kristina: Did you feel your music was “recognized” from that moment, or did you just take it casually? Also, which songwriters do you admire and get inspired by?

Paul: Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) for me is so addicting.

Eeva: My current obsessions are Janis Joplin and Fred Again.

Miina: We were more surprised that we were recognized; everyone has different taste in music, and it even depends on the day, so at these kinds of competitions, all bands are worthy of the prize.

Kristina: You released your debut album Neon Fir in 2021, followed by the Buffering EP in 2023. In 2025 you released two singles hinting at a new album (or EP). Your latest single, Sun, sounds very atmospheric and “big,” it feels like the kind of song that would resonate perfectly in an open-air venue, where the sound can travel without obstacles. Sun is calm, exciting, and coherent at the same time. Is that the kind of atmosphere we can expect from your upcoming release?

Paul: I personally can't really say what’s next, whatever is rocking our boat at any specific time.

Kristina: I always wonder if bands who don’t settle into a single genre are insecure about making a statement, or if they simply enjoy experimenting with different sounds. What is it like for you? Do you ever feel the need to “settle down” into one direction, or do you prefer continuing to explore? (Although, in my opinion, you already sound more coherent on the 2023 EP and especially on the new single.)

Paul: Thanks! I guess we did try to find some common ground on Buffering, to let everyone speak for themselves. The ideas for the first album were more or less finished by the time we got to rehearse and record them, so maybe the difference comes from there.

Eeva: I get pretty bored from hearing an artist repeat themselves too much, and I think with Neon Fir that will never be a problem. As individuals we’re quite different people, and we’re also changing ourselves, so there’s always going to be something new to say and try.

Miina: As said, we still have so many different ideas and “disagreements,” that we simply have to take turns to put it all in our music.

Kristina: Some musicians have left their bands to dedicate themselves to exploring the sound of the “earth,” recording animals, marine life, street sounds, and so on. Do any of you have aspirations of this kind? Would you ever explore sound in such a raw way, and which natural sounds do you enjoy hearing on a daily basis?

Eeva: This is a very interesting question. I actually really enjoy field recordings in music. We have yet to try this with the band, but I feel like it can be a really refreshing element and helps document the time and space of producing a song in a special way. Liis Ring has an album called Vaikelu that just comes to life and makes you experience being in these different spaces as you’re listening to her songs.

Markus: Raining sounds for me are really calming, also waves of the sea.

Miina: Silence, when it happens in the city, is special. In Estonia you don’t have to go far to be all alone in the middle of nature or nowhere and listen to “nothing,” but I haven’t thought about putting it into music.

Kristina: Which type of weather is most inspiring for you, and when do you usually go to the studio to make or record new songs? What albums could we find in your autumn/winter playlists?

Eeva: I do think weather inspires me a lot. I enjoy the gloomy and cold times mostly for the fact that I have zero FOMO when I decide to stay in and write something. Autumn always makes me listen to Arctic Monkeys’ older albums, and I can’t seem to get The Neighbourhood’s 2013 hit Sweater Weather out of my head.

Miina: I have Michael Bublé’s Christmas songs on vinyl, and it’s super annoying for everybody else around me, but it’s easy feel-good music that I’ll listen to on repeat during wintertime.

Paul: For me, sound, harmony, and groove are the quintessential things that sit somewhere in the subconscious. The weather may be really cold and gloomy, or sizzling hot, you just have to keep working and searching. For the darker periods in autumn and winter, I would suggest El Bueno y El Malo by Hermanos Gutiérrez.

Kristina: You’ll be performing in Belgrade at the Changeover Festival next week. You’ve also played at many other festivals, such as Tallinn Music Week, Jazzkaar, and Trad Fest. What is your perspective on the importance of festivals? Do you feel that’s where you belong, or do you prefer performing in a small, cigarette-smoke-filled room, like a real old-school jazz band?

Eeva: I would love us to get more opportunities to play open-air festivals. In Estonia, there are only three or four months of solid weather for outdoor venues. I really love the feeling I get from watching live shows from Red Rocks or Glastonbury.

Miina: I prefer bigger stages, it makes everything better, even practically! When you have space to put your instruments, see your band members, and have room to dance and take a bow :D But I love to listen to other bands in small, dark, crowded places, it feels exclusive, and I feel like a part of the band.