NEW SINGLE: Hold Me OUT NOW
Who are ‘ sokind ’?
sokind is an Italian electronic duo composed of Lorenzo and Massimiliano, aka Lorenz and Max. We blend dance and electronic sounds with pop elements to create a sound that aims to combine energy and sensitivity. Our music is the result of an ongoing dialogue between two very different personalities in order to find a creative balance. What started as an experiment has become our core focus: we want to tell stories and create connections through our songs.
For someone that is yet to discover you, how would you describe your music?
Our music is a mix of genres ranging from electronic to dance, with touches of ambient and strong pop influences. However, we like to go beyond labels: we often incorporate more underground elements into our tracks, such as techno or drum and bass, aiming to create something unique. We don’t think we’re revolutionising electronic music, but we’re committed to doing what we love in the most authentic way possible. Our goal is to create a connection with our listeners by offering tracks that are both engaging and meaningful.
What inspired you as an artist?
Max: Personally, I find inspiration in everything around me. It could be a party with friends, a heated discussion, or even an argument. When I write, I draw from personal experiences or those of the people around me, aiming to create simple yet powerful images that the listener can relate to. Lorenz: My inspiration often comes from pure emotion. It could be a sound, an image, or even just a fleeting moment that moves me. When I’m working on a track, I try to translate those feelings into music and create an atmosphere that reflects what I’m experiencing
What is your process for preparing to perform live? Do you have any Diva demands?
We’ve never performed live before, so we can’t say we have any “diva” demands. However, we’re working hard on the design of our live shows. We don’t want to just recreate our
studio tracks; we want to create an immersive audio-visual experience for the audience. We’re exploring how to integrate visuals, lighting, and music into a single performance that tells our story.
It’s a long and complex process, almost as complicated as making music, but we believe it’s worth it.
Where do you feel you fit into the music scene?
Currently, we position ourselves within the independent electronic music scene. We’re still a young and completely independent project, but we work every day to carve out our space. We don’t want to just follow trends; our goal is to build something personal, something with real value.
What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
As a duo, we are strongly drawn to the electronic pop sounds of artists such as Charli XCX, The 1975, and Moderat. However, we don’t like to limit ourselves: we listen to everything, from Sigur Rós to Bring Me The Horizon, from Jamie XX to Fontaines D.C., from Skrillex to The Smiths. Max: Vocally, I’m very inspired by the sensuality of Luke Hemmings. If there’s a genre I feel less connected to, it’s probably reggaeton. Lorenz: For me everything that is authentic and well produced deserves attention, regardless of the genre.
Is there a story behind sokind?
Yes, there’s a bit of a story behind that. After our first studio sessions, we had to choose a name for the project.
Max: I liked the name “Twelve,” without any deep reason behind it, just because it sounded good.
Lorenz wasn’t convinced, he thought it lacked meaning. He preferred something lighter, like “Kid.” One afternoon, I suggested “so kind”: short, easy to remember, and open to different interpretations. Lorenz immediately agreed, and from that moment on we’ve been so kind.
What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist?
We believe our strength lies in our human and creative balance. We are very similar in some ways and very different in others. This contrast allows us to complement each other’s ideas and constantly push each other beyond our individual limits. In order to bring sokind to life, we’ve made significant sacrifices, living almost closely and, in many cases, compromising our personal lives. Our strength comes from accepting each other’s weaknesses and always looking for common ground. We communicate a lot: we call, text, and discuss things every day, expressing doubts, concerns, and ideas without filters. This helps us stay on the same wavelength, even when the challenges get tough. In the end, we believe that the real strength is not in what we do, but in how
we manage to work together, never losing respect and trust for each other.
What would you say is your greatest weakness as an artist?
If we had to sum it up in one word, we’d say time. The days always seem too short to do
everything we want to do. We often find ourselves working late into the night to keep up with music production, live show creation, promotion, and all the other tasks required for an independent project. Another challenge is our own standards. We want every detail to be perfect and this sometimes makes us too critical of ourselves. It’s a process that drives us to improve, but it can also slow us down.
What can fans expect from your new single ‘ Hold Me ’
“Hold Me” was one of the first tracks we produced, but we discarded it almost immediately. It’s a unique song in our catalogue because it starts out slow and reflective and then gradually builds in the second half. One of the many goals we set for ourselves, one was to release our first single by January 2025. After months of studio sessions, we reviewed all the material we had produced, and “Hold Me” (originally titled “Push Me Awake”) turned out to be the most complete and representative track. We worked hard to adapt it to our current vision, rewriting some of the lyrics, recording a new vocal line and adding new sounds to make it more “sokind”. We expect fans to listen to this song in their more intimate moments, to reflect and pause. It’s a track that fits those times when you’re looking for comfort or connection: perhaps in the evening, in the car or on the
train, returning from university or work. We’d love for “Hold Me” to make fans feel like that they want a hug from someone special, someone they wish was there with them at that moment.
And if you read this interview and listen to the song, write to us and tell us what it makes you feel. We’re really curious to know what emotions it makes you fell.
What music artist would you say have influenced your work?
If we had to name a specific influence on “Hold Me,” we’d definitely say Moderate. Of course, we wouldn’t dream of comparing ourselves to them or their skill, but we are very inspired by their approach. In general, we are influenced by a wide range of artists: from Twenty One Pilots to Fred Again, from Skrillex to Odesza, from The 1975 to Disclosure and Justice. We also look a lot to the underground scenes in the UK, France, and Germany, which fascinate us for their experimental nature. In terms of producers, we admire the likes of A.G. Cook, Mike Crossey, Flume, and Gesaffelstein.
Who would you most like to collaborate with artistically?
If we had to choose quickly, we’d say Fred Again, Jamie XX, Odesza, and Pluko. However, the list is really long! Ahahah. It would be a dream to collaborate with someone we admire, because we love the idea of mixing our influences with those of other artists to create something new and surprising.
What was your worst performance?
As we haven’t performed live yet, we can’t share any stories of disastrous performances.
However, we can tell you that during one studio session, we spent an hour listening to a drum and clap loop, without saying a word, desperately trying to find inspiration. It was a real creative block!
What was the most difficult obstacle you have ever faced and how did you overcome it?
As a young project, we don’t yet have a long history of obstacles and challenges to overcome. However, one of the biggest challenges has been to start this project completely on our own, without any external support. Every step we’ve taken has been the result of our own work, and every small achievement is a source of pride.
What is your creative process when making music. Do you work with others or is there just you?
We’re in the studio three or four times a week, and our creative process relies heavily on constant collaboration. Lorenz starts by producing the beats, while Max writes lyrics, stories, or simple phrases that catch his attention. When we meet, we put the ideas together, rewrite the lyrics, adjust the melodies, and record the vocals. Each track goes through many revisions: we listen to it several times over the following days, judging what works and what doesn’t. Once we’re satisfied, we move on to mastering and creating the visual elements (photos, videos, etc.), which we do ourselves.
Where do you see your musical career in 10 years?
On the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Obviously, Ahahah. All joking aside, we hope to continue to make music that we love and to find more and more people who connect with what we do. Our goal isn’t just to play at big festivals or arenas, but more importantly to grow as artists and as individuals.
Your Top 3 Overrated Musicians, who when you hear them you think ‘ How The Fk………….. ?
This is a difficult question to answer because everyone has their own tastes, and what one person consider “overrated” may be a great source of inspiration for another. However, in attempting to answer, we’ll try to be honest, but also respectful. As a duo, it’s not natural for us to point the finger at specific artists, especially since we believe that every musician works hard to achieve their goals and that success is never entirely random. However , we can say that there are some figures who we feel receive disproportionate attention compared to the innovative value of their music or the message they convey. More than specific names, we’re referring to certain trends, especially within the EDM and mainstream pop scenes, where we often see a lack of evolution and a repetition of formulas we’ve already heard before. For example, in the EDM scene, we feel
that some artists are stuck with a sound that was innovative a few years ago, but now it feels stagnant or predictable. We often ask ourselves: why do certain names still dominate festivals when they no longer have anything fresh to offer? At the same time, there are so many emerging talents who produce incredible music but don’t get the same visibility. In a broader sense, what makes us say “What the hell…?” isn’t so much about individual musicians, but rather the idea that the music industry, in some cases, rewards conformity over risk and experimentation. We believe that music should always be evolving and surprising, and when that doesn’t happen, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed. In any case, our critique is aimed at the system and the market
dynamics, rather than the artists themselves. At the end of the day, everyone has their own taste, and everyone has the right to express themselves artistically in the way they feel is most authentic.
