Ptolemea - When I sing the songs, I just need to feel it;I just want to be honest about my singing. That it matches with what I feel

Ptolemea is the alternative music project around Priscila Da Costa. Earlier, the band from Luxembourg released a very nice debut in the form of an EP 'Tome I'. The band does not like to break down sound walls in a scorching way, but rather to break your heart in a floating way. They colour within the lines, but Priscila's voice sounds clear and unearthly so that this shortcoming is quickly forgotten. In March, a new EP was released, 'Maze', which puts that statement even more into the spotlight.
You can read the review of that EP here .
In the meantime, Ptolemea has not been sitting still, releasing two very interesting videos/singles. We had a nice chat with Priscila about the EP and the new singles. We also inquired about the future plans.

Who are Ptolemea, how did it all start?
I started play music quite late. Around the age of 26. I started take guitar lessons and play covers, I was in different king of music projects. I never was thinking about writing songs, till a friend of me , a singer-songwriter, ask me to write a song for the concert I would do with him. So is said yes. I wrote a song, and I not only liked it but it felt very natural. After a while I had some songs, the next logic step is start a band. I found some great musicians, who are also very good friends, who supported me a lot and help me to start up Ptolemea. 

There is something ritual about your music, that I like a lot. Do you also (just like me) feel comfortable in the darkness (like darkness that feels like a warm blanket against the dark thoughts in my subconscious (or something like that))?
Let’s say, I’m not afraid of the darkness. I work with that to. I don’t deny the dark pats of my soul and yes I feel comfortable in that dark site, I must say. Yes. 

I ask this because it’s difficult to put a style of music on what you doing, I don't like to think in pigeonholes, but in terms of promotion to concerts and so on, unfortunately, that is what is required. So how would you describe you music style?
It’s indeed a problem,  You can divide my style of music into various styles, but not into one in particular. Now with the debut full album coming up  it’s difficult to put it in one direction. Soo if feel comfortable  with experimental kind of music.. That’s what it is all about anyway. But there is not a particular category where you can put my music. 

Previously, the band released a very nice debut in the form of an EP 'Tome I' To what extent did that open doors for you?
For me it was just a way to start the project. I didn’t know anything about how to promote the project. That was ok to start in Luxembourg, but the EP ‘Maze’ was the tool to get out of Luxembourg. To reach my music to other countries, but than COVID came and I was back where I started,  Unfortunately. We went to Reunion Island to promote the upcoming EP Maze. We meet very nice people, things were going the  good way, but like I said than COVID came..

I’ve been reviewing your most recent EP  ‘Maze’. Some of my personal opinions about this record, I would like to hear your opinion about some statements ? . Instrumentally, it is oozing with features such as an electronic violin. But unfortunately, very little is done with
In the ‘Maze’ EP  there was a new guitar player, Remo Cavallini who was only a guest for the first EP . I wanted to give each musician enough space to make solos and show their skills but it turned out that the violin got to play less on the last EP. And we hear less and less of it on the two last singles. And for the upcoming album it will be more about the mood and atmosphere of the song than about the different musicians’ skills. So, even though I love the electric violin, there will be maybe no violin at all for the upcoming album! Let's see…

What I do like is you wonderful voice. You have a kind of opera voice, in which the high notes make your eardrums and your heart tremble with inner pleasure, a very hypnotic sensation. What is your opinion about this statement? And how you doing it?
Thanks for that. I have focused on vocal technic. With my first band I have had a lot of problems with singing that high notes, it really heart my throat so I started training that. And intensively learn vocal technic. I went to Seattle in US. I had a intensive training with Robert Lunte from TVS  he has his own methodology that really helped me a lot. And that changed my live as musician and singer in a Hugh way. 

Two highlights on this EP. In "Isolated" and the wonderful "Run", where finally instrumental registers are pulled open a bit more, you enter a fairy-tale world where a siren from the distance enters your brain, hypnotises you and lands you on the cliffs, where your heart is smashed to smithereens. A deliberate approach? and here, too, would you like your personal opinion on this statement?
When I sing the songs, I just need to feel it. I don’t think how people will receive it honesty. Each is see or hear it in one or other way. But I just wanted to be honest about my singing. That it matches with what I feel. That was real important for me. But it was sure not a deliberate approach to make it feel like siren and land on the cliffs (haha). But I just wanted to put true feelings in my songs. 

Generally speaking. The very intense atmosphere of this record is a wonderful battle between violin sound and guitar violence, mixed with that impressive vocal range of yours as the icing on the cake. Is the absolute highlight of this EP as far as I'm concerned. Again, a conscious choice and your opinion on this?
It was important to me that I could make the musicians show who they really are. That was the purpose. That’s why you sometimes get that violence and battle between guitar and violin sound. It was absolute a conscious choice doing that. But in the future it will not particularize about my voice or the musicians but more about the whole sound, that’s a pat I want to follow with the next album. The universe we create with that sound, will be more important. It will be a full album to. 

To conclude, how were the general reactions to this EP? 
We had very good reviews. we not getting that much exposer than we hoped, because of that COVID we could not play the EP on stage. The release concert been cancelled. Very annoying. But yes , we got really good feedback on this EP, we happy with that. And also, we did an animated video for one of the songs of the Maze EP ‘I wish I could’ and it got selected for the Filmfest here in Luxembourg. I am really happy about that!

It’s not a ambition doing more with that, making music for movies perhaps? 
Not yet, maybe later. But now I’m focused on the upcoming album and this project. 

Recent you have bring out a video ‘Mad’. I read ‘’This song is about becoming aware of the madness of our own reality in order to reach balance.’’
Can you tell more about it
It’s about something that we all have, this dark part in us. It gets trigger by everything that is around us. And everything what happens in everyday live. And this song is about excepting that dark part in our self, not fighting it but excepting it’s a part of ourselves.  We can only win the battle, if we except this reality. Because if we keep fighting it we only suffer more, that’s what this song ‘Mad’ is all about.

Now there is also a new video out, ‘Wrong Tears’ . In a reassuringly obscure style, the video shows you writing a letter to the universe in order to get rid of old patterns and manifest new ones. A new beginning, a new skin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC3lUHDrQog . Very interesting but also there is still something ‘mysterious’ about this , can you tell more about it?
In everyday life, when feeling lost, I connect to the different elements (air, fire, water, earth) to feel grounded and more balanced, and it is incredible how much it helps! I also started to write letters to the moon a while back and it really helped me to move forward. So the video clip just shows a little ritual, a communion with nature and with myself for a new start where I won’t be afraid to share that part of Ptolemea with the world.

I have the feeling that these two songs  also show the more ritualistic side of the band, is this true and is that a direction you want to go in the future. Rituals that excite the imagination
The next direction is going to be more pagan, for sure.

One of the only ‘good’ things about this pandemic for me as journalist, if I’m out of questions there are always questions about this pandemic. So, how did you survive this pandemic as musician , band and human being?
As a musician, the status we got from the ministry of Culture help us a lot, that helped a lot, special for the financial part. I could never do, what I still doing if I not had this financial help. As a human being, I am going to be very honest: in the beginning it felt good and relaxing that I could slow down my life a little bit. To have a break. But then I missed the stage a lot. Then I realized I’m doing a lot of things to get a sort of recognition and I was making decisions, not because it was the best thing to do but because I wanted recognition!! It made me see things in many other perspectives. So now when I make a decision I ask myself what is the motivation that drives me, if it’s my ego who just wants recognition, I let it be and usually a better opportunity pops up!  Musically the project is going to take another direction, and I’m happy about that, because it pushes me to resent the project in a more authentic way. So it was hard, but something changed in those two years. In a positive way. I’m grateful for that.

Some bands stop due this pandemic, others become stronger after all?
I don’t think we got stronger due this pandemic, but we not got weaker out of this times we going through.

Now that we talk about the future , what are the future plans? Next full album coming out (next year maybe) Next to that , what are the future plans to go on tour and things? 
We are planning tours for 2023…I’ll keep you posted ;)  

I would love to see you guys live in a ritual show ? with candles and things? I see some ritual décor with skulls and candles. And also something where people could write a message on a paper, and bring it on stage to burn it
We sure going to work things out in this and next month see what is possible. Candles and rituals are sure a good thing to do. I like the idea of writing something down, and then burn it. 

What are the ambitions for you as musician?
To make tours, big tours, going to different places. It’s a big ambition doing that. And go to a lot festivals, where is much dark music. A festival like Sonic Blast festival in Portugal, or the Roadburn in Tilburg I would like going there. Going on tour and doing festivals, it’s an ambition for the future.

Dominate the world , play at Sportpaleis or big stadiums? Is there any end goal or goals you want to reach?
I want to come at a point that I really can live of my music, and not need to worry. It’s not that I complain about everything, but now I have to do different projects to make a living. But it’ would be nice to focus on three projects, and really live of it. That’s sure a goal I want to reach. 

Thanks for the nice chat, hope to see on stage soon
Thank you !! :)