Interview with SFV

The group SFV from Hungary, dates its existence unofficially to 2022, officially the first major performance and the album's release in 2023. Here is a young band on the rise with a big bounce, and by stepping on it to become a sought-after group worldwide. A combination of modern hard rock and glam metal from the USA in a modern European guise. No, it's not misleading. Anyone who had the opportunity to see them in Bratislava, Budapest or Košice during a performance with Richie Kotzen knows what I'm talking about. And here we have an interview because I am convinced that we will hear a lot more about these young people. We are talking to Oliver (singer, guitar), Marci (lead guitar) and Kolos (bass).

Alan - Hello not only to Budapest.
Oliver - Hello, nice to see you again!
Marci - Hello!

Alan - So how are you doing? Did you get together in 2022 or 2023? And are you a band where all the members like glam rock?
Oliver - We first started playing together in 2019. We took it seriously from the start, but we hadn't done anything big yet - mainly because of the covid epidemic and we were very young. In 2022, we’ve met the people who put us on the map, and we have been working with them ever since.
I think we all like some bands from the glam rock era, I personally love Whitesnake and Cinderella the most.

Alan - Your debut titled "We Are" was released a year ago (2023). Did you want to make it as a demo album or a full-fledged album that you can proudly present yourself with? A very, very, very successful work for my taste.
Oliver - Thank you! This album represents the early work of our band, we’ve been writing songs since 2019. I think we can proudly play these songs live too.

Alan - How did you form or how did the band come about?
Oliver - I reached out to Marci and Csabi (keys) in 2018, and asked them if they wanted to play in a band. I arranged a gig where we played some blues classics. After that concert, Bálint, our drummer and Kolos joined the band in 2019.
Kolos - In 2018, Marci, Oliver, and Csabi began collaborating on a few tracks that laid the foundation of something special. A year later, Oliver shared a demo with me titled "Give Me a Ride," and it completely blew my mind. The energy in their music was infectious, and I instantly fell in love with it. That’s when I knew I had to be a part of the band. Even though I had just picked up the bass, I was determined to improve myself and contribute. Around the same time, Balint joined us, and within a year, we played our first gig. What a night that was—unforgettable and electrifying!

Alan - I'm not going to be vague or lie because I don't know. I have the impression that in Hungary punk or metal in classic forms is liked a lot. So what about hard rock and glam? You've made your mark and made it very far in a fairly short period.
Oliver - I think in Hungary the heavier stuff and punk is more popular than modern hard rock and glam metal, but with rock bands like Måneskin getting bigger and bigger, these kinds of genres are starting to get the spotlight more.
Kolos - You're right, Hungarians have always been into heavier stuff. But what’s cool is that our progress shows, people here are also really into new and modern sounds. It’s great to see everyone so open to fresh music!

Alan - Playing in Hungary, how is it with SFV? The first concert was about 10 people, the second one 20,000 people came. Progress from the start until now?
Oliver - Our first concert was in 2020, way before the album came out. To our surprise, a lot of our friends and family came, there were about 200 people. Our biggest gig yet was with The Winery Dogs in Budapest, there were about 3000 people. It was an awesome feeling!
I’d be really happy if we played in big summer festivals throughout Europe. I want to try those main stages!

Alan - You went under the wings of booking agents, which is probably a good move, that's why you had the opportunity to play with Ritchie Kotzen in Bratislava, Košice, and Budapest. What are your impressions and feelings about it? And who arranged this for you?
Oliver - Our management has friends all over Europe, who also have friends, and it’s like a network of friends. You wouldn’t think that for the same tour, the shows in different countries often need to be coordinated with different promoters, but fortunately, everything went smoothly. Luckily, they are all seasoned professionals in this industry and continuously provide us with valuable advice, which helps us become better and more prepared.

Alan - Apart from Hungary and Slovakia, have you been to other countries? As far as I know, you should probably go to Poland as well, and if everything goes as it should, Germany is also waiting for you.
Oliver - Nothing is certain yet, but we have some pretty awesome plans for 2025!
Marci - We haven’t been to any other country other than these yet, but I hope this will change in the future. 

Alan - What was the best place for playing so far and why?
Oliver - I think the tour with Richie Kotzen was one of our best experiences. It was great to see first hand how a long time world famous and professional musician manages a tour.
Kolos - We couldn’t pick a favorite between the concert opening for the Winery Dogs and the one for Richie Kotzen in Bratislava. Both were incredible! The crowd was on fire, and those shows will always be unforgettable memories for us.
Marci - If I had to point out one venue, it’s the one at Bratislava called Majestic Music Club. We opened for Richie Kotzen there, and it was a blast! There were a lot of people, the energy was awesome. And the other place that I think everyone in the band agrees with is the Oldalvágány festival at Fehérgyarmat, Hungary.

Alan – You haven't been playing long, but you sure have some funny experiences. Give some funny touring experiences for laughs.
Marci - When we finally had our first paid gig, Bálint smashed the snare microphone (which wasn’t a cheap one) with his drumstick, so all of the money that we got for the concert went to the sound guys. 

Alan - Does any member of the group take part in a national stew cooking competition?
Marci - I don’t think so. Where can we apply? I love stews and besides music, I work as a chef, so every stew cooking competition should watch out!

Alan - For now, this might be enough to familiarize readers with SFV. I'm sure this is not the last interview we are doing together. At least one more for the new album, or after the European tour that Klaus will prepare for you.
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