I’m really glad to present you one of the delayed interviews from 2013/2014 winter season. Started in late 2013, the BROOKS WAS HERE interview is finally ready, translated into 2 languages, the same way I try to treat every Polish band promoted here on IDIOTEQ. This time we’re dealing with a relatively young post hardcore / emo band from Warsaw called BROOKS WAS HERE. Named after a powerful scene from Shawshank Redemption, these guys create a nice blend of emotive, discordant and rockish post hardcore in the vein of 90s sentimental emo/punk bands and have received loads of well-deserved, positive reviews from all over the world. Their second EP called “High Violence” was released on October 5th, 2013 via Jagged Kid recordsย andย they are now at work on a full-length album, with details to be unveiled quite soon.
Oh, and their vocalist (second from the right) is neither Wade McNeil of GALLOWS, norย Jonny O’Callaghan of LIFERUINER :) Scroll down to reveal who he and his band mates really are.
[EN] Hey guys! Finally, we meet! The post hardcore sensation of the year meets the least quoted alternative medium, haha ;) Whatโs up? Are you ready to face the winter? :)
[PL] Hej Panowie! W koลcu rozmawiamy! Post hardcore’owa sensacja roku i najrzadziej cytowane medium alternatywne ;) Co sลychaฤ? Przygotowani do zimy? :)
[EN] Majkel: Hey, Hey. Quoting the title of our first song from High Violence everything is โUnder Controlโ. We’re doing rehearsals, we’re making new songs and we’re planning some shows. We’re not afraid of winter cause it seems that it’s not gonna come.
Roman: At this moment I am personally content with the progress of work on our new record and the fact how quickly we managed to reach the collective flow with our new drummer.
[PL] Majkel: Hej, hej! Parafrazujฤ c pierwszy numer z High Violence u nas wszystko jest “Under Control”. Gramy prรณby, robimy nowy materiaล, planujemy kolejne koncerty. Zimy siฤ raczej nie boimy, bo pรณki co to jej nawet nie widaฤ :)
Roman: Ja jestem w chwili obecnej zadowolony z tego jak przebiegajฤ prace nad nowym materiaลem i tego jak szybko zลapaliลmy wspรณlny flow z nowym perkusistฤ .
[EN] Alright gents. Before we get to your latest recording and plans for the future, let’s start from the beginning. Staright up, let’s shoot all those lame kis who are not familiar with you a proper introduction to the band ;) Where do you come from, why did you form and what do you represent?
[PL] Dobra Panowie. Zanim nowy materiaล i plany na przyszลoลฤ, zacznijmy od poczฤ
tku. Bez ceregieli. Zrรณbmy wstฤp dla lamusรณw co nie znajฤ
Waszej bandy ;) Skฤ
d siฤ wziฤliลcie, w jakim celu przybywacie, co reprezentujecie?
[EN] Majkel: We’re Brooks Was Here. We’re from concrete stained Warsaw and it’s depressive downtowns. Why are we here? Good question. I guess there’s no straight answer. We know each other for a long time. We like sad music, such as emo, post-hardcore and other watering eyes anthems. No one of us came out with these inspirations. In September of 2011 after really hard party near river Vistula we decided to change it. I was playing with Kacper (oue ex-drummer). Mateusz picked up bass guitar and vocals. We made some songs, recorded them and put them out. It seems that there’s some people in Poland (beside of us) that like FUGAZI, AT THE DRIVE-IN, HOT CROSS, MOSS ICON, SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE. We played some gigs. In the meantime Mateusz relocked himself on second guitar. Demian came and picked up the bass left by Mateusz. Vocals became more harsh. Demian brought to our new songs some hardcore groove. Then we recorded our second EP โ High Violence, which we are actually promoting. In the meantime lineup was changed again. Kacper was replaced by Mikoลaj which also brought a lot with him to our band. There’s no doubt that everyone will hear it on our next EP/LP. We have started workin on new songs and once again it’s a complete different story than the old stuff. Why are we here? We came here to show everybody that music which helped us heal our youthful frustrations could be played in 2013 a.d. in country such as Poland without being cheesy. Hmm… I guess we’re representing ourselves. There’s no movement whom we identify ourselves. We don’t care about being clichรฉ. We do only things we like to do, it is our antidote on everyday routine.
Roman: I’m not consider myself as a scenester and I have no ambitions to represent whoever and whatever but there are some attitudes that are close to me. I’m an anti-capitalist and I really don’t like some situations which we are struggling each day. Sometimes I write lyrics about those issues.
[PL] Majkel: Nazywamy siฤ BROOKS WAS HERE. Jesteลmy z zalanej betonem Warszawy i jej przygnฤbiajฤ cych przedmieลฤ. Skฤ d siฤ wzieliลmy? Dobre pytanie! W sumie to nawet nie wiem. Z Mateuszem znamy siฤ doลฤ dลugo. Obydwaj lubimy smutnฤ muzykฤ, emo, post-hardcore i inne rzewnie pieลni. ลปaden z nas nie wychodziล z tymi inspiracjami poza swรณj pokรณj. W wrzeลniu 2011 po mocno zakrapianej imprezie nad Wisลฤ , postanowiliลmy to zmieniฤ. Ja graลem wtedy z Kacprem (naszym poprzednim bฤbniarzem), Mateusz wskoczyล na bas i wokal. Zrobiliลmy parฤ numerรณw, nagraliลmy je i wypuลciliลmy. Okazaลo siฤ, ลผe jednak nie tylko my lubimy FUGAZI, AT THE DRIVE-IN, HOT CROSS, MOSS ICON, SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE. Zagraliลmy trochฤ koncertรณw. W miฤdzyczasie Mateusz przesiadล siฤ na drugฤ gitarฤ, do zespoลu doลฤ czyล Demian, ktรณry przejฤ ล bas. Wokale staลy siฤ agresywniejsze, Demian wniรณsล trochฤ hardcorowej motoryki do naszych nowych numerรณw i nagraliลmy drugฤ EPkฤ High Violence, ktรณrฤ aktualnie promujemy. W miฤdzyczasie znowu zmieniล siฤ skลad za Kacpra do zespoลu wskoczyล Mikoลaj, ktรณry takลผe bardzo duลผo wniรณsล do zespoลu, co na pewno wszyscy usลyszฤ na nastฤpnym EP/LP. Zaczฤliลmy pracowaฤ nad nowymi numerami i kolejny raz jest to kompletnie inna bajka niลผ poprzednie rzeczy. Po co przybyliลmy? Przybyliลmy po to, ลผeby pokazaฤ wszystkim, ลผe muzyka, na ktรณrej siฤ wychowaliลmy i dziฤki ktรณrej leczyliลmy nasze mลodzieลcze frustracje moลผe byฤ grana w 2013 roku w kraju takim jak Polska i nie jest to obciachem. Hmm… a reprezentujemy chyba siebie. Nie ma jakiegoล ruchu, z ktรณrym byลmy siฤ w jakikolwiek sposรณb identyfikowali. Siedzimy okrakiem na wszystkich ลatkach, etykietach, stylistykach. Robimy to, co lubimy, jest to odskoczniฤ od codziennej zabijajฤ cej w czลowieku chฤฤ do czegokolwiek rutyny.
Roman: Ja na pewno nie jestem scenowcem i nie mam ambicji reprezentowaฤ kogokolwiek i czegokolwiek, ale sฤ pewne postawy, ktรณre sฤ mi bliskie. Jestem antykapitalistฤ i bardzo nie podobajฤ mi siฤ pewne sytuacje, z ktรณrymi mamy do czynienia kaลผdego dnia, zdarza mi siฤ pisaฤ o tym teksty.
[EN] Have you been in other bands before?
[PL] Graliลcie wczeลniej w jakichล innych bandach?
[EN] Mateusz: At this moment I’m playing in THE SPOUDS, we are active almost half of decade. We’re slowly preparing to record new LP. I was playing in LORA LIE but the band doesn’t exist anymore. From time to time I like to play at improvised shows, I’m also active in project called STING NIE ZAGRA W KAZACHSTANIE.
[PL] Mateusz: W chwili obecnej gram jeszcze w THE SPOUDS, z ktรณrym dziaลamy juลผ chyba z pรณล dekady. Zbieramy siฤ powoli do nagrania nowego LP. Graลem jeszcze w skลadzie LORA LIE, ktรณry juลผ nie istnieje. Poza tym czasami zagram jakiล improwizowany gig, dziaลam teลผ w skลadzie STING NIE ZAGRA W KAZACHSTANIE.
[EN] Wow, what kind of a band is that? Talk to me :)
[PL] Wow. Cรณลผ to za ekipa? Powiedz coล wiฤcej :)
[EN] Mateusz: STING NIE ZAGRA W KAZACHSTANIE.it’s squad where in spite of me play Rafaล, saxophonist in MERKABAH, Goran Miegoล, producer of our records is making synth electronics ,playing guitar and bass and Bibi from EVVOLVES, she is singing. Month or two and everyone should be able to listen to our record, we will announced it via facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/niezagra ). It is really weird stuff, the music is hard to describe cause there’s yass in it, some no wave school of noise and also shoegaze and hip-hop elements.
[PL] Mateusz: STING NIE ZAGRA W KAZACHSTANIE to skลad, w ktรณrym poza mnฤ gra Rafaล, saksofonista MERKABAH, Goran Miegoล, producent naszych nagrywek, robiฤ cy nam elektronikฤ i grajฤ cy na gitarze i basie i Bibi z EVVOLVES, ktรณra ลpiewa. W przeciฤ gu miesiฤ ca-dwรณch na pewno bฤdzie moลผna juลผ usลyszeฤ nasze nagrania, na pewno powiemy o tym na swoim facebooku ( https://www.facebook.com/niezagra ). To naprawdฤ dziwna rzecz, trudno mi nawet okreลliฤ, co to za muzyka, bo jest w tym zarรณwno yass, jakaล no wave’owa szkoลa noisu, jak i jakieล elementy shoegaze’owe i hip-hopowe. Dziwna rzecz.
[EN] Smells like another interview :) I’ll stop myself from rambling more on this ;)
Expanding the introduction of BROOKS WAS HERE, letโs have a couple of words about your name. Is it a kind of tribute to that great movie or is something more, a kind of a linkage to your beliefs or something?
[PL] To mi pachnie oddzielnym wywiadem :) Chwilowo powstrzymam siฤ od rozwijania tematu ;)
Idฤ
c tropem wstฤpu pt. BROOKS WAS HERE, sลรณw kilka o nazwie. Czy to wyลฤ
cznie frywolny hoลd genialnemu obrazowi filmowemu, czy wiฤ
ลผecie ten motyw w pewien sposรณb z wลasnymi przekonaniami?
[EN] Majkel: It is one of my favourite movies. I’ve seen it for the first time when I wa a kid and from that moment it is stucked in my memory. When we started I proposed the name to Mateusz and we both decided that it sounds ok. History of Brooks Halten always give me goosebumps.
[PL] Majkel: Jest to jeden z moich ulubionych filmรณw. Obejrzaลem go jako dzieciak i od tamtej pory mocno utkwiล mi w pamiฤci. Zaproponowaลem to Mateuszowi jak zaczynaliลmy i obydwaj stwierdziliลmy, ลผe brzmi nieลบle. Historia filmowego Brooksa Haltena zawsze sprawia, ลผe mam ciarki na plecach.
[EN] Have you been mistaken for these or these guys?
[PL] Pomyliล Was ktoล kiedyล z tymi lub tymi Panami?
[EN] Mateusz: Not from which I know
[PL] Mateusz: Z tego, co mi wiadomo to nie.
[EN] Ok, letโs go back to your newest release. Youโre giving it away for free till the end of the year. Why not give it away from day one? Arenโt you after after free downloads model? Whatโs your take on other new forms of distribution invented in these dynamic, digital times?
[PL] Ok, wrรณฤmy to Waszego najnowszego krฤ
ลผka. Udostฤpniacie go do koลca roku za darmo. Dlaczego nie dzieliliลcie siฤ nim na tej zasadzie od samego poczฤ
tku? Nie uznajecie wspรณลczeลnie przyjฤtego modelu Free Download? Co sฤ
dzicie o nowych formach dystrybucji muzyki w tych cholernie dynamicznych, cyfrowych czasach?
[EN] Majkel: Hmm… we didn’t share it from the beginning for free, since we wanted people to bought EP in the material version, which is being distributed through JAGGED KID. We wanted to be as cheap as possible. It is being sold after production costs, we aren’t earning on it (costs PLN 10). From what I know over the half of the circulation sold off, seeming returned, so we decided every now and then to make it available for free. It is common practice. We try to observe what is happening across our west border, in UK or in the USA. Bands often do it this way do, so we are trying to draw from the best templates and to do the same. Since it is working with them, why it is supposed to not work here? :) We need to widespread our horizons and trying new things. We’re trying to to evolve as musicians, people and also improve our competence and reach through it far more than our friends in Warsaw. As for new forms of distribution? I personally am not a collector of plates, vinyls or cassettes. Sometimes at the concert I will buy some record myself, but it isn’t a norm. Personally I most often listen to music from my iPod or the phone. I think that distribution of the music in the digital form is the most reliable future solution. However sale of the music in the material form it is rather an addition, gadget. Do you like the band, you want to support them? You are downloading the music for free whether you are paying how many you want, you are going to a concert and you are buying it in the material form, or some other merch how you have bucks, you want to support the band. This is the way it should look according to me.
[PL] Majkel: Hmm…nie dzieliliลmy siฤ nim od poczฤ tku za darmo, poniewaลผ chcieliลmy, aby ludzie kupili EPkฤ w wersji fizycznej, ktรณra wydawana zostaลa przez JAGGED KID. Bardzo zaleลผaลo nam, ลผeby EPka nie byลa droga i ลผeby kaลผdy mรณgล sobie na niฤ pozwoliฤ. Jest sprzedawana po kosztach produkcji, nie zarabiamy na tym (kosztuje 10 zล). Z tego, co wiem ponad poลowa nakลadu siฤ wyprzedaลa, wydanie siฤ zwrรณciลo, wiฤc postanowiliลmy co jakiล czas udostฤpniaฤ ja za darmo. Jest to powszechnie stosowana praktyka. Na bieลผฤ ca obserwujemy to, co dzieje siฤ za naszฤ zachodniฤ granicฤ , w UK czy w USA. Zespoลy czฤsto tak robiฤ , wiฤc staramy czerpaฤ siฤ z najlepszych wzorcรณw i robiฤ tak samo. Skoro to sprawdza siฤ u nich, dlaczego u nas ma tak nie byฤ? :) Trzeba stale poszerzaฤ swoje horyzonty i prรณbowaฤ nowych rzeczy. Staramy siฤ rozwijaฤ zarรณwno jako muzycy, ludzie, ale takลผe poszerzaฤ nasze kompetencje, dziฤki ktรณrym to co robimy trafi do kogoล wiฤcej niลผ naszych znajomych w Warszawie. Co do nowych form dystrybucji? Ja osobiลcie nie jestem kolekcjonerem pลyt, winyli czy kaset. Czasem na koncercie kupiฤ sobie jakieล wydawnictwo, ale nie jest to normฤ . Osobiลcie najczฤลciej muzyki sลucham z mojego iPoda czy telefonu. Uwaลผam, ลผe dystrybucja muzyki w formie cyfrowej jest najbardziej przyszลoลciowym rozwiฤ zaniem. Natomiast sprzedaลผ muzyki w formie fizycznej to raczej dodatek, gadลผet. Lubisz zespรณล, chcesz go wesprzeฤ? ลciฤ gasz muzykฤ za darmo czy pลacisz ile chcesz, idziesz na koncert i kupujesz to w formie fizycznej, albo jakiล inny merch jak masz hajs, chcesz wesprzeฤ zespรณล. Tak to wg mnie powinno wyglฤ daฤ.
[EN] Is it possible then to live off doing music and base your existence on punk rock?
[PL] Jest wobec tego szansa, ลผeby nie musieฤ zbyt duลผo dorabiaฤ i opieraฤ swojฤ
egzystencjฤ w znacznym stopniu na punk rocku?
[EN] Mateusz: For me at this moment there’s no such possibility. I actually doesn’t know anyone who’s living only from the music.
Majkel: To be honest sometimes it is hard even for a refunds for the gig. None of us of has a minibus, van and unfortunately it is our biggest problem at the moment.
[PL] Mateusz: Dla mnie w tym momencie zdecydowanie nie ma takiej szansy. Nie znam teลผ nikogo ลผyjฤ cego tylko z muzyki.
Majkel: Szczerze mรณwiฤ c to czasem ciฤลผko jest nawet o zwroty za koncert, ktรณre pokryjฤ wszystkie koszta z nim zwiฤ zane. Nie mamy swojego busa, vana i niestety jest to nasz najwiฤkszy problem w chwili obecnej.
[EN] Ok guys, you mentioned Jagged Kid Records. I always loved promoting alternative and DIY labels, so please expound more on the label and your cooperation.
[PL] Ok, wspomnieliลcie o Jagged Kid Records. W zwiฤ
zku z tym, ลผe promujฤ na ลamach IDIOTEQ masฤ niezaleลผnych wytwรณrni, powiedzcie coล wiฤcej o tej stajni i Waszej wspรณลpracy.
[EN] Majkel: Hmm… Jagged Kid is something what was ringing in my head for ages. It was my aim to bring to into existence mini-label for post-hc/emo climate bands, not entirely hardcore. At least we actually became operative by accident, a bit out of necessity. Our acquaintances were supposed to establish label and to give a few cool compositions from Warsaw. Unfortunately right after the High Violence recording it turned out that it would fail for them on time to untwist it. We entered into the b plan and we revived the idea from Jagged Kid. Great thanks goes to Magda which piloted the whole process of the High Violence edition from beginning to end and it thanks to her ran it across painlessly. For the here and now Jagged Kid is I and Magda which is also my girl, so it is a bit of a family business he he:) We don’t have avid long-range plans. We simply wanted to give HV just enough professional care and to assure some promotion and it throve. From the beginning we had some idea to it, systematically we are tracking how it now is becoming. We are very pleased with what in the really small time and with small budget and the limited time we managed to do. We are also thinking of giving a few other rock groups in the climate, in spring we are organising a few concerts. Everything is sticking the way it should.
[PL] Majkel: Hmm…Jagged Kid to coล co od dawna chodziลo mi po gลowie. Bardzo zaleลผaลo mi, ลผeby powstaล taki mini-label wydajฤ cy zespoลy w klimacie post-hc/emo, nie do koลca hardcore’owe. Chociaลผ tak naprawdฤ zaczฤliลmy dziaลaฤ przez przypadek, trochฤ z koniecznoลci. Nasi znajomi mieli zakลadaฤ label i wydawaฤ kilka fajnych skลadรณw z Wwa. Niestety tuลผ po nagraniu High Violence okazaลo siฤ, ลผe nie uda im siฤ tego na czas rozkrฤciฤ. Przystฤ piliลmy do planu b i reaktywowaliลmy pomysล z Jagged Kid. Wielkie podziฤkowania naleลผฤ siฤ Magdzie, ktรณra pilotowaลa caลy proces wydania High Violence od poczฤ tku do koลca i to dziฤki niej przebiegลo to bezboleลnie. Na chwilฤ obecnฤ Jagged Kid to ja i Magda, ktรณra jest takลผe mojฤ dziewczynฤ , wiฤc to trochฤ rodzinny biznes he he :) Nie mamy ลผฤ dnych dalekosiฤลผnych planรณw. Po prostu chcieliลmy po prostu wydaฤ HV w miarฤ PRO i zapewniฤ jakaล promocjฤ i siฤ to udaลo. Od poczฤ tku mieliลmy na to jakiล pomysล, na bieลผฤ co ลledzimy jak to siฤ teraz robi. Jesteลmy bardzo zadowoleni z tego co w naprawdฤ maลym czasie i z maลym budลผetem i ograniczonym czasem udaลo nam siฤ zrobiฤ. Myลlimy takลผe o wydaniu kilku innych kapel w klimacie, na wiosnฤ organizujemy kilka koncertรณw. Wszystko ukลada siฤ tak jak powinno.
[EN] Any details? What artists are on your roster?
[PL] Jakieล szczegรณลy? Jakie kapele zbieracie w portfolio?
[EN] Majkel: I would prefer not to give details away in order not to jinx. Most of all rock that would be groups which are playing such a music which we are listening to that is e.g. post-hc/emo/screamo/noise. The time will tell how it will come out. We are acting according to the principle “without pressures”.
[PL] Majkel: Wolaลbym nie zdradzaฤ szczegรณลรณw, ลผeby nie zapeszaฤ. Bฤdฤ to przede wszystkim kapele, ktรณre grajฤ muzykฤ takฤ jakiej sami sลuchami czyli np. post-hc/emo/screamo/noise. Czas pokaลผe jak to wyjdzie. Dziaลamy zgodnie z zasadฤ “bez ciลnieล”.
[EN] Youโre booking gigs via Jagged Kid too, right? Are there any upcoming shows worth mentioning here?
[PL] Bookujecie teลผ w ramach Jagged Kid koncerty, prawda? Jakieล nadchodzฤ
ce wydarzenia warte uwagi?
[EN] Majkel: in spring we are organising the concert for the band called DROM from Czech Republic. They played on Fluff Fest. We booked also russian squad called MORO MORO LAND. Something will probably still reach it. Everything is in progress.
[PL] Majkel: Na wiosnฤ organizujemy koncert zespoลowi DROM z Czech. Grali oni m.in na Fluff Feลcie. Zabookowaliลmy teลผ rosyjski skลad MORO MORO LAND. Coล do tego dojdzie prawdopodobnie jeszcze. Wszystko jest in progress.
[EN] Alright, so back to BWH, how do you share responsibility when it comes to promotion? Iโve seen a lot of amazing reviews in the Web, both in Polish and English, and I wonderedโฆ is it a natural hype, or a result of public relations actions? Is it hard to get attention for your project?
[PL] Ok, wracajฤ
c do BWH, jak wyglฤ
da podziaล odpowiedzialnoลci jeลli chodzi o promocjฤ? Widzฤ w Sieci sporo recenzji, zarรณwno polskich, jak i zagranicznych i zastanawiam siฤ โ czy to naturalny hype, czy wynik ciฤลผkiej pracy na mailu? Powiedzcie coล wiฤcej o tym jak naleลผy dzisiaj walczyฤ o atencjฤ. Jest ciฤลผko?
[EN] Majkel: these review/materials it in part “hard work on the mail” how correctly you named it, and also part of natural hype. I think that a consistency is most important, it is necessary step by step to carry out what for ourselves we put on. As for the fight for attention, I don’t know. We live in times, in which everyone can for himself establish the blog, portal and it is the same cool as well as shitty. Every couple of minutes some blogs, seizing portals arise oneself with music. Today practically everyone is a reviewer and a critic, irrespective of whether he examined in life 10 or 1000 plates. Contrary to appearances isn’t it hard today to become known, but a question whether is it really matters? Because into the majority nothing behind it is going. It is necessary really to be on fire with it. what is becoming, if only to persevere in it.
[PL] Majkel: Te recenzjฤ/materiaลy to po czฤลci “ciฤลผka praca na mailu” jak to ลadnie nazwaลeล, a po czฤลci naturalny hype. Myลlฤ, ลผe najwaลผniejsza jest konsekwencja, trzeba krok po kroku realizowaฤ to co sobie zaลoลผyliลmy. Co do walki o atencje, to sam nie wiem. ลปyjemy w czasach, w ktรณrych kaลผdy moลผe sobie zaลoลผyฤ bloga, portal i jest to tak samo fajne jak i chujowe. Co chwilฤ powstajฤ jakieล blogi, portale zajmujฤ ce siฤ muzykฤ . Dzisiaj praktycznie kaลผdy jest recenzentem i krytykiem, niezaleลผnie od tego czy przesลuchaล w ลผyciu 10 czy 1000 pลyt. Wbrew pozorom nie jest trudno dziล zaistnieฤ, tylko pytanie czy ma to sens? Bo w wiฤkszoลฤ nic za tym nie idzie. Trzeba naprawdฤ jaraฤ siฤ tym. co siฤ robi, ลผeby w tym wytrwaฤ.
[EN] Correct. I guess youโll be promoting stuff even more, cause thereโs a debut video coming up, right? Who did you shoot it with? What and when can we expect?
[PL] Zgadza siฤ. Niebawem uderzycie pewnie jeszcze mocniej z promocjฤ
, wychodzi bowiem Wasz pierwszy teledysk. Z kim nad nim pracowaliลcie? Czego i kiedy moลผemy siฤ spodziewaฤ?
[EN] Majkel: our friends Bjรธrn Johansen and Zuwia Olejnichuck are responsible for the entire graphical cover, trailer, video clip. They put much work and hearts very much and were a part of this undertaking with which is High Violence. Of what to expect after the video clip? Soon it will be possible to see it for itself. It isn’t certainly typical video clip and in the climate a basement isn’t, the band’s playing live and in the background nailing high fives together. At least I very much like such typical square coins. Bjรธrn and Zuwia from the beginning had an idea to it and it is their vision.
[PL] Majkel: Za caลฤ oprawฤ graficznฤ , trailer, klip odpowiedzialni sฤ nasi przyjaciele Bjรธrn Johansen i Zuwia Olejnichuck. Wลoลผyli bardzo duลผo pracy i serca i byli czฤลciฤ tego przedsiฤwziฤcia jakim jest High Violence. Czego spodziewaฤ siฤ po klipie? Niedลugo bฤdzie siฤ moลผna o tym przekonaฤ. Nie jest to na pewno typowy klip i nie jest w klimacie piwnica, zespรณล gra na ลผywo i w tle zbijanie piฤ tek. Chociaลผ ja bardzo lubiฤ takie typowe klipy. Bjรธrn i Zuwia od poczฤ tku mieli na to pomysล i jest to ich wizja.
[EN] Alright, letโs move on to touring. Touring-wise, how would you sum up 2013? Any radical parties youโd like to recall?
[PL] Ok, przejdลบmy do koncertowania. Jak podsumujecie pod tym kฤ
tem zeszลy rok? Jakieล najlepsze imprezy, ktรณre chcielibyลcie wspomnieฤ?
[EN] Mateusz: speaking of shows it was a โwell doneโ year, although it is hard for me to choose one specific gig. Every concert is for me in a way exceptional.
Majkel: probably the best concerts we played which were held in that year โat usโ, that is in Warsaw. There were many people on gigs really, pogo, crowdsurfing. Playing for such crowd is fucking awesome.
[PL] Mateusz: Pod wzglฤdem koncertรณw byล to udany rok, chociaลผ trudno wyrรณลผniฤ mi jeden konkretny gig. Kaลผdy koncert jest dla mnie na swรณj sposรณb wyjฤ tkowy.
Majkel: Chyba najlepsze koncerty jakie graliลmy w tamtym roku odbyลy siฤ “u nas”, czyli w Warszawie. Na gigach byลo naprawdฤ duลผo ludzi, pogo, crowdsurfing. Zajebiลcie siฤ graลo.
[EN] What are some of the cons of developing musical activism of an alternative band in Poland? As a band, what obstacles have you had to overcome?
[PL] Co jest najgorsze jeลli chodzi o rozwijanie dziaลalnoลci niezaleลผnej kapeli w Polsce? Jakie najwiฤksze przeszkody definiujecie jako mลody band?
[EN] Majkel: finances are probably a biggest obstacle. So far we weren’t flooded with some bulk of the proposal to play with other bands, whether in cool or cosy places. Only recently it a bit moved. We are organising the majority of the thing from beginning to end alone. Watching foreign bands which are playing non-stop, or it from Germany, whether from Sweden we could only envy them.
[PL] Majkel: Najwiฤkszฤ przeszkodฤ sฤ chyba finanse. Dotychczas nie byliลmy zasypywani jakฤ ล wielkฤ iloลciฤ propozycji grania z innymi zespoลami, czy w fajnych miejscรณwkach. Dopiero ostatnio siฤ to trochฤ ruszyลo. Wiฤkszoลฤ rzeczy organizujemy od poczฤ tku do koลca sami. Patrzฤ c na zagraniczne skลady, ktรณre grajฤ non-stop, czy to zespoลy z Niemiec, czy ze Szwecji to moลผna im tylko pozazdroลcic.
[EN] What;s the status of booking shows for 2014? Howโs it going?
[PL] Jaki macie status jeลli chodzi o booking na ten rok? Jak idzie?
[EN] Majkel: we have a few beaten dates. In the March we will play 3-4 concerts in the Czech Republic, where we also a year ago played. We will also be playing on Please Don’t Cry Fest in Cracow and we are smoky eager to do it, because of it shit-hot line-up. There are also a few alternative options, so completely cool it is being heralded.
[PL] Majkel: Mamy zaklepanych parฤ terminรณw. W marcu zagramy 3-4 koncerty w Czechach, gdzie graliลmy takลผe rok temu. Bฤdziemy teลผ graฤ na Please Don’t Cry Fest w Krakowie i bardzo siฤ tym jaramy, bo jest tam zajebisty line-up. Jest teลผ kilka innych opcji, wiฤc caลkiem spoko siฤ to zapowiada.
[EN] Will we be seeing you at any festivals this year?
[PL] Zobaczymy Was na jakichล wiฤkszych festiwalach?
[EN] Majkel: he, he, he. Essentially I don’t think we would have anything against playing on Off Festival in Katowice. Still we are going there every year as fans for music performances. It would be great clutter up on Fluff Fest, but there’s no way some student “holiday of the sausage” would access the game.
[PL] Majkel: He, he, he. W sumie chyba nie mielibyลmy nic przeciwko, ลผeby zagraฤ na Off Festivalu w Katowicach. Jeลบdzimy tam i tak co roku jako fani na koncerty. Fajnie byลoby zagraฤ na Fluff Feลcie, ale ลผadne “ลwiฤto kieลbasy” nie wchodzi w grฤ.
[EN] How about touring Europe and going abroad in general? Does it make any sense in your case? Do you have such desire?
[PL] A co powiecie jeลli chodzi o Europฤ i generalnie wyjazd gdziekolwiek poza nasze granice? Myลlicie, ลผe to ma sens w Waszym przypadku? Macie takie โciฤ
gotkiโ?
[EN] Mateusz: generally speaking playing concerts makes sense, so yes. There is only an issue of such logistic embracing the entire situation in order not to pay too much money extra for such adventures.
Majkel: very much we would want. We have no complexes, so embracing it under the logistic account is an only problem. We got a lot positive reviews especially from foreign countries and also a few invitations to Berlin, Zagreb, Prague, to France appeared, and even a homie from Indonesia spoke to us, he is draining compositions to itself the likes of us and is doing mini-tour Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore. Admittedly we were forced to refuse, because very ticket for the plane would ruin our budget, but we felt very nicely.
[PL] Mateusz: W ogรณle granie koncertรณw ma sens, wiฤc tak. Jest tylko kwestia takiego logistycznego ogarniฤcia caลej sytuacji, ลผeby nie dopลacaฤ do takich przygรณd za duลผo pieniฤdzy.
Majkel: Bardzo byลmy chcieli. Nie mamy ลผadnych kompleksรณw, wiฤc jedynym problemem jest ogarniฤcie tego pod wzglฤdem logistycznym. Dostaliลmy wiele pozytywnych recek zwลaszcza z zagranicy i pojawiลo siฤ takลผe kilka zaproszeล m.in do Berlina, Zagrzebia, Pragi, do Francji, a odezwaล siฤ do nas nawet ziomek z Indonezji, ktรณry ลciฤ ga do siebie skลady takie jak my i robi mini-tour Indonezja, Tajlandia, Singapur. Co prawda byliลmy zmuszeni odmรณwiฤ, bo sam bilet na samolot zrujnowaลby nasz budลผet, ale byลo nam bardzo miลo.
[EN] Ok gentlemen. What else would you like to add here? Any hot news on a full length perhaps? :)
[PL] Ok, Panowie. Co jeszcze chcielibyลcie dodaฤ? Jakieล premierowe newsy o dลugograjฤ
cym albumie? :)
[EN] Majkel: we are working on the new material. We don’t know whether a next publication will be a LP or EP. I am an EP fan myself, I like short content essence of this form. The time will tell. Certainly in 2014 it will be possible to expect something new from us.
[PL] Majkel: Pracujemy nad nowym materiaลem. Nie wiemy czy kolejne wydawnictwo to bฤdzie LP czy EP. Ja jestem fanem EPek, lubie krotki treลciwe formy. Czas pokaลผe. Na pewno w 2014 roku bฤdzie moลผna siฤ spodziewaฤ czegoล nowego od nas.
[EN] Great!
[PL] Super! Koniecznie dajcie znaฤ! Dziฤki za garลฤ info i ลผyczฤ powodzenia! :)
Colourful live photo by Piฤ taesencja.







