Please go to your post editor > Post Settings > Post Formats tab below your editor to enter audio URL.
Exclusive

A powerful break: BROOKS WAS HERE

22 mins read

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.

BROOKS WAS HERE

[EN] Hey guys! Finally, we meet! The post hardcore sensation of the year meets the least quoted alternative medium, haha ;) Whatโ€™s up? Are you ready to face the winter? :)

[PL] Hej Panowie! W koล„cu rozmawiamy! Post hardcore’owa sensacja roku i najrzadziej cytowane medium alternatywne ;) Co sล‚ychaฤ‡? Przygotowani do zimy? :)

[EN] Majkel: Hey, Hey. Quoting the title of our first song from High Violence everything is โ€œUnder 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 materiaล‚em i tego jak szybko zล‚apaliล›my 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 przyszล‚oล›ฤ‡, zacznijmy od poczฤ…tku. Bez ceregieli. Zrรณbmy wstฤ™p dla lamusรณw co nie znajฤ… Waszej bandy ;) Skฤ…d siฤ™ wziฤ™liล›cie, 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 Mikoล‚aj 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. Jesteล›my z zalanej betonem Warszawy i jej przygnฤ™biajฤ…cych przedmieล›ฤ‡. Skฤ…d siฤ™ wzieliล›my? Dobre pytanie! W sumie to nawet nie wiem. Z Mateuszem znamy siฤ™ doล›ฤ‡ dล‚ugo. Obydwaj lubimy smutnฤ… muzykฤ™, emo, post-hardcore i inne rzewnie pieล›ni. ลปaden z nas nie wychodziล‚ z tymi inspiracjami poza swรณj pokรณj. W wrzeล›niu 2011 po mocno zakrapianej imprezie nad Wisล‚ฤ…, postanowiliล›my to zmieniฤ‡. Ja graล‚em wtedy z Kacprem (naszym poprzednim bฤ™bniarzem), Mateusz wskoczyล‚ na bas i wokal. Zrobiliล›my parฤ™ numerรณw, nagraliล›my je i wypuล›ciliล›my. Okazaล‚o siฤ™, ลผe jednak nie tylko my lubimy FUGAZI, AT THE DRIVE-IN, HOT CROSS, MOSS ICON, SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE. Zagraliล›my trochฤ™ koncertรณw. W miฤ™dzyczasie Mateusz przesiadล‚ siฤ™ na drugฤ… gitarฤ™, do zespoล‚u doล‚ฤ…czyล‚ Demian, ktรณry przejฤ…ล‚ bas. Wokale staล‚y siฤ™ agresywniejsze, Demian wniรณsล‚ trochฤ™ hardcorowej motoryki do naszych nowych numerรณw i nagraliล›my drugฤ… EPkฤ™ High Violence, ktรณrฤ… aktualnie promujemy. W miฤ™dzyczasie znowu zmieniล‚ siฤ™ skล‚ad za Kacpra do zespoล‚u wskoczyล‚ Mikoล‚aj, ktรณry takลผe bardzo duลผo wniรณsล‚ do zespoล‚u, co na pewno wszyscy usล‚yszฤ… na nastฤ™pnym EP/LP. Zaczฤ™liล›my pracowaฤ‡ nad nowymi numerami i kolejny raz jest to kompletnie inna bajka niลผ poprzednie rzeczy. Po co przybyliล›my? Przybyliล›my po to, ลผeby pokazaฤ‡ wszystkim, ลผe muzyka, na ktรณrej siฤ™ wychowaliล›my i dziฤ™ki ktรณrej leczyliล›my nasze mล‚odzieล„cze 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 byล›my siฤ™ w jakikolwiek sposรณb identyfikowali. Siedzimy okrakiem na wszystkich ล‚atkach, etykietach, stylistykach. Robimy to, co lubimy, jest to odskoczniฤ… od codziennej zabijajฤ…cej w czล‚owieku chฤ™ฤ‡ 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] Graliล›cie wczeล›niej 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 dziaล‚amy juลผ chyba z pรณล‚ dekady. Zbieramy siฤ™ powoli do nagrania nowego LP. Graล‚em jeszcze w skล‚adzie LORA LIE, ktรณry juลผ nie istnieje. Poza tym czasami zagram jakiล› improwizowany gig, dziaล‚am teลผ w skล‚adzie 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› wiฤ™cej :)

[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 skล‚ad, 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 ล›piewa. W przeciฤ…gu miesiฤ…ca-dwรณch na pewno bฤ™dzie moลผna juลผ usล‚yszeฤ‡ nasze nagrania, na pewno powiemy o tym na swoim facebooku ( https://www.facebook.com/niezagra ). To naprawdฤ™ dziwna rzecz, trudno mi nawet okreล›liฤ‡, co to za muzyka, bo jest w tym zarรณwno yass, jakaล› no wave’owa szkoล‚a 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, letโ€™s 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 wstฤ™pu pt. BROOKS WAS HERE, sล‚รณw kilka o nazwie. Czy to wyล‚ฤ…cznie frywolny hoล‚d genialnemu obrazowi filmowemu, czy wiฤ…ลผecie ten motyw w pewien sposรณb z wล‚asnymi 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. Obejrzaล‚em go jako dzieciak i od tamtej pory mocno utkwiล‚ mi w pamiฤ™ci. Zaproponowaล‚em to Mateuszowi jak zaczynaliล›my i obydwaj stwierdziliล›my, 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, letโ€™s go back to your newest release. Youโ€™re giving it away for free till the end of the year. Why not give it away from day one? Arenโ€™t you after after free downloads model? Whatโ€™s your take on other new forms of distribution invented in these dynamic, digital times?

[PL] Ok, wrรณฤ‡my to Waszego najnowszego krฤ…ลผka. Udostฤ™pniacie go do koล„ca roku za darmo. Dlaczego nie dzieliliล›cie siฤ™ nim na tej zasadzie od samego poczฤ…tku? Nie uznajecie wspรณล‚czeล›nie przyjฤ™tego 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 dzieliliล›my siฤ™ nim od poczฤ…tku za darmo, poniewaลผ chcieliล›my, aby ludzie kupili EPkฤ™ w wersji fizycznej, ktรณra wydawana zostaล‚a przez JAGGED KID. Bardzo zaleลผaล‚o nam, ลผeby EPka nie byล‚a 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 poล‚owa nakล‚adu siฤ™ wyprzedaล‚a, wydanie siฤ™ zwrรณciล‚o, wiฤ™c postanowiliล›my co jakiล› czas udostฤ™pniaฤ‡ 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. Zespoล‚y czฤ™sto tak robiฤ…, wiฤ™c 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, dziฤ™ki ktรณrym to co robimy trafi do kogoล› wiฤ™cej niลผ naszych znajomych w Warszawie. Co do nowych form dystrybucji? Ja osobiล›cie nie jestem kolekcjonerem pล‚yt, winyli czy kaset. Czasem na koncercie kupiฤ™ sobie jakieล› wydawnictwo, ale nie jest to normฤ…. Osobiล›cie najczฤ™ล›ciej muzyki sล‚ucham z mojego iPoda czy telefonu. Uwaลผam, ลผe dystrybucja muzyki w formie cyfrowej jest najbardziej przyszล‚oล›ciowym rozwiฤ…zaniem. Natomiast sprzedaลผ muzyki w formie fizycznej to raczej dodatek, gadลผet. Lubisz zespรณล‚, chcesz go wesprzeฤ‡? ลšciฤ…gasz muzykฤ™ za darmo czy pล‚acisz 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 ciฤ™ลผko jest nawet o zwroty za koncert, ktรณre pokryjฤ… wszystkie koszta z nim zwiฤ…zane. Nie mamy swojego busa, vana i niestety jest to nasz najwiฤ™kszy problem w chwili obecnej.

JAGGED KID label

[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, wspomnieliล›cie o Jagged Kid Records. W zwiฤ…zku z tym, ลผe promujฤ™ na ล‚amach IDIOTEQ masฤ™ niezaleลผnych wytwรณrni, powiedzcie coล› wiฤ™cej o tej stajni i Waszej wspรณล‚pracy.

[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 chodziล‚o mi po gล‚owie. Bardzo zaleลผaล‚o mi, ลผeby powstaล‚ taki mini-label wydajฤ…cy zespoล‚y w klimacie post-hc/emo, nie do koล„ca hardcore’owe. Chociaลผ tak naprawdฤ™ zaczฤ™liล›my dziaล‚aฤ‡ przez przypadek, trochฤ™ z koniecznoล›ci. Nasi znajomi mieli zakล‚adaฤ‡ label i wydawaฤ‡ kilka fajnych skล‚adรณw z Wwa. Niestety tuลผ po nagraniu High Violence okazaล‚o siฤ™, ลผe nie uda im siฤ™ tego na czas rozkrฤ™ciฤ‡. Przystฤ…piliล›my do planu b i reaktywowaliล›my pomysล‚ z Jagged Kid. Wielkie podziฤ™kowania naleลผฤ… siฤ™ Magdzie, ktรณra pilotowaล‚a caล‚y proces wydania High Violence od poczฤ…tku do koล„ca i to dziฤ™ki niej przebiegล‚o to bezboleล›nie. Na chwilฤ™ obecnฤ… Jagged Kid to ja i Magda, ktรณra jest takลผe mojฤ… dziewczynฤ…, wiฤ™c to trochฤ™ rodzinny biznes he he :) Nie mamy ลผฤ…dnych dalekosiฤ™ลผnych planรณw. Po prostu chcieliล›my po prostu wydaฤ‡ HV w miarฤ™ PRO i zapewniฤ‡ jakaล› promocjฤ™ i siฤ™ to udaล‚o. Od poczฤ…tku mieliล›my na to jakiล› pomysล‚, na bieลผฤ…co ล›ledzimy jak to siฤ™ teraz robi. Jesteล›my bardzo zadowoleni z tego co w naprawdฤ™ maล‚ym czasie i z maล‚ym budลผetem i ograniczonym czasem udaล‚o nam siฤ™ zrobiฤ‡. Myล›limy takลผe o wydaniu kilku innych kapel w klimacie, na wiosnฤ™ organizujemy kilka koncertรณw. Wszystko ukล‚ada siฤ™ tak jak powinno.

[EN] Any details? What artists are on your roster?

[PL] Jakieล› szczegรณล‚y? 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: Wolaล‚bym nie zdradzaฤ‡ szczegรณล‚รณw, ลผeby nie zapeszaฤ‡. Bฤ™dฤ… to przede wszystkim kapele, ktรณre grajฤ… muzykฤ™ takฤ… jakiej sami sล‚uchami czyli np. post-hc/emo/screamo/noise. Czas pokaลผe jak to wyjdzie. Dziaล‚amy zgodnie z zasadฤ… “bez ciล›nieล„”.

[EN] Youโ€™re 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 zespoล‚owi DROM z Czech. Grali oni m.in na Fluff Feล›cie. Zabookowaliล›my teลผ rosyjski skล‚ad 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? Iโ€™ve seen a lot of amazing reviews in the Web, both in Polish and English, and I wonderedโ€ฆ 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‚ odpowiedzialnoล›ci jeล›li chodzi o promocjฤ™? Widzฤ™ w Sieci sporo recenzji, zarรณwno polskich, jak i zagranicznych i zastanawiam siฤ™ โ€“ czy to naturalny hype, czy wynik ciฤ™ลผkiej pracy na mailu? Powiedzcie coล› wiฤ™cej o tym jak naleลผy dzisiaj walczyฤ‡ o atencjฤ™. Jest ciฤ™ลผko?

[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™/materiaล‚y to po czฤ™ล›ci “ciฤ™ลผka praca na mailu” jak to ล‚adnie nazwaล‚eล›, a po czฤ™ล›ci naturalny hype. Myล›lฤ™, ลผe najwaลผniejsza jest konsekwencja, trzeba krok po kroku realizowaฤ‡ to co sobie zaล‚oลผyliล›my. Co do walki o atencje, to sam nie wiem. ลปyjemy w czasach, w ktรณrych kaลผdy moลผe sobie zaล‚oลผyฤ‡ 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 przesล‚uchaล‚ w ลผyciu 10 czy 1000 pล‚yt. Wbrew pozorom nie jest trudno dziล› zaistnieฤ‡, tylko pytanie czy ma to sens? Bo w wiฤ™kszoล›ฤ‡ nic za tym nie idzie. Trzeba naprawdฤ™ jaraฤ‡ siฤ™ tym. co siฤ™ robi, ลผeby w tym wytrwaฤ‡.

[EN] Correct. I guess youโ€™ll be promoting stuff even more, cause thereโ€™s 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 pracowaliล›cie? 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 caล‚ฤ… oprawฤ™ graficznฤ…, trailer, klip odpowiedzialni sฤ… nasi przyjaciele Bjรธrn Johansen i Zuwia Olejnichuck. Wล‚oลผyli bardzo duลผo pracy i serca i byli czฤ™ล›ciฤ… tego przedsiฤ™wziฤ™cia jakim jest High Violence. Czego spodziewaฤ‡ siฤ™ po klipie? Niedล‚ugo bฤ™dzie 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, letโ€™s move on to touring. Touring-wise, how would you sum up 2013? Any radical parties youโ€™d like to recall?

[PL] Ok, przejdลบmy do koncertowania. Jak podsumujecie pod tym kฤ…tem zeszล‚y rok? Jakieล› najlepsze imprezy, ktรณre chcielibyล›cie wspomnieฤ‡?

[EN] Mateusz: speaking of shows it was a โ€žwell 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 โ€žat usโ€, that is in Warsaw. There were many people on gigs really, pogo, crowdsurfing. Playing for such crowd is fucking awesome.

[PL] Mateusz: Pod wzglฤ™dem 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 graliล›my w tamtym roku odbyล‚y siฤ™ “u nas”, czyli w Warszawie. Na gigach byล‚o naprawdฤ™ duลผo ludzi, pogo, crowdsurfing. Zajebiล›cie siฤ™ graล‚o.

[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 jeล›li chodzi o rozwijanie dziaล‚alnoล›ci niezaleลผnej kapeli w Polsce? Jakie najwiฤ™ksze przeszkody definiujecie jako mล‚ody 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: Najwiฤ™kszฤ… przeszkodฤ… sฤ… chyba finanse. Dotychczas nie byliล›my zasypywani jakฤ…ล› wielkฤ… iloล›ciฤ… propozycji grania z innymi zespoล‚ami, czy w fajnych miejscรณwkach. Dopiero ostatnio siฤ™ to trochฤ™ ruszyล‚o. Wiฤ™kszoล›ฤ‡ rzeczy organizujemy od poczฤ…tku do koล„ca sami. Patrzฤ…c na zagraniczne skล‚ady, ktรณre grajฤ… non-stop, czy to zespoล‚y z Niemiec, czy ze Szwecji to moลผna im tylko pozazdroล›cic.

BROOKS WAS HERE live

[EN] What;s the status of booking shows for 2014? Howโ€™s it going?

[PL] Jaki macie status jeล›li 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 graliล›my takลผe rok temu. Bฤ™dziemy 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, wiฤ™c caล‚kiem spoko siฤ™ to zapowiada.

Please DOnt Cry Fest

[EN] Will we be seeing you at any festivals this year?

[PL] Zobaczymy Was na jakichล› wiฤ™kszych 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 mielibyล›my nic przeciwko, ลผeby zagraฤ‡ na Off Festivalu w Katowicach. Jeลบdzimy tam i tak co roku jako fani na koncerty. Fajnie byล‚oby zagraฤ‡ na Fluff Feล›cie, ale ลผadne “ล›wiฤ™to kieล‚basy” 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 jeล›li chodzi o Europฤ™ i generalnie wyjazd gdziekolwiek poza nasze granice? Myล›licie, ลผe to ma sens w Waszym przypadku? Macie takie โ€žciฤ…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, wiฤ™c tak. Jest tylko kwestia takiego logistycznego ogarniฤ™cia caล‚ej sytuacji, ลผeby nie dopล‚acaฤ‡ do takich przygรณd za duลผo pieniฤ™dzy.

Majkel: Bardzo byล›my chcieli. Nie mamy ลผadnych kompleksรณw, wiฤ™c jedynym problemem jest ogarniฤ™cie tego pod wzglฤ™dem logistycznym. Dostaliล›my wiele pozytywnych recek zwล‚aszcza z zagranicy i pojawiล‚o siฤ™ takลผe kilka zaproszeล„ m.in do Berlina, Zagrzebia, Pragi, do Francji, a odezwaล‚ siฤ™ do nas nawet ziomek z Indonezji, ktรณry ล›ciฤ…ga do siebie skล‚ady takie jak my i robi mini-tour Indonezja, Tajlandia, Singapur. Co prawda byliล›my zmuszeni odmรณwiฤ‡, bo sam bilet na samolot zrujnowaล‚by nasz budลผet, ale byล‚o nam bardzo miล‚o.

BROOKS WAS HERE drums

[EN] Ok gentlemen. What else would you like to add here? Any hot news on a full length perhaps? :)

[PL] Ok, Panowie. Co jeszcze chcielibyล›cie dodaฤ‡? Jakieล› premierowe newsy o dล‚ugograjฤ…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 materiaล‚em. Nie wiemy czy kolejne wydawnictwo to bฤ™dzie LP czy EP. Ja jestem fanem EPek, lubie krotki treล›ciwe formy. Czas pokaลผe. Na pewno w 2014 roku bฤ™dzie moลผna siฤ™ spodziewaฤ‡ czegoล› nowego od nas.

[EN] Great!

[PL] Super! Koniecznie dajcie znaฤ‡! Dziฤ™ki za garล›ฤ‡ info i ลผyczฤ™ powodzenia! :)

Colourful live photo by Piฤ…taesencja.

BROOKS WAS HERE Facebook
BROOKS WAS HERE Bandcamp
BROOKS WAS HERE BigCartel
BROOKS WAS HERE YouTube
[email protected]

BROOKS WAS HERE show

BROOKS WAS HERE gig

Karol Kamiล„ski

DIY rock music enthusiast and web-zine publisher from Warsaw, Poland. Supporting DIY ethics, local artists and promoting hardcore punk, rock, post rock and alternative music of all kinds via IDIOTEQ online channels.
Contact via [email protected]

Previous Story

HEARTLESS BREAKERS discuss new EP and plot plans for the future

Next Story

Chilly chat with Portsmouth Pop Punks from MIDDAY COMMITTEE