Piotr Odoszewski: “I knew who could feel this atmosphere” (INTERVIEW)

Wiktor Fejkiel: We have to start our conversation with such a unique project as “SHORT FILM”. What is its origin?

Piotr Odoszewski: – I feel such a great need to play live music and I have the impression that people around me have similar feelings – although the industry is growing, there is still little live music. If there’s one thing you save on, it’s on musicians and concerts – in my opinion, it’s absurd. I’m trying to meet this and get back to my roots. All recordings from “SHORT FIELD” were recorded in volume – which is something I have recently been implementing in my solo work.

Has this thought been on your mind for a long time?

– Yes, but the action itself was quite spontaneous. From writing to the involved members to final implementation, it took just over a week. They all did it out of the heart, pure excitement. It was also clearly visible on the set that although many chaotic and unexpected things appeared quite naturally, everyone approached them with great enthusiasm.

I guess the logistics of covering so many covers with so many artists weren’t the easiest…

– That’s true, but in the end we managed to record all the covers we had planned. We had two hours of recording time for each guest, and for each of them we recorded two songs: one from my discography, the other from the discography of a given guest. And despite this omnipresent chaos, I have the impression that everyone felt quite good there – which can also be heard on these recordings. I’m glad that everything was handled so well, because I still believe that the foundation of music is simply playing it.

Did you have a key to selecting invited guests?

– It was pure intuition. I knew who could feel this atmosphere, who might be interested in it. It turned out that I had no empty shots, all the people I wrote to expressed their willingness to get involved in the project, despite their tight schedules. However, if there was a key, it was subconscious, because the common denominator of the invited artists is that I respect them very much for their creativity and that music is their main professional branch. I wouldn’t want it to be some influencer or celebrity who creates a song to promote a new collection of, for example, cosmetics. I wanted them to be people who put music above everything else.

The result was a project that involved many different artists – from Livka, through Wiktor Waligóra, to Ralph Kaminski. How did you find out about so many numbers that weren’t yours? Did you manage to find “something for yourself” in each of these issues?

– To be honest, I was most worried about “I’m sad” with Ralph, because this arrangement was completely different from the original and I was afraid whether we would be able to pull it off without any prior rehearsal – only by talking about our visions and references via the Internet. So until I made the first sound, I wasn’t sure if it would work. Now I have the impression that this is one of my favorite songs from this album, precisely because it is completely different. However, much of my good feeling was due to the people I surrounded myself with. I was accompanied by great craftsmen who devoted their entire lives to playing music – you just need to give them freedom and miracles will happen. Additionally, I have the impression that due to the wonderful atmosphere there, everyone forgot about the camera, which was constantly on and recording us.

The atmosphere you are talking about is crucial in such projects. Coming back to the selection of tracks – did you want to be able to resonate with each of these guest numbers?

– I didn’t want to impose on them a specific number from their discography that they had to sing with me. It was entirely the guy’s fault. However, I can answer after the fact that with each of the songs I got into the (usually) second verses quite easily – I felt really good in them. However, as I say, this decision-making was not on my side.

Can you name one number that is your favorite of all from “SHORT FILM”?

– I really like “in the morning” with both Livka and Daria from Silesia, I like “EVIVALARTE” with KiN – these are the first shots. Of course, I can’t leave out the already mentioned “Ale mi sadno”, which is not only beautiful in itself, but I also managed to record something with such a person.

I’ve heard many comparisons of your project to the legendary NPR series “Tiny Desk.” How do you respond to these types of voices? Although I realize that these are two completely different projects, there are many similarities.

– If, at the very beginning, a project involving live music is compared to “Tiny Desk”, it means that there are definitely too few of these initiatives in Poland and much more needs to be done. Especially since I feel like the demand for it is increasing and people like it. I must admit that it is my long-term dream to have a project like “Tiny Desk” on a Polish scale under my belt. However, I see that this is a long way away, and “SHORT FILM” is a beginning of introducing live music to the mainstream.

There were temptations to give “SHORT METRAŻ” a concert tour. Will this project be closed in this spontaneity and leave the live band for a solo tour?

– Although it would be something great, I think that the preparation process was so short that I had no idea to initiate something like that. Of course, such temptations appeared – it would be something amazing and maybe something like that will happen again, I’m not saying no. But I also admit that I haven’t made any concrete steps towards this yet.

Let’s move away from “SHORT FILM” for a moment. In mid-September you released the EP “NAD RANEM”, which proves how easy it is for you to talk about emotions without hiding behind extensive metaphors. Is this something that comes naturally to you?

– I don’t like conventions, small talk or situations in which you have to behave with a given person in a specific, artificial way “because that’s the right thing to do.” So I have no problem talking about emotions on a daily basis, it comes quite naturally to me. Maybe because it comes naturally to me in my private life, I also feel that each line of my text must be “some”. I think the key is to experience something that you can then write about.

A good example of this is also “No harm done”, a joint song with Paula Biskup, which perfectly fits the definition of a “tearjerker”…

– It’s true, “It doesn’t matter” is a beautiful song and I’m very happy that I could be a part of it, which also happened quite spontaneously. I have the impression that all the projects in which I participate, which are happening from moment to moment, are the ones I am most proud of. It’s actually funny.

In behind-the-scenes conversations while working on this issue, did you predict such a crazy reception?

– Not at all – it was hidden in a drawer for a long time. At that time, I did not take any action to publish it. Paula also had things she had to finish at the time, so this issue took a long time to be published. All the more so, all emotions regarding its premiere were a bit lost, and the surprise after the premiere that it turned out to be a hit was really huge.

From today’s perspective, after almost two years, we can safely say that it has also stood the test of time…

– Already when creating this issue, I felt that there was something there that could tug at people’s hearts. This motif of dialogue between two people, which is very touching, leaves you with a feeling of dissatisfaction. When I originally got my demo, I looped it very hard because I wasn’t satisfied after one listen, and then I looped it again. Maybe people reacted that way too and that’s why it has so many views (laughter).

Finally, I have to ask you whether we will see your second original album in 2026?

– As for the stage I am at, I have already managed to record half of the album with the band, because, as I mentioned, with this album the whole thing will be recorded in one hundred. As a result, I don’t think I ever got excited about my thing at such an early stage. I finally feel like this material can fully represent me, that I’ve matured as a creator – and that’s a nice feeling.