Wiktor Fejkiel: What emotions accompany the premiere of your debut album “Letnie myśli”?
Joanna Jewuła: – I’m a bit surprised that it was possible to do it so quickly. We met just a year and a half ago and we’ve already managed to release an album. I don’t feel stressed yet, because I still can’t believe it’s happening. It seems very unreal to me. I definitely feel huge gratitude for this journey together and I can’t wait for the next ones.
Jan Bak: – I think that for me the main feeling is satisfaction that this project was completed. For us, as a band, it is much easier to generate songs, ideas – but it is harder to finish them. That is why the moment when everything is finished, the awareness that we will never change anything in these songs gives a lot of satisfaction.
Markus Zamojda: – I try to kill stress by preparing production for the next album (laughter).
What inspired you to title the album “Summer Thoughts”? Do you feel any particular fondness for summer?
JB: – For me, summer has something appealing and at the same time dangerous about it. The title of the album comes from the song “Summer Thoughts”, which opens the whole album. We wanted to pay tribute to it, because we unanimously believe that it is simply the best. What I like about the idea of summer thoughts is the ambivalence that comes from them and evokes a different state of mind. We notice that in the summer a person becomes different.
What were your main musical and lyrical inspirations while working on the album?
JJ: – Each of us is surrounded not only by music, but also by poetry. When it comes to creating together, we drew from everything that surrounded us. All those musical or literary works that once delighted us also had an influence on our work. But we drew the most from the landscapes surrounding us or from late-night conversations. We can consider the genesis of each song to be such enchantment with the present moment, which accompanied us when we wrote them.
MŻ: – I personally was very inspired by other songs, mainly Polish, but not only. We don’t listen to the same music every day, so we can exchange new things. A lot of inspiration comes to us from this side as well. What’s more, we always try to dress our songs in stories in which there is a hero. We give them a plot layer.
JB: – From among such non-obvious inspirations, I would add Timbaland’s productions here.
How is it to work in a trio where each of you brings something different to the music? Did you have any trouble finding a common musical language?
JB: – I don’t think there were any such problems. The assumption we made at the beginning, that everything should be based on dialogue, is very helpful here. We can avoid clashes more than in other formations. Here we have a space where there is no other option than joint action.
At your concert I paid special attention to the way you often exchange between songs who plays which instrument, who does the vocals, etc. Was the studio work on the album “Letnie myśli” similar? Did each of you contribute equally to the creation of lyrics, production, and composition?
JJ: – Both writing lyrics and creating compositions are common territory. As for production – Markus is primarily responsible for that.
MŻ: – All processes around music production are my passion, so it was quite natural that I was given this role. But when it comes to playing instruments, Janek is the most active. Despite everything, the entire recording and creation process is common to us, so we naturally divide these duties somewhere between us.
When working on this album and in the music industry, does the fact that you’re a band make things easier or harder for you?
JB: – We try to make sure that each of us is convinced individually about the actions that the three of us take. With such assumptions, and also emphasizing the community spirit that I mentioned, working in a group definitely makes things easier for us. We want no one to feel wronged. Despite everything, in the music industry, which is so focused on individualism, a team is a challenge that we have to meet.
JJ: – I agree with Janek. Creating together gives me a special kind of freedom and a sense of satisfaction. Our different energies and personalities mix, each of us adds something from ourselves, and as a result, something is created that we would not be able to create separately. The path of a solo artist is often lonely, but yes, also beautiful. You definitely have to put in much more energy when working on songs solo. Each of us has taken this path and worked alone before. Our meeting at “Tekstmisja” was an unexpected fulfillment of a dream that I was not even aware of (laughter).
Of the five singles that heralded your album, “Ostatni dom” was the most successful. Did you expect this turn of events?
JB: – To be honest, a bit like that. With 3/4 of the album, we chose this song as the most representative. It represents us best and is also quite catchy, which is a plus. Interestingly, “Ostatni dom” is the first song we finished. That’s how we felt it would carry off. And as you can see, we were right.
Do you feel that because of the style you play, your music gains soul when performed live?
MŻ: – I think it is made for playing at concerts. We sing it very pleasantly. The choruses are written in such a way that the audience quickly catches them, which creates a very nice atmosphere. I believe that there will be more and more of these concerts, because they give me great satisfaction.
JB: – From the very beginning of our acquaintance, I suspected that the concert energy would be the dominant one. Playing on stage definitely gives me more joy than working in the studio. It’s all more spontaneous, there’s a completely different way of thinking. While in the studio you design an experience, on stage you really experience it.
JJ: – I love being on stage. This moment is particularly liberating for me. It’s a living experience, where there is an energy exchange between the artist and the audience. Whenever I stand on stage, whether to play a concert or a show, I feel like I can do anything. There’s a performative element to it. There’s room for improvisation. What can I say? I simply love it.
As debutants, you introduce a lot of guitar sounds to Polish music. Do you think we are on the threshold of a certain trend and leaning towards them?
MŻ: – I see a return to authenticity in music. People have grown tired of these digital sounds, so all the autotunes and such will give way to acoustic sounds and more ambitious lyrics in pop. A return to truth.
JB: – I can’t agree. I’m a pessimist and I think that it will get worse year by year. No authenticity will return. Maybe these guitars will make a comeback for a while, but the changeability of trends will be so dynamic that we won’t have time to get used to them, and they will already be forgotten.
JJ: – Currently, musical creativity branches into many directions and styles. In my opinion, it is difficult to give a clear answer to the question about the futurology of the music market. I think that in the era of individualists, both electronic and instrumental music will develop and evolve. I think that in the future there will also be a lot of creators using AI help. This is actually already happening, maybe not on a huge scale yet, but it is only a matter of time.
Despite everything, it is hard for me to predict one single direction of movement and growth of all these branches, but this is beautiful to me, because this is what art is about, to keep surprising us and changing the way we look at what can happen. I am glad, however, that we are perceived as this ray of authenticity and freshness that brings a bit of optimism, because for me this is the priority value of every work of art.
Finally, what do you wish for the premiere of your debut?
MŻ: – We wish ourselves sold-out concerts and positive feedback from people. And lots of motivation to continue creating.
JB: – May this music resonate in as many souls as possible.
JJ: – May we never lose our authenticity and inspiration. May it always be with us.