Wiktor Fejkiel, Interia Muzyka: Have the emotions subsided after the May victory in “Must Be The Music”?
Marcycha: – Those first, most intense emotions after the win have certainly subsided, although I still try to go back to those moments. Mainly because since the finale, something has been happening in my life constantly – I am constantly creating, traveling and playing concerts. Only now do I actually have time to calmly sort it all out in my head. But the emotion returns every time I watch reruns of episodes or read listeners’ comments.
From today’s perspective, what would you say is the most important thing you learned from participating in this program?
– First of all, great stage experience. With one or two exceptions, these were my first public performances with my original material, so there’s no doubt that the program helped me build my confidence on stage. Like every artist, I have moments of doubt and thoughts that maybe I’m not good enough – and participating in “Must Be The Music” it made me believe in myself more and make me feel like I could really do it. The second thing is valuable relationships. I gained great friendships from the program and I am still in touch with many of the participants to this day.
As you mentioned, a lot has happened since the finale, and yet no new releases have been released this year…
– That’s true, but I plan to release singles in the near future. There are already several ready-made songs in the queue, so listeners can rest assured – new songs will definitely appear (laughter).
So far, you have shown yourself from an extremely intimate side, combining personal lyrics with a characteristic, expressive melody. Are you going to continue in this direction?
– I think I will never leave the hint of romanticism and poetic accents. However, the instrumental layer itself may change. The material includes very chamber pieces, organized around a string ensemble, but also some with elements of subtle electronics. I defy a uniform form, but it all still fits into my original style, which I definitely want to continue.
Quite naturally, this evokes comparisons to sanah in many of your listeners. How do you relate to them?
– Privately, I am a big fan of Zuzia and I really like her work, although we have never had the opportunity to meet. Some of these comments online can be malicious – like: “we already have one sanah, why do we need another one?” However, I absolutely do not treat such comparisons as insults. If anyone sees a similar atmosphere in my music, I can only say thank you, because it’s quite a compliment. However, this does not mean that I am inspired by it or try to copy anyone – I only want to follow my own path. The similarities probably result from the fact that we both play the violin and share a love of flowers, but artistically I build my own completely independent world.
However, an extremely interesting aspect that connects you and sanah is the way in which you smuggle folk music into the Polish mainstream. This is probably one of the most fascinating elements of your work as well.
– I am a huge fan of folklore in all its forms. Although I come from the seaside, I have been regularly going to the mountains and Podhale since I was a child, which is why I was deeply immersed in (the real!) highlander music. I have always been fascinated by what is natural, indigenous and made of the simplest, most beautiful elements. Whenever I have the opportunity to weave these motifs into my own material, I do it with great joy. I am in love with such fusions – this is a brilliant example Miuosh and his project with Song and Dance Ensemble “Śląsk” (Polsat will show the concert in the fall “Contemporary Songs – Anthology” with the participation of, among others, Marcychy – note ed.). We should do such things as much as possible, because Polish folklore is incredibly rich and worth showing.
You mentioned at the beginning of the conversation that more singles are already waiting in the queue. So, have you already sorted out your thoughts about your debut longplay?
– Of course I do! The album is already in official plans, which I am talking about directly. Work on it is ongoing, I’m still refining its final concept, and my biggest dream is to release it on vinyl. For every artist after winning such a program, creating a debut album is a natural step. Especially since I planned to release the album a year ago and it didn’t work out (laughter) – this time I just have to finish it.
In an interview for Polsat, immediately after the final performance of “Must Be The Music”, you mentioned that the most difficult thing during the program were the live performances with the band. Have you managed to get used to stage fright?
– I think it is, to a large extent, yes, although stage fright can never be completely eliminated – and it will probably always accompany me to some extent. My next test will be the performance at FAMA Festivalwhere for the first time I will play my own material with a band that I founded and with which I have been polishing my songs for a long time. This will be my next big test. However, it seems to me that I have already passed this most difficult test. When, in the semi-final of the program, I had to sing suspended two meters above the ground, play the piano and at the same time supervise the string quartet, I felt that it couldn’t get any more difficult (laughter). If I managed then, I am much calmer now.
You have already performed with your material at large events – such as Męskie Granie, EFKA Festival and Olsztyn Green Festival. Did these concerts surprise you with anything special?
– They surprised me greatly and moved me incredibly. Imagine a situation with Olsztyn Green Festival: he plays simultaneously on the big stage Artur Rojekand a lot of people gather in front of my stage. If I were them, I would probably go to Rojek, and they decided to come to me (laughter). Or a story with EFKA – a great festival, although intimate, and it turns out that a girl came from the middle of Poland especially to listen to my concert. It’s an amazing feeling. There’s something about Polish festivals that, despite their large scale, allows you to have very close, even intimate contact with people. In addition, there are emotions after the program that still resonate with me, so the sight of the audience experiencing it all with me is simply heartbreaking.
In a few days you will perform at the above-mentioned FAMA Festival in Świnoujście. What is your attitude towards this concert?
– I managed to go to Italy right before this performance, so away from the everyday hustle and bustle, I made up the entire plan for this concert in my head. I’m very happy because it’s the legendary FAMA, where so many great artists started! Of course, I’m a bit nervous before the first performance with my own band, but I have real professionals by my side and I’m sure they’ll do great (laughter). We share good energy, so it will be primarily positive, motivating stress.
Are you preparing something special for this performance?
– We will present two songs that no one has ever heard before, and we are also preparing some new, really cool arrangements. So see you in Świnoujście!