Arshenic is a Polish band with a female front, playing heavy music on the edge of rock and metal.
Interview conducted June 30, 2021
By Dan Locke
Band members:
Ofilia (Oliwia Bartus Staszak) vocals, lyrics
Vlad (Włodzmierz Czuba) guitars, electronics
Bartosz Staszak, drumms
Arshenic is a rock/metal band from Poland. The music of Arshenic is inspired by such trends as art rock, alternative metal, progressive rock, goth metal, melodic metal and dark rock. The name of the band is a reference to arsenic, which is a poison and also a cure. That duality can be easily heard in the group’s songs.
A strong female charismatic image is the calling card of the band and the sound is mainly defined by the various types of female vocals, both singing and screaming, clean and distorted guitars, diverse bass parts and dynamic drum playing with a little flavour of electronics, cellos and orchestral sounds in the background.
Arshenic’s lyrics cover topics like individualism, self-expression and inner emotional states and are written mostly in a dark poetic manner.
What is your upbringing?
Ofilia: My music upbringing? I have been singing and composing since I was a child. When I went to elementary school, I started learning singing. One teacher, then another, music workshops, more vocal techniques, and so on until twenty something…. Finally I added some Youtube tutorials and started to earn some extra money teaching others to sing, and so I started to develop myself in terms of coaching. I also participated in the Melissa Cross training – Zen of Scream and after learning extreme techniques, I started teaching them to others. I try to constantly develop and learn new things, the bar can always be raised higher.
How did you discover music?
How do you discover sound? Music is everything. The rhythm in the heartbeat, the melodies in the singing of birds. just listen…
How did you start to write music?
My parents had a piano when I was a child. That was my favourite toy since I was a baby. I liked to play with it and invent new melodies. then the melodies popped up in my head by themselves, I was singing about everything around me.
You are a Polish female fronted heavy metal band. How did your band together?
The first squad the band was forming since around 2007. Bartosz (drummer) joined just before the recording of our first album in 2009. Vlad replaced Peter, the first guitarist in 2010. However, it wasn’t until 2014 that we started making music towards Arshenic as it is today
How did you get your bands name?
We were looking for a lethal name with a feminine root. Arsenic is a poison, also used as a medicine, we like that duality. Arsenic was once also a method of murder, used mainly by women. It’s inspiring ;).
Describe your music.
We try to avoid a specific genre and draw inspiration from various rock and metal trends. We try to make each of our songs more technically advanced, different in some way from the previous ones, but keeping our vibe. It is a combination of modernity, with skills, and a workshop inspired by the best in its genre.
What was your first performance at like?
I’ve been performing since I was a child. I was singing in the school band since I was 7 years old. When I was 16, I worked with a band of musicians on rock tracks for the first time. The energy flowing from live instruments playing rock completely intoxicated me, I knew then that this is how I want to create music – with people, playing heavy music.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
Yes I do. I write many songs, also for other people, but as long as they are not massively played on the radio, there is no money from it.
What makes a good songwriter?
Hours and hours spent on writing songs. Your first songs will not be hits, you have to constantly create new ones, compare, analyze… good songs – what is it about them? Improving, experimenting with form… Good lyrics, with interesting messages, the ability to create catchy melodies … It’s a craft.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first official track was called: Flowers, oh flowers. I was 3 or 4…. Yes, my parents got it on the camera ;)).
What is the process of writing your music?
We start with planning. We exchange ideas and internal needs. I describe to Vlad how I would see new songs, give more or less tempo and rhythm, sometimes describe the vibe or the subject of the lyrics. Then we make the first demo for which I create a melody and lyrics. Later, we check how it sounds during the band rehearsal, polish the form and make corrections. We keep creating another demo and the next until we decide that the track is ready to be recorded.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
Well.. One of my students infected me. Luckily, the only symptom I had was the loss of smell and taste.
At the beginning of the pandemic you recorded a cover of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”. Tell me about the video?
The idea of making a cover of this song popped up in my head in December. I had an initial idea for an arrangement. When lockdowns began all over the world, I knew that Poland was about to be next. Within a week, we finished the song and arranged a studio. We shot the clip after the ban on visiting the beaches was announced, thanks to it we were able to shoot such picturesque shots. We really wanted to show the cliffs in Gdynia, the beauty of which is the showcase of our country. We decided to make a pandemic video that refers to isolation and the feeling of loneliness, and at the same time the beauty of nature, without people.
You just released “Bloodsucker” which is one of 4 new singles you are releasing this summer. Does this mean you have a new EP or LP coming out?
We will be releasing 4 new singles this summer, one a month every first Friday of the month, and we started with the song Bloodsucker. The next track will be Extraterrestrial, which will be released on 2.07 – Djent combined with metal core, catchy scream question Did you take your drugs? And the chorus with lyrics about the UFO abductions. If you like a strong hit and unusual musical treatments, you will be a fan of this track :).
Another, planned for the first Friday of August is Black Goat – progressive metal in the verses, remindig me vibe the of Deftones and the gutteral and growl chorus, from which such bands as Arch Enemy and Jinjer are known of. The last of this set is Lucid – a song similar to those released on our Final Collision album – Cold, Madness and Sign, a progressive metal ballad with harmonies in so much Nordic folk.
Everything will be packed in the EP form in autumn. Add us to favourites on Spotify, iTunes or other digital platform, not to miss it all! We are also starting work on new songs soon.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
It’s great that you can have your music always with you, play bands from all over the world. On the other hand, it opened the door to all, both high-quality recordings and less, and the listeners are tired of the amount of content, which means that they often listen to the majors, who are served on a tray, instead of searching. To be heard, bands spend enormous amounts of money and time promoting rather than focusing on creating. As a result, nothing has changed for smaller bands.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Depends on the circumstances.
Ofilia- you were nominated for Best Clean Vocal 2020 FemMetal- Femal Goddesses of Metal award. What did you get?
I can proudly say yes :D. The nomination itself, the selection of me from among thousands of bands by the international jury is a huge honor for me. The fact that I was able to win this award thanks to the votes of the fans makes me feel appreciated and I’m grateful for their support.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
My glass ball does not show me the results for this query ;).
Jokes aside, I have no idea how the situation will develop even in my own country. Participation in concerts is already based on a segregation, there are limits for not vaccinated people, and that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. The lack of a stable situation and constantly changing government actions mean that even in my own country I do not plan to organize live performances this year. I am not sure if they will order me to divide my fans into better and worse people or cancel the show due to another lockdown. This situation frustrates me as well as everyone else.
During Covid-19. Almost everything got cancelled. Which included Metallica tour. Prior to the tour Metallica purchased a “cancellation, abandonment and no-appearance insurance” policy from Lloyd’s of London in any case of any potential postponement or cancellations. Lloyd’s of London refuse to payout of the policy because of the policy’s communicable disease exclusion. Do you think that Metallica is right or the insurance company is right.
Unfortunately, if it was not on the record, it will be hard to win. Logic and empathy do not go hand in hand with contracts.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Instead of teaching in person, I trained people online. I am training in sound engineering, producing and recording vocals for singles that are just coming out …
How was it to cover Lady Gaga over the lockdown?
Oh, indeed, I forgot about it :). During the summer, I had more time to myself, and because I train vocals for several hours a week, at some point I did not want to practice with standard music exercises. I used it as an opportunity to have practice and fun.
Ofilia- What is Star Project?
Star project is a singing school that I founded in 2012. I teach individual students, stationary and online. I conduct group classes, during which students learn voice emission, various vocal techniques, extreme vocals, interpretation, stage movement, sound recording and production, and composition. The course lasts from one to three years. I share everything I have learned in over 30 years of my life, and what I do not know, I also employ specialists in my field to conduct classes :).
I teach beginner singers, prepare to participate in talent shows and collaborate with active musicians, e.g. by preparing them or conducting sessions in a recording studio.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
A day is always too short for me for things that I would like to do only for fun.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] this will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
The owners of Facebook and Instagram have been trying hard for several years to make their users switch to other platforms. This could be another such treatment. Each platform has a certain popularity time after which it dies. Do you still remember myspace? It seems to me that nowadays the owners of Facebook are just trying to squeeze as much money out as possible before this corpse cools down.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
You can keep and get fans without concerts. Concerts and merchandise are a way to earn money for further recordings, music videos, equipment and promotion. So I wouldn’t wonder how to keep the fans, but where to get the money for the band’s survival now?
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Pay to play is a form that offends me personally by definition. The smaller bands that this applies to are always at the end of the food chain. We get pennies (literally) for the stream, no one sponsors our tours, clips, equipment, we put a lot of money on equipment, studio, rehearsal room,, photo shoots, marketing. It’s an expensive hobby. Everyone is trying to get money from the musicians. For me, the limit of insanity is paying to play.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
I haven’t consider that.
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
I honestly think about it. Over 10 years of working as a band manager, I have so much skills that I could open my own label. However, I do not know if I will hate this business so much in a while that I will do something completely different. I have a master’s degree in journalism, I like writing. I’m not sure if I’ll decide to work for somebody, because my character does not allow me to submit to anyone who I myself do not recognize as an authority. So I think I have to keep running my own business.
What is your happy place?
Greece, Spanish islands…
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalong for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180 song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited . Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Sure. Take it anytime Universal!
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
I read about it. These songs have been deleted due to poor recording quality. It just means that artists won’t be able to throw in a demo recorded with a frying pan. (kidding)
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
Tiktok is currently the only platform that promotes its creators on a large scale. A year ago I started to look at this platform more closely, today I have 8,000 fans. I recommend it. xofiliax, btw 😉
Breaking news: TikTok is launching TikTok Radio, a full-time SiriusXM music channel going live this summer.The station will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary,Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could became a force in the future of streaming music?
Definetly.
Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners With Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival For July 23-25 Event In Mansfield, OH
Louder Than Life Set For September 23-26 With Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration In Louisville, KY
Welcome To Rockville Expands To 4 Days And Shifts From Spring To November 11-14 In Daytona Beach, FL
Aftershock Set For October 7-10 In Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?
We are open to any concert proposals!
Anything you would like to say in closing.
We invite you to our digit! If you want to take part in our musical life, we invite you to our instagram arshenic_official where we post every day! See you in the internet, stay safe!
