OREADA is a mountain nymph imprisoned by five thugs in a village near Łódź. Together they create music that carries a huge emotional load. Their concerts are journeys into a world of mystery and adventure. During musical expeditions, OREADA pulls out from man what is deeply hidden in him
Interview conducted on November 20, 2020
By Dan Locke
OREADA describes its sounds with the word FolkOFF. The texts inspired by folk culture are accompanied by original and modern arrangements and sincere emotions. OREADA’s music has something original about it, and its natural truth has a positive effect on the audience. Despite the short period of activity, OREADA is the winner of many national competitions, incl. winner
Oreada members:
Kamil Kazmierczak – drums
Maciej Kłys – bass
Kacper Bienia – accordion, keyboards
Kasia Biesaga – vocals, flutes
Mateusz Jędraszczyk – guitar
Adam Marańda – violin, vocal
I part – Kamil
You are from Poland. What is your upbringing? How did you discover music?
Kamil Kaźmierczak: The band consist of six members and each one of us started at a different time. Part of us started our musical education very early or so to say was raised in families of musicians. Other ones gain interest in music in their adolescence, being fascinated by rock or hip-hop music.
How did you start to write music?
It was when we were teenagers that we decided to put together a band and make our own music in accordance with what we felt. Like every youngster musician, we wanted to be a part of the history 🙂
What was your first performance at like?
I think it was at a scout music festival. We were a band making a mix of rock and ska music. It was so long ago we do not remember every detail. It did not sound good, that is certain, but we had an amazing audience 🙂
What makes a good songwriter?
That is a difficult question. Certainly, a good songwriter needs to have an open mind, should be able to find inspirations in unobvious places and time, and make sure to accurately analyze other compositions.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Our first song was called ‘Nieobecna’ (eng: Absent). We made some arrangement changes to this song to fit the music style that we currently play. We plan to record it in the near future. Who knows, maybe this song will appear on our second record.
How did you start the band?
The idea to create a band came up to us when we were really into folk music and Slavic culture. Originally our music was supposed to be rawer and the instruments were supposed to be drums, bass, and violin only. The concept has evolved and now there are six of us and we are focused to play modern popular music, but not pop, with a hint of Slavic folk.
How the band did get its name?
It was very spontaneous. Before the band started for good, our vocalist Kasia put us in for a festival. We had to quickly come up with a band name. I have opened the Old Polish Dictionary and found two cool-sounding and fitting to each other words – Oreada and Paduchy. That was our first band name. Oreada is a mountain nymph and Paduchy are thugs and goons. We came second to the festival and the name stayed.
Any pre-show rituals do you do?
No, we do not have them. We just stay at backstage talking, making jokes just like always.
What video is your most powerful video?
I think it is the music video for ‘Głos’ (eng: Voice). It was a great challenge for us to have it filmed. We were the producers, we took care of logistics, organizing everything and we’re responsible for the general concept of the video. We cooperated with a great filming and sound crew and we had enormous support from our families, friends, and fans of the band. It came out great.
Are you thinking of doing a recording in English?
Maybe, but not yet, not at the stage of our career that we are right now. We mostly focus on our Polish audience. If by any chance we get the opportunity to record anything in English that would reach foreigners and will be created on our terms we probably will do it.
How do you stay healthy while touring?
We are all very different people and everyone does it on their own. Some of us like to party and meet new people, others need to have peaceful moments after the concert and come to the hotel earlier. Most importantly is to be ready to play the concert on a high level.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I do not think we will stand out here… It is a great opportunity for young artists to show their music to wider audience.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Vinyl. Apart from obvious sound advantages while experiencing listening to music from a vinyl there is also something magical when you change them on your device. Of course, we cannot underestimate the practicality of streaming.
Do you think kids should go back to school his fall?
We do not know it. We would like to have such decisions made by professionals, not politicians.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
It is ‘Dziwny jest ten świat’ made by one of Polish finest vocalist Czesław Niemen. It was a big hit and it even has an English version called ‘Strange is this world’. I guess like everyone else every now and then we ponder on the peculiarity of this world, the struggles we as humans encounter, and how we live on this planet. It got serious but the circumstances make us think about it.
II part – Kasia
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Katarzyna Biesaga: With great fear are we looking into what is happening not only in the music industry but also in the whole cultural environment. Especially when we talk about the situation in Poland. The work of people of art and culture is still treated as a form of a hobby, a voluntary service or something one does after a normal 9 to 5 job. And probably even adding their own money to it. Based on our observation, we can say that most people do not realize how much creation and releasing such composition costs. Nevertheless, you probably will not find a single person who does not enjoy a good book, movie, or music during the quarantine. In Poland, the topic of art and culture is still being omitted even though it constitutes what we call a good quality of life. In our country virus explicitly showed this sad truth when, especially the attitude of the government towards the people of art and culture, but on the other hand it speeded up the actions of the music industry to make things better. We are trying to look on the bright side and hope that the restrictions will only contribute to the appreciation of what we lost and we will all come back to more conscious attendance in culture and this will surely help to develop the music industry.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine? Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies? 95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
Coronavirus surprised us in a very important for us moment. Just a few days before we had to cancel all cultural events, we released our debut album entitled “Mówili mi ludzie” (eng: People told me) and we only played the first concert from our entire planned tour. The beginning of quarantine was a sad moment of postponing all of the planned concerts, interviews, and meetings. After this disappointing moment, we mainly focused on improving our skills, gaining more music knowledge, and creating new songs. Next year we will be celebrating the 5- year anniversary of our band so we are constantly thinking about what our comeback to our fans will be. Instead of watching TV, we appreciate more listening to music and watching live performances. We are fascinated by Sting’s concert in Berlin as well as the Ukrainian band Okean Elzy. We are catching up on what we have missed and looking for inspiration.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. What are you planning to do?
Our last concert before the quarantine was in Radio Lodz studio and is available on the Internet. One month after we played an online concert without an audience in ArtKombinat Scena Monopolis (a stage in a renewed factory in Lodz), and is available on Facebook. Both events took place in beautiful places, on big stages with magical lighting and great sound quality and that is the reason why we do not feel the need to put on shows like that.
With no real live music (mostly virtual shows) expect for things like Drive-In Theater shows with crowds for the past 6 months, what do you think will be the future of music?
We hope that all restrictions will disappear and there will not be a need for us to take a different path. At least we do not intend to do so. We are staying positive and believing that concerts and festivals with the audience will be back. Nevertheless, we are pretty sure that some of the music activities will surely be transferred to the Internet.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show? I noticed on your social media; you always start off by saying “My dear ones” Why?
For sure without playing concerts it is harder for us to get to a new audience. We still try to do as much as we can though. Soon we will publish new songs that we recorded during our concert in Cracov. We also try to keep our songs on the radio – our “Kapliczkowe panny” (eng: Shrine Ladies) were number one on the Radio For You Hit List. In social media we always start with “My dear ones” because we want to shorten the distance between us and our fans, to make them feel special. After each concert, we try to have some time for our fans, have a chat, meet with them. This is our attempt to transfer this closeness to the cyber world.
Live Nations just started Live Nation from Home? Which are concerts from artist homes. An all-new virtual music hub keeping fans connected to their favorite artists featuring daily live streams, performances, new music, and more. Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?
If the situation does not improve, I guess such forms are more likely to become popular and occur more often. However, we do not feel like it is a way to earn money, at least not that much as during real concerts with an audience. Due to coronavirus many a business suffers, not only the music sector. People are losing their jobs and most likely their spending on art and culture will not be as important as putting bread on the table.
For smaller bands who do not play large crowds, this is not really an issue. How do you see bands going back to smaller venues and doing things like play for the door, with no guarantees?
Small crowd concerts are no worse than the large ones. The most important thing is the energy exchange between musicians and the audience. We have played several small concerts and we have very good memories of it. The virus has hugely affected the audience but the tickets for our shows were available way before actual concerts. For this purpose, we use online ticket services so we always know beforehand what to expect. Fortunately, we never played without any audience and fingers crossed we never will.
You started to play events during the summer. Many bands around the world have not played a show since March. How was it to do your first show? And how has the virus affected your touring?
We love to play with the audience so we are impatiently waiting for the comeback to the stage. We have really fond memories of the first summer concert especially as it was on a warm summer day in a park full of people. In spring we had to cancel the whole tour that was supposed to promote our new record. We had great plans, high hopes so we are still wondering what it would have looked like if it were not for the virus. Now in the Autumn, we know that even though we did not have a chance to do what we have planned, in comparison to other bands, we still did a lot. We appreciate it. The virus did not stop us but only slowed a little bit.
How was it to return to Chata M in Dlutowek where you recorded “Shrine Ladies”? How often to you play by candle light?
Chata M w Dłutówku has a magical atmosphere.
We have a special feeling towards that place as not only have we recorded “Shrine Ladies” there but also had a sneak preview during our concert.
We visit Chata M also privately when we have the urge to escape from city life and have a peaceful moment surrounded by nature. Time moves there at a different pace. We do not usually play surrounded by candlelight but it is those small details that make every concert different, somehow exceptional. We love this unpredictability.
With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it may be the end of the music fest for the next couple of years?
We feel that people are like animals in a herd – we need others to exist, we need other people’s smiles, handshakes, hugs but also to share happiness as well as sadness with each other. That is why social distance is still not a new norm for us and we do hope it will not become one. The whole summer we have observed people’s behavior and what we can say for sure is that the need to be among other people did not die and certainly will not die.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room? How do you see yourself in the next five years? Anything you would like to say in closing?
We think that behind every great technology stands a human being and their role in any form of presentation is essential. It is great that new tech is present also in the music industry, as it allows for constant development. How OREADA will benefit from it? We do not know it yet. We had so many plans and expectations for the upcoming 5 years, but the virus showed we need to adjust them a little bit. Currently, all our activities are moved to our rehearsal room instead of the Internet. We really do appreciate face to face contact. Despite the obstacles, we try to see solutions not problems, and think positively. What does not kill you makes you stronger and, as we sing in one of our songs, we believe everything has a purpose. Time will tell. Surely, we will continue the great music journey we have embarked on. We have plans, ideas on what to do and we will keep it that way. And you My Dears, are warmly welcome to visit our Facebook page, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and to listen to our music on streaming services! Thank you!
Greetings!
Kamil Kaźmierczak
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