It’s the people who create the atmosphere.
Let me ask you right from the start. Where did that peculiar band name come from? Is it because you play with a flair?
Explaining names isn’t always easy. Often, it’s not even clear where a name comes from. In our case, it wasn’t a major undertaking. We sat down one evening and started thinking about it. It was already dark, we were in a delirious mood, and we thought of this little bird. An owl is a mystery, a bird flying silently somewhere, a bit unreal, but at the same time, a predator with real claws and a sharp personality. And it all worked out that it all fits our music. Besides, we all liked the name. So, Sova stuck, we just changed the “w” to “v,” and I admit, we still find something in that name.
Didn’t the band Sova form in one go?
Yes, it was a much longer process than coming up with the name. I came to the States in 2006 and initially worked at the Adam Mularczyk Dramatic Theatre in Philadelphia, and later as a cultural organizer for the local Polish Home Association. At some point, a group of people who wanted to promote Polish culture met there, primarily musicians, but not exclusively. In 2014, Piwnica u Dziadka (Grandpa’s Basement), which I co-founded and also came up with the name. I borrowed it from the song “W piwnicy u dziadka” (At Grandpa’s Basement), by Happy Sad, whose songs I was passionately listening to at the time. The term “basement” itself had a very artistic connotation for me, with a great deal of nostalgia and mystery, as many of us had a basement at our grandparents’ house as children, where we could find unusual and imaginative objects. At Piwnica u Dziadka, we quickly began organizing various concerts and regular musical events, the first of which was the Polish Poppy Festival. I remember we started with sung poetry, which I’m a huge fan of. More and more artists appeared on the scene, and the musicians changed, although initially they all performed under the name Piwnica u Dziadka. Eventually, a group of people emerged who wanted to create their own music. And so Sova was born.
As a five-person band?
Yes. I sang, Piotr Bernasiuk played guitar, Michał Głogowski played second guitar, and the lineup was completed by bassist Artur Siembab and drummer Paweł Bernasiuk. After Michał Głogowski’s left the band, we play in four. And that’s how we’ll perform at the festival.
Do you have any musical education?
No. I was born in Ełk in the Masurian Lake District and grew up in nearby Bobry, where my future musical interests, guitar playing, and sensitivity were shaped. My studies, however, took me to Zielona Góra—the other end of Poland, so to speak. There, I graduated from the Faculty of Pedagogy at the University of Zielona Góra, majoring in socio-cultural animation, with a specialization in theater. So, although art has been present in my life for a long time, I am a self-taught musician. Just like the other band members, who at some point in their lives simply became interested in playing instruments.
How do you define your style?
Because we met as mature artists, each of us had already developed our own musical preferences. We listen to a variety of styles, and our music is a mix of rock, blues, punk, and alternative, with a touch of sung poetry and even indie rock in the background. It’s difficult to define our style with a single term, and we don’t even try. Because of this convergence of our interests, I think our work is engaging for listeners.
Do you focus on your own songs?
As I mentioned, Sova was formed precisely to create original compositions. We already had a dozen or so songs ready, practically a whole album. However, these songs were written together with the second guitarist, who is no longer in the band, so some songs were rearranged, and others we don’t play at all. However, we’re constantly writing new songs as a four-person band.
You also play covers at live shows.
Yes, but it all depends on the event or festival we’re performing at. Each concert is unique, and the proportion of original songs to covers varies. We usually play covers of bands like Happy Sad, KSU, Strachy na lachy, Pidżama Porno, and among the English bands, we’ve tried Nirvana and Big Theft.
Haven’t you released an album yet?
No. During the pandemic, our live performance was recorded to celebrate the anniversary of the band Dzieci PRL-u, whose members we’ve been friends with for years. You can see it on YouTube. We also recently created our first official video for the song “Błogostany,” which was released this year and is already available on most streaming platforms. I think we already have the material for our first album, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s released. We have no shortage of ideas, as almost all of us bring musical motifs to rehearsals and then refine them together. I, on the other hand, am responsible for the lyrics.
These are mostly Polish lyrics.
That’s how it’s been so far. I sang most of the songs in Polish, as the audience was predominantly Polish. However, we’re currently embarking on an adventure with English covers and seriously considering English translations of our original songs. While this is still in its infancy, we’re aware that more and more people are listening to us, and not just Poles.
Sova is known for its rather lively performances, and your stage personality is very expressive. You modeled yourself after someone as a vocalist and frontman?
The way I am on stage is more of a combination of my many stage experiences, from school and university, through theater, and culminating in being a vocalist and bandleader. In between, there was also a vibrant Masurian camping life, when I would perform at bonfires with my guitar. I can’t be anything else. I’ve never modeled myself directly after anyone, and I still don’t. On stage, it’s always me. Before a concert, I don’t really think about what I’m supposed to do on stage. When I go out in front of an audience, I start functioning in a completely different mode, and whatever comes out of me first comes through my inner self. So everything is natural and spontaneous. I can say, however, that I have many vocalists who have inspired me or continue to inspire me. Among them is certainly Krzysztof Myszkowski from Stare Dobre Małżeństwo, who was an important figure for me when I was deeply interested in sung poetry, and Rysiek Riedel from the band Dżem. There have also been a few other performers at various stages of my life, but it’s never been a single figure.
You’re known primarily for your performances in and around Philadelphia. You’d say you most often play at the aforementioned Piwnica u Dziadka (Grandpa’s Cellar), a now-iconic Polish community venue. You appear less frequently in New York.
That’s true. We’ve played the most shows so far at Piwnica u Dziadka (Grandpa’s Basement), but as a band playing Polish music, we’ve appeared in many venues wherever Polish events are held, including various festivals, motorcycle club meetings, and picnics. Our sister band is Dzieci PRL-u (Children of the Polish People’s Republic), with whom we share a drummer. It’s no surprise, then, that we frequently visited their studio in New York, and some of those performances were recorded and can be viewed on YouTube. We’ve also played together at numerous festivals, one of which was Sound of Poland, which took place a few years ago in Queens. We’ve also performed numerous times in New Jersey, recently at the Linden Festival. I think we’ve already played dozens of concerts over the past six years.
Which one do you remember in particular?
Our biggest concert to date, in terms of audience size and stage presence, was opening for the legendary rock band Lady Pank at the Melrose Ballroom a few years ago. We performed our original repertoire and received a very warm reception from the audience. The whole concert experience was definitely quite stressful for us at first, given the large venue and the legendary musicians, whom we had the opportunity to meet. So there was a thrill of excitement and a shiver of uncertainty. However, after the first song, any stage fright disappeared and everything went very well. Many people even thought we’d come from Poland to support Lady Pank, which we took as a huge compliment. I also have fond memories of the intimate concert we played to celebrate the opening of the Beer Garden at the Polish Home Association in Philadelphia. The atmosphere was fantastic, though by its very nature completely different from the one we played for Lady Pank. However, it’s the people who create the atmosphere, and for me, that’s always the most important thing. I’m talking about both the audience and all of us on stage.
You’ll be appearing at the Festival in the Center for the second time. How do you recall your first performance?
We have wonderful memories of our first concert. We had a truly wonderful time. The sound system was excellent, and the venue itself, a former church, is very atmospheric. The audience was also great, so we’re glad the organizers invited us again.
What can festival attendees expect from your concert?
We’ll definitely be performing our latest compositions. There should also be a few covers. The musical atmosphere will certainly be a bit different, as there will now be one guitar instead of two. We might sound a bit more mature, as some time has passed since the last Festival. I believe the audience will enjoy our performance, just like before.
Thank you for the interview, and I wish you good luck at the Festival.
Marcin Żurawicz