By Scott Wolfe
Winnipeg’s very own Ukrainian, folk, punk, metal, reggae etc. band, Zrada is playing the Kings Head Pub January 10. I sat down with Andriy Michalchyshyn (singer, trumpet, guitar) for a pint to reveal future plans and catch up with the band after a hiatus that is now, thankfully, over.
Stylus: Your music has been described as a blend of many different genres. What genre do you identify most with as a band?
Andriy Michalchyshyn: Personally I think the band is most reminiscent of punk and reggae, or at least a Ukrainian-folk take on those styles. Our music is always rooted in the folk song structure and then we kind of see where it goes from there. Most world music I feel fits with those styles.
Stylus: Do certain band members push or favour a certain genre?
AM: Absolutely, I like some of the folk stuff, our bass player is really into dub and our lead guitar is a full blown thrash guy, from Sepultura to Iron Maiden. Everyone brings something unique to the equation.
Stylus: What are some influences of the band? Can you attribute them to what gives your band its unique sound and style?
AM: Obviously we get compared to Gogel Bordello a lot but we identify with the Clash as well when they start to experiment with different sounds. The Pogues would be another influence; just good bar music that you can still tap your foot and sway with. The Ukrainian bands Haydamky and Kozak System are huge innovators at blending styles and just doing their own thing so I would say we are certainly influenced by them.
Stylus: What is in the pipeline for 2013?
AM: We have our show at the Kings Head on January 10. We plan to do a lot more shows this upcoming year in and around Winnipeg including The Pyramid Cabaret and hopefully Folk Fest. We are going to be travelling to Chicago and New York as well as playing some summer festivals. We are just focused now on playing more shows, an album may begin to take form in a year from now but the live show is our current focus.
Stylus: Why has there not been much action on your bands front as of late?
AM: I left for Toronto for my studies and our bass player got into med school so we were on a hiatus. The rest of the band were jamming with our new bass player while I was away and when I moved back and we practiced it just worked.
Stylus: Your live show, without a doubt, makes for an eclectic mix of people with various musical tastes. Are any people still surprised by your music?
AM: In our first couple years, people were taken aback sometimes, for instance a lady spit on us when we played a gig one time. Currently, I would say people now know what to expect when they come out to one of our shows. People are just interested in local music now and are more open minded about different styles, although some of the press we get is a little insulting. Perogies, food references and the excessive use of other stereotypes of Ukraine gets to be a little bit much. It’s about rowdy music in an interesting style, leave the stereotypes out of it.
Stylus: In the writing process is it tough to get all you band mates together? Do you write songs with your live performance in mind?
AM: It is a little tough sometimes with the different schedules of everyone but it is what we love to do and I would say that I do not write songs with the live performance in mind. Certain songs become better or worse live but my barometer is usually if two people and a guitar can sing it and make it sound good then it should work. It is tough to create new and innovative folk music and that is what we try to do, the biggest complement I ever got was when a German man mistook one of our songs for an actual traditional Ukrainian folk song.
Stylus: Your music is completely sung in Ukrainian, have you ever thought of English lyrics or writing a song in English? Or would that hurt your fan base and take away some of your traditional charm?
AM: No, we will never write any English lyrics, it would change the median entirely, like a pipe band playing kazoos. Ukrainian is the band’s first language, it’s what we sang in choirs and used at cultural events and birthdays. I use English to talk to the crowd in the live setting but it is a traditional cultural thing and I do not think that will ever change. However, our band does not play music for only people of Ukrainian descent, it is for everyone, so fuck the stereotypes and just enjoy the music.
Zrada will be playing the Kings Head Pub January 10th! Unfortunately that shit is sold out, unless you can score some tickets on eBay, sneak in, or grab some at the door. You may not be able to see these boys this time round but keep your eyes and ears peeled in the near future because this is one act that is not to be missed.