1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Slava! Well we are working to put together a promo tour in the fall. This is not an easy thing for the new name on the scene. However i's looking very promising at the moment. We started cooperation with Raven Music promotion booking agency. In general we're doing our best to play "Z mar twych" live as often as we can.
2.This year you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
We were trying to achieve as organic sound as it was possible. I had this idea of recording in a village barn so it will be dirty production also. So basically what we did was that we found a proper barn in a silent and natural neighborhood somewhere in Warmia. It was near the forest and at the beautiful lake. We took some audio gear and set up a studio there. Then we recorded the whole thing playing live. It took about one week. I've mixed and mastered the recordings myself afterwards.
3.You refer to your music as 'Polish Root Metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
Well I created it myself. I have a problem with labeling music and really don't see the point of it. But since the market laws require such divisions I came to conclusion that this music is not really a true black metal. It's not a straight folk or pagan music either. But it definitely was born from the fascination and deep love to our cultural heritage and an old school extreme metal. So there you have it. Roots from Poland.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The lyrics are in Polish and it will stay that way in the future. I sing a lot about connection (or lack of thereof) between mankind and primal forces of nature. I sing about death, hate, the past. I sing about a deep communion between oneself and the mother soil. Some of the lyrics are also about the clash of cultures that took place on our lands in general.
5.I know that the band name comes from a historical region in northern Poland, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?
It does come from Warmia district name. They say it fits perfectly. It's a beautiful name to spread all around the world also.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Our stage time is a spiritual experience. I wouldn't call it a ritual but it is something deeper than playing the notes only. I think our best gig so far was in our hometown Olsztyn on Szymon Czech and Doc Festival this year. But it's not really up to me to judge this. As for the performance itself we have a tree that we use as a mic stand, our regional shirts and a couple of "weird" traditional instruments. Piotr plays them and he has his own style of doing it. Raw I would say. Our shows are organic cause we don't use click track. We let the music flow through us and the audience.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
As I mention earlier we're trying to work out a tour in the fall with Raven Music Promotion. If everything turns as we plan then we will bring "Z mar twych" to a couple of European countries.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
Very promising I must say. This music seems to speak to people. One thing I noticed that the audience appreciate the mixture with folk elements. They like that those elements are not overused or overwhelming. We tried hard to maintain this good proportions between black metal and traditional parts.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I don't want to reveal too much but I think that we will establish our own style even more in the future. Maybe a bit more diverse natural instruments, maybe heavier riffs. Maybe both.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Lots of them. We like to listen to the old school stuff mostly. Extreme metal was really extreme back in the days in my opinion. We like classics like Emperor, Enslaved, Opeth, Vader (from our home town!), Darkthrone, etc. I also like listening to traditional music but it's not easy to find the good one. Kapela Ze Wsi Warszawa is a good example of very good folk. We also enjoy classics like Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin and that kind of stuff. I think our main division of music is on one that's good and one that's bad. Our listening tastes exceed metal genre.
11.How would you describe your views on Paganism?
I view this as a cultural heritage mostly. Very important one though cause this was the foundation of who we are today. However there is something about the relation between man and nature that speaks to me. Some kind of communion but also distance, absence and sense abandonment... I think it's a very individual thing though. I will never tell people how they should live their lives. I'm only an artist.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Yest, thank you all for supporting Varmia, we need that! Special thanks to Mark from Folkvangr Records for helping us out with promoting our music! Slava brothers!
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