Sunday, May 21, 2017

Varmia interview done by Patrick posted on 5-21-17

Hails
Here  is  a new  interview with  the  Polish Pagan  black  metal  band  Varmia who  recently  released  their  debut  cassette   Z  Mar  Twych  through  Folkvangr  Rec.If you  are a  fan  of  well  written  and  performed  black metal  then  don't  miss  out  on   Varmia's debut  release
Regards
Patrick
fiendformetal@live.com



Interview  with  Lasota   vocalist and  guitarist  for  Varmia



1.Hello  Lasota   when  did you  first  become  interested  in  writing  and  playing  music?


Slava! That was something that came out naturally. I remember writing my first "piece" when I was about 12 years old. It was ridiculous of course but since then I was trying to express myself through the music.

 
2.What  were  some  of  the first  instruments  you  learned  to  play? Did you take  lessons  or  are you  self taught? Are their  any  instruments  you  would  like to  learn to  play  someday?

The first instrument and the only instrument that I officially learned to play was keyboard and later the piano. I learned to play the guitar myself. In the future I will take some hit on the drums but only as a hobby. I enjoy playing all instruments to be honest. The guitar is my home though. Learning piano helped me to develop general hearing and listening to all the instruments in the whole arrangement. I also sang a lot in a choir back in the school.
 
 
3.Who  are  some  of your  influences  and  favorite  musicians?

The artists that I respect the most are David Gilmour, Mikael Akerfeldt and Ihsahn. I also like Polish piano player Krystian Zimmerman, composer Matt Uelmen and Howard Shore, Darkthrone. A bit of everything I guess.

4.Lasota  you  formed   Varmia  in  2016   what  gave you  the idea  to  start this  band? And  how  would  you  describe   Varmia's  music  to  the  readers?


That's true. It came out naturally revealing itself to me piece by piece. Literally. When I wrote the first piece I just had the idea of using folk vocal on that single track. Then I had another piece and changed the language to Polish for the vocals. It sounded perfect to my ears so there was the idea to make the whole album. Then the name Varmia started to haunt me. Then the idea of recording it in the barn came in. And so on and on till this very day. The sound of Varmia is a combination of an old school black metal with our traditional Slavic music. Everything is bounded together with the vibe and spirit of Polish village. That is because we recorded the whole thing in an old barn at the lake somewhere in Warmia. You can hear that on the record.

 
5. Z  Mar  Twych  is  the  debut  release  how   long  did  it take you  to  write  the  music for this  release?
 
I think about it was less than a year. But it's really hard to date those things. Some riffs are very old, some brand new. I have my own library of the ideas that come to my head on a daily basis.

6.Lasota  where  do  you draw  inspiration  for  the  lyrics  on  the debut?
 

My main inspiration is a sight of a Warmian field, scent of its forests and taste of the water from the lakes. It sounds terribly pretentious and cliche but that's how it is. Those things and memories of them trigger my artistic powers.
 
 
7.Besides  the  cassette  version  will it  be  released  on  any  other  formats? Besides Z  Mar  Twych    do  you  have  any  other  releases  planned  this  year? What  about  merchandise  is  their  anything  available?
 
Yes the debut release of CD form took place on 28th February by Polish label Via Nocturna. The album is also available on digital forms. Check the youtube, spotify, deezer, bandcamp and you will find it! No further releases are planned currently. If the CD album will sell out then we will think of a second press and maybe a vinyl version. Merchandise is something that we are working on right now.

8.What  does  black  metal  mean  to you?

It's a native tongue for expressing myself. Coded in my bones.
 
9.Besides  working  in  Varmia  do  you  currently  work  in  any  other  bands  or  projects?
 
Yes, we are. Maybe one day we will reveal some of them. Right now it's irrelevant.

10.Varmia comes  out  of  Poland's  black  metal  scene  what  is your  opinion  of  the  Polish  black metal  scene?
 

It's in a reinessance stage right now. Mgla, Furia, Batushka, Odraza, Morowe are right now very well-known bands not only in Poland but abroads as well. It's good to have our culture noticed outside our country.
 
 
 
11.Who  are your  all-time  favorite Polish  bands  and  are  their  any  new  bands  you  feel  the  readers  should  check  out  soon?


My Polish band number one is Vader from our hometown Olsztyn. Doc (R.I.P.) is in my opinion the best drummer in all the extreme metal scene, period. I must say that I like listen to Mgła and Furia from time to time.

12.When  not  working  on  new  music  or band  business  what  do you  like to do in your  free time?

From couple of years I don't know what it is. But if it happens I usually meet the ones I care about. I like to go swim in the lake or ride the bike. I'm also a movie enthusiast so I go to cinema whenever I can.

13.Thank  you     Lasota    for  taking  the  time to  fill  this   interview  out  do you have  any  final  words  for the  readers?
 

Sure thank you! First of all thank you all for supporting Varmia. We have a tough tasks ahead of us. We plan to put together the promo tour in the fall so keep the track of what's going on and maybe we'll see each other on the stage one day. Slava!

                                                             Band  Contacts
                                                          https://www.facebook.com/varmiaband
                                                          https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC689j0bUuXrVPJhjnBB6wew
                                                              Label  Contacts
                                                          https://folkvangrrecords.bandcamp.com/
                                                          https://www.facebook.com/folkvangrrecords/