Kurt Cobain once said: “It is possible to overcome everything choosing the right song.” Those who manage to do it become famous and popular. “Retro 21” is a young Zhytomyr band which is still looking for the “right song” for almost 2 years and more often performs outside the city. They always create good impression. Why? The answer is that they are all different and while they’re performing the feeling of jumping deeply into your soul arises. Their music is something coming from the depth of spirit. This is the thing which makes them be unlike others

Oleh Pavliuk: “We have a strong desire to create to the full the coolest gig in Zhytomyr…Virtualize something to make it all unusual.”
“We all create the music, improvise. Sometimes it’s very easy but there are situations when it seems so cool and effortless but the result is wrong…We can listen to the old motives and change it a bit with our own adaptation, more up-to-date, let’s say – add own gags, doo-dads.”
“There are lots of musicians in Zhytomyr but we threat them all as not our competitors. We all communicate, play nice with them. We are all friends and colleagues who share experience and knowledge.”
“We’ve been together for 2 years so far. There will be a concert on band’s birthday. We have a strong desire to create to the full the coolest gig in Zhytomyr, do something cool to impress everyone and not only in musical sense; to virtualize something to make it all unusual”
“We haven’t had any art-director yet – the person who could be useful in popularizing us, arranging concerts and looking for necessary people. Let it be young person, no problem! The result and quality of work are important things here.”
“We don’t have any followers or hardcore fans. It’s far too long to have them, for everything there is a season. We do have listeners and audience. They see us as performers onstage, while they know us as folks in daily-life.”
Yevhen Trophymenko: “I don’t think that the name of band like “Tretia Rika” or “Ozero” would ever help us.”
“We’ve been playing with Zhytomyr bands on festivals – with “A-generation” or “Razom lipshe”, “Ostrov dobryh nadiezhd”, for example. They all have own know-how’s, styles and audience.”
“We have old instruments – djembe, cajon, and non-acoustic classic guitar – western, with nylon strings which make softer sounding. It is recherché, but it appeals to me more.”
“Maybe the name of our band isn’t too stylish but we don’t worry about it. I don’t think that the name of band like “Tretia Rika” or “Ozero” would ever help us. Most of the lyrics are written by Sasha-vocalist, he writes them only in Ukrainian language. We did it before having heard the dialogues about the need for Ukrainian songs. We can and should show the quality Ukrainian product.”
“We wanted to get on X-factor but we were late for an audition. I think it would have been great experience for us. We are currently developing as a band, putting together the sounding. I think we’ll show better result next year.”
“It’s important not to lose the shtick. When people reach appropriate level, they’re told: “In chorus there is this, and you should play that.” But we are with another flavor: some kind of instrumental “offset”, rock vocal and everything we do with our souls. We feel deeply everything we do.”
Oleksand Kalenda: “Front man, vocalist…What’s the difference? Somebody creates it, but not musicians.”
“I write about something what is happening with me right now. There is such mood – there is a “Sun”. I can’t writhe out, because it’s not art anymore. I do it because of call of heart. Firstly it’s state of soul, but not work.”
“I belong to those people who always want something new. We are appreciated for rock and drive, positive energy. I communicate with audience and always attempt to energize them and I feel mutual connection back. If it didn’t exist, we could probably do nothing.”
“We try to share our own understanding of deep things with our audience. Such as love, kindness and respect. That’s how we live; these are our priorities – love, kindness and respect. They can make our world more functional.”
“I’m so thankful to my mom for everything I have. It’s she that brought me to dancing club, music section. There was the thing I imagined: if there was no music, there’d be no dancing. Then I made kind of philosophic decision. My mom is so happy for me, because I made her dream come true. There might be situations when parents break their children’s dreams, but not with us. It’s because of luck, I think. In my childhood she’s been teaching me and nobody says: “Why the heck are you teaching me?” She clearly understands that I want all the best.”
Leonid Peredachenko: “Everything is interesting, new and new-laid for me. I’m keen on discovering the world.”
“I play Spanish national instrument which is called cajon. My first cajon I won in one establishment: I bet with my friend that I’ll boil eggs in microwave oven. I did it so he had to give me cajon.”
“Ambitions are our goals. Firstly, I didn’t have any aim; there were only new people who came to live program. They offered me to jam (to play frivolously) and I did. That’s how everything has started.”
“My experienced has taught me that sometimes it’s necessary to value the process, not only result. One should adore the drive, feeling of unknown ahead. That very feeling is exactly freedom.”
“When we play on public, I’m mostly amazed not by those gigs where crowds of people come or fantastic place we perform in. I like those ones, where I’m grooved, where I’m opened outwards. It depends on a variety of things: on my mood, on band’s mood or horoscopy. I don’t control all these things. That’s why I’m always looking for these feelings, so I go to concerts and play once again.”
“A seed which is about to grow, will do it through concrete. Everyone has his own destiny, own path. Everything is interesting, new and new-laid for me. I’m keen on discovering the world.”
Translated by Aliona Matushevich