Q&A Today: Kisu Min
Who is Kisu Min?
Kisu Min is a band that oscillates musically around indie rock. The band was founded in Łódź in 2016 and has been playing since the beginning with the same members: Basia, Agata, Michał and Ola.
We often say that we are true to the ideals of rock'n'roll. We want to go against the grain, we live in the belief that you can always fight for something, because things are never perfect in the world, we carry utopia in our hearts and try to live and create according to our values.
How did you get into music?
Before the formation of Kisu Min, Michał and Basia played together in another band 'Revlovers', as did Ola and Agata - in a school riot grrrl band that broke up at university. Michał and Ola met at work in a music shop in 2016, became friends and so the idea of playing together was born.
Already at the first practice the track 'Leavers Dance' was written, so the potential to create together was huge. After several years of underground activity (the output of two albums and an ep released on their own label "GISH!" and numerous concerts all over the country), Kisu Min were noticed by the independent record label "Antena Krzyku", the publisher of their latest album. This is a huge ennoblement for us, as Antena Krzyku is a label with legendary status in Poland, close to us ideologically.
"Kurds" sounds awesome, what's the story behind the song?
All of us are close to human and animal rights. We try to see the injustice not only around us, but also in the further corners of the world. The ignition for the creation of the song "Kurds" was meeting a Kurd who came to Poland on a student exchange. We became interested in the subject and decided on an activist concert - a fundraiser for the Water for Rojava campaign. We recommend reading about the Kurds and Rojava - is one of the most important examples of a radically democratic self-organisation emerging against all stereotypes, which is very impressive.
The song itself also touches on other topics. It's a political song - commenting on the Kurdish problem in the face of Usa's betrayal during the war in Syria. Also, it is a transcript of the conversation of our bassist with a Google employee from New York. There is also a touch on the problem of hunger and poverty in Africa, which we blame on Western countries that colonised and exploited and still do so in African countries.
We are soon organising an Antena Krzyku festival for the Fundacja Ocalenie (Rescue Foundation), which helps refugees, including those stranded and dying on the Belarusian border. If you happen to be in Poland, come to Łodź on 27 May for the festival!
The track is part of the album 'City of the revolution', please let us know more about the album.
The album follows the principle: "think globally, act locally" - is a commentary on the situation in the world, but also a tribute to the city in which we live and create - Łódź. Łódź is a city of revolution. The events in Łódź in June 1905 were the starting point of the 1905 Revolution in the Russian partitioned territories. They were preceded by earlier strikes and worker's speeches of a social, but also of an independence nature. The album cover shows the monument to the 1905 Revolution.
The songs are written in Polish and English with socially engaged lyrics (e.g. Protest Song touches on the violation of women's rights), anti-war anthems not shying away from universal themes such as love, the search for harmony, acceptance.
On the musical side, it is a solid guitar work sprinkled with 80s synth sounds, recorded on the so-called "hundred and one" in Studio O4 by Marcinera Awaria from the group Psychocukier. The band recorded the new album without any pressure, at ease. Unleashing an incredible amount of energy, but also delicacy and sensitivity. The irreplaceable Michał Kupicz is responsible for mixing and mastering.
Several songs have been selected for promotion, of which the video for 'Kurds' is familiar to you. Further videos are being edited and will promote the songs: "Hermes, Pies i Gwiazda" (Hermes, Dog and Star) - a story about the separation of two people in Łodź's Polesie region, and "Rise" - a universal ballad about love and self-belief.
You are playing with the same line up from the very first beginning, looks like you are good friends as well, how would you describe your working/creative process in the band?
Yes, certainly the foundation of our band was friendship and of course the love for these similar artists and albums. Obviously there are differences between us, but we definitely have a similar musical vibe. I think each of us would react enthusiastically to bands like Manic Street Preachers, The Cure, The Smashing Pumpkins, Diana Ross, Roxette, Fleetwood Mac, Radiohead, The Smiths, Hole, Warpaint etc. This definitely has a huge influence on our creation, as this music inspires us. Also, I think we have a lightness in our songwriting. We come to band practice, someone starts playing something and in 15 minutes we have a new song. So you could call it jamming or spontaneous, collective creation. After coming up with a song, usually Michał writes the lyrics to it and that's how we just released a new album and we already have all the material for the next one!
You have the album finished and released, any chance to see you somewhere live on stage?
Yes, as a matter of fact we will go on a spring tour, but in Poland - Wrocław, Zielona Góra, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Warsaw, Łódź, Września and others.
We will probably also play in the Czech Republic in August, but we are waiting for final confirmation. Will it already be a world tour? ;))
We'd love to play somewhere further afield, but unfortunately we don't have the reach, connections and probably the money to break through in the music industry. We hope to play a gig somewhere further afield at some point ;))
And finally, what are your plans for the near future?
At the moment we are trying to reach out by email and concert to people who might like our music. We'll be touring soon, but we're also practising to get into the recording studio in the summer. I've noticed that if we already have all the material, it's a bit of a burden for us in the creative process because we get overwhelmed by it.
It's best to record it well and get into new songs. Just creating gives us so much joy that when new songs are written we immediately have a completely different energy inside us. As long as that energy is in us, we just want to write songs ;))
