Patryk Kania is an Polish born musician who is now based in Belfast, marking quite a change! His music is very unique sounding, particularly with the soft sound of his vocals – it’s well worth checking out for those who like their pop a little different to the norm. Pearls is one such song – you can find a full stream at the end of the interview if you’ve not had chance to have a listen to it yet.
By Jane Howkins
You released a single titled Pearls. What can you tell us about the track?
This song is a tribute to my beautiful friends and the title is a reference to the place we all grew up in (Lagow, Poland) which by many has been called ‘the pearl of Lubusz land’. It all started almost two years ago when the verse melody came to me together with the lyrics “they say you are looking for treasure”. It was one of those instances where I immediately had to reach for my phone to record it because it felt like something special. The rest of it came pretty easily once I started finding the right chords on my MIDI keyboard. This is basically my process with every song I write. Once I had a rough demo of it, I sent it to my long-time collaborator Kevin Buster who transformed it into what Pearls is now. He is a true magician when it comes to hearing and creating sounds that will make any song go from rough to rich and refined.
How has the reception to Pearls been so far, and where can the song be purchased?
I think it has been good! It is hard to say being a small artist what the reception is like, because there are only so many indicators that you can look at. The reviews have been lovely and I am thankful to all the outlets who have decided to cover Pearls. There are also likes, shares, streams and all the other stats, but it can be tricky to see if your music is making a real impact. What I have always appreciated the most is people reaching out and letting me know what they think about a song I put out, because they took the time out of their day to do that. That to me is invaluable. So, if anyone would like to give me their feedback or share their thoughts, please feel free to comment, DM or just tag me in your post! If you would like to purchase the song you can find it on iTunes, but simply streaming the song is more than enough.
Do you plan to release any more singles in the near future?
There are more singles to come! The second single should come out in April and the one after that – sometime this summer. Thunder is the name of the second single and it is going to be just my voice, with the piano played by the amazing Klaüs and nothing else. I want to showcase a slightly different side of me and make my ‘unique’ tone the focal point. I have a love/hate relationship with my voice so this would be a good chance to overcome it by letting it all out. There is also this song called Girlfriend that is probably the most upbeat song on the album and would be a good fit for summer. Unfortunately, I tend to change my mind all the time so none of this is set in stone. I suppose you just have to stay tuned!
Do you plan to release an EP or an album anytime soon?
A full-length album is in the works with 10 tracks at the moment. It is called Gin Mill Club and I see it as my attempt to reconcile my past. There are piano ballads and guitar-driven songs, as well as uptempo tunes, but all of them are linked to one another by the ongoing topic of feeling alienated and being taken advantage of. Every song is based on something that happened to me in real life that I, an almost 30-year old man, only decided to unpack now. One one hand, I regret not talking about it earlier but on the other hand, waiting so long allowed me to take a more mature approach to writing about it. I have already started working on the follow-up album that dives deeper into why I feel and see things the way I do. But I am getting ahead of myself and you can tell I have a lot of free time creating albums that may or may not ever be released.
Your music has an dream-pop sound. What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
Some of the inspirations for my debut EP Rural Legends as well as this upcoming album come directly from my love for artists and bands such as Lana Del Rey, Florence and the Machine, Lord Huron, Taylor Swift and Lorde. As a music lover, I happened to subconsciously study the ways those artists captured their emotions and what musical elements they used to do that. However, probably the biggest factor that contributed to my sound is the knowledge, expertise and musicianship of my producer Kevin. He introduced me to the work of artists such as Brian Eno, who is a master of creating sonic textures and dreamy ambience. As to what I have been listening to lately… Ethel Cain has been my biggest music discovery. Other than her, I have had the new SZA album on repeat. And Lana, of course!
You’re originally from Poland but you’re now based in Belfast. What prompted the move?
The truth is… I tend to move about a lot. And for different reasons. I moved to Manchester at the age of 19 to attend university but happened to stay there for a few years. I then moved to Belfast for my professional career reasons but fell in love with the city and the entire country of Northern Ireland. Funnily, it reminds me a lot of the place I grew up in. Although it is much bigger, it is still very green, quiet and picturesque. I can’t promise I will stay here forever or even until the end of this year, but at this very second I am really enjoying it.
Have you got anything else exciting coming up this year?
Other than a couple of singles that will hopefully lead to an album, I am hoping to release a cover or two of some of my favourite songs at the moment. It is probably going to be a semi-official release on SoundCloud but a release nonetheless! I tend to treat SoundCloud as the place where I can be a little more spontaneous and upload whatever I want whenever I feel like it. I have some demos on SoundCloud that I made public because I really liked them and felt the need to share them. So yeah, maybe some more demos and some covers this year?
You’re based in Belfast. How is the local music scene faring at the moment?
I must admit I have not properly explored the Belfast music scene. I know, I know. Shame on me! However, I have seen a few local musicians playing at Filthy McNastys and at The Points so I would say those are good places to start with. I have heard a lot of good things about venues such as Limelight, but I am yet to attend a concert there. However, if you would like to hear some amazing DJ sets, I can recommend a night out at Libertine or Kremlin. The DJs there always make sure you are having a good night. I have never had a bad experience at any of those places.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
Oh… I wish! I have not performed live on stage in many, many years and never with my original material. I went from an avid music listener to writing my own songs in my late 20s so I have a lot of catching up to do. At the moment I feel most comfortable at home, singing to myself or to my cat Ollie. This reminded me that I also have some voice lessons I should probably start attending soon!
Any last words for the fans?
Thank you. For every comment on my lyric videos on YouTube, for every time you added one of my songs to your playlist, for all your kind words of encouragement in your direct messages to me. It may not seem like a lot to you but to me it means that I have succeeded in creating something that finds its way into your life and for a few minutes lets you into mine. I wonder if there is a name for that?