Rock band Viscula are now based in London, but originated in Ukraine and have travelled the world. They’ve featured on our blog a few times now so it seemed a good time to pose them a few questions about their music, Putin’s war, and why their 2012 recorded EP Завжди Молодий (Forever Young) has just been released.

Interview by Graeme Smith

We’re chatting today because you’ve just released an EP, Завжди Молодий (Forever Young), that was recorded in 2012. It’s not the first time that’s it’s taken awhile for your back catalogue to get out there. What’s the reason for this?

Yes, indeed, our previous releases were out mostly on archaic music platforms and CDs. Last year we celebrated our 20th anniversary and decided to release all our albums and singles on streaming platforms. Besides a collection of singles, we have four albums and four EPs in our catalogue, and Завжди Молодий (Forever Young) is one of them.

I’ve said before in my reviews that you guys have a very unique sound. How have you arrived at it and what are your influences?

We think that this is the result of our experimental approach to creating music. Throughout our musical journey, Viscula sought to discover new facets of creativity. We will never play what we think sounds like what we like to listen to. Therefore, each of our next albums is different from the previous one.

Viscula as a project has been going for over twenty years now. How has the band’s sound evolved over that time?

If you take our first (2003) and last (2021) albums, musically, everything is quite diverse, although there is a common base called rock ‘n’ roll.

You’ve based yourselves in a number of countries – China, USA and now here in the UK – what’s the reason for the globetrotting and how has it influenced your sound?

After we received the main award at the legendary Ukrainian festival ‘Chervona Ruta’ in 2013, we began diving into other environments and other cultures to get even more inspired and learn about the world through our music. It’s true, there is nothing better in this world for a musician than to travel and play own music in new places. We spent a lot of time in China, America, and now in Great Britain, where we played live and recorded our new releases. It helps us a lot to develop and find new points of contact with the factors that inspire us.

Though now based in London, Viscula was founded in Ukraine, so I have to ask about Putin’s war there. How has it affected you personally and how do you think it will end?

What happened is terrible. Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has affected the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world. We have not stood aside and are trying to help the heroic Ukrainian people as much as we can. The war also brought us some adjustments and changes in our plans, some of which we will obviously have to undo. Sooner or later, all this has to end and we know for sure that the victory will be for Ukraine.

It’s sad that it’s taken an invasion for it happen, but the past year has thrown international focus on Ukraine – its people, its culture and its arts. What do you think the country offers the world that nowhere else does?

Historically, Ukraine has recently attracted world attention every 9 years due to revolutions (2004) and (2013), and now due to war (2022). Anyone who knows history knows about the Cossacks and their love of freedom and defiance. Therefore, it is strange that someone decided to deceive or conquer the Ukrainian people, whose entire culture comes from the word “freedom”. Based on this, seems obvious that Ukraine demonstrates the world its unique essence, because culture is created by people and Ukrainian people are truly unique.

What’s next for Viscula?

We know for sure that Viscula does not stop and moves on. A tour and a new album are planned. We hope that everything will go according to plan and in the near future we will be able to reveal our new musical work to the world.

Any last words for the readers?

Thank you in advance to everyone who likes our music, because everything we write comes from a pure heart. Rock ‘n’ roll can’t go any other way.

Завжди Молодий (Forever Young) by Viscula is out now in all the usual places.