
Szczecinski Zespol Dupa are a Polish punk band who began in 1995 and recently reformed to re-create and re-record a vintage album and EP. They had a conversation with Prime's singer Lee Heir about the beginning of the group back in college in the 90's, changes to life and music after Communism, their latest single and plans for the future.
LEE HEIR: So, tell me more about why you guys decided after all this time to re-activate and re-record the Szczecinski Zespol Dupa project?
MARCIN HADAS: it started about 5 years ago. We have to back a while to (our other project) Restless Astronaut.
GRZEGORZ BOJANEK: First I uploaded our old cassette to YouTube - I suppose that was the beginning.
MH: 25 years ago we formed the band as a one-off project just for fun. We wrote, arranged and recorded the album in one crazy day.
GB: So - it was 1995.
LH: Tell me more about the 90's, what were you both doing in life at that time, and what was that era like in your area of Poland?
MH: It was just after the end of Communism. 1989 was the year when Soviet Bloc failed. The first years were crazy.
GB: End of f**king communism and the beginning of crazy capitalism. We were still living in a very poor country. But suddenly a lot of good music started to flow to our country.
MH: Then we were students and we started to talk about forming the band.
LH: How old were you both at the time? I can imagine the influx of all that great music must've been a big thing, what was the first Western music of that time that influenced you both?
GB: I remember that we were going to Marcin’s flat and sitting in one room, talking and listening to a lot of music. CDs were getting more and more popular. And you could really buy more and more of them. But cassettes were still a common format. In 1989 I was 15, Greg 14.
MH: In 1994 grunge became very popular in Poland, so inspired by such bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains... We started to do something like this.
GB: I live in a detached house, so when my parents went away - holidays or business - all our friends gathered in my house and we we were listening and playing music. The instruments were crap, but suddenly - they were available! At least we had a chance to play them!
MH: I remember those crazy all-night jam sessions...
GB: Sometimes we were playing loud in my garden and the neighbours called the police!
LH: Was it hard to buy guitars, drums and things before that time? I bet on import they were very expensive.
GB: Yes. The gear was very expensive.
LH: Tell me the circumstances leading to the original album's recording. Also, why after all this time did you decide to re-record it, and the what was the difference in studio equipment to what you had back then?
GB: Back in 1995 it was just a recording in the room. All instruments on a reel-to-reel machine via a simple microphone. Later we had a chance to add vocals using some Technics module I think.
MH: There was an idea to record something in punk style. Just for fun. And the whole album was written - including lyrics - and recorded in one day.
GB: We treated it as a joke. Nowadays I record things at my home studio. Most things I record in my free time. At night, whenever I have time and I want to have a break from my main project - which is ambient stuff (Grzegorz Bojanek on Spotify). The studio is very mobile, because my son took my studio monitors to his place. He makes music too... even more underground than we are. And his music is much HARDER than ours. I really love the fact that my son is into music and you know - all our children support us. My son, Ben, remade the cover art for our album. And Marcin's daughter drew the "Trees" cover.
MH: And the older daughter made majority of our videos.
GB: In the beginning of 2020 (developments) became very dynamic. We were surprised that (people like the music) and this feedback encouraged us to continue.
MH: The second release "Nowa Flaga" ("The New Flag") was recorded remotely during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic (May 2020).
LH: So now you revisited the past with such fun recordings what is next?
MH: There is an idea to release some stuff in a physical format as a cassette. Back to the roots. Our time is limited with work, families, now it is even worse because of this strange pandemic times. We were constantly postponing our recordings last year. Gregor is still working on some riffs, demos and I'm thinking about lyrics.
LH: How do you think the songs will differ with you being no longer teenagers and in now in your 40s, do you think they will still have the same youthful fun? I know for a fact that I don't write the same kind of lyrics and music that I would have in my teens!
GB: Exactly. Some of the lyrics from 1995 we found quite naive, but on the first "album" (16 minutes of total playing time) we decided not to change the original spirit.
MH: We have real fun now doing all those things. I helps us to feel younger. For sure it is now more "filtrated" by our experiences and age, but, could be even more intensive.
GB: It's our second youth.
MH: I’m still young. Still my first.
LH: I wish you the very best of luck with the new, reinvigorated music and stay safe the both of you!
MH: Thank you Lee for your time and stay safe too!
Szczecinski Zespol Dupa catalogue is available now on Spotify and all streaming avenues :
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BaovW9nm6ZiUgU1hf0JQ0
Visit Restless Astronaut label here: https://restlessastronautrec.bandcamp.com/album/mamo-to-pinokio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L78xk9ZhVsI&list=PLIYIrnDZn-E2poNCNY4xbdSSw1dJ30Juv
Prime UK Band's latest single 'Jeff Took A Trip' is out now on Spotify and all streaming avenues.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVGchgxIWg7vV3HoXlpUG-w?
Links:
Szczecinski Zespol Dupa can be found at:
www.facebook.com/SZDBand / Instagram - @szczecinskizespoldupa/ Twitter - @SZDBand
Lee Heir of Prime UK Band is online at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ukprime / Twitter / Instagram: @primeukband + Youtube: @badfridaypictures
Spotify 'Art Facts' Link:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2GocqlOhEgW5hoL4exwxrJ
Primeband.co.uk