April: Singer Jacek Radomski on ’00s Polish Hardcore Band’s History, Kill Depression Vinyl Reissue & More

Playing an energetic blend of melodic hardcore with politically charged yet positive lyrics and message in Polish, April formed in the spring of 2001 in the town of Zambrów. Shortly after their formation, the band entered SDD Studio in Białystok to record their debut four-song EP Prolog in August 2001, at the same time their sibling band Złodzieje Rowerów was working on their third album Ten Moment. Channeling the sound of hardcore bands such as Verbal Assault, 7 Seconds and Insted, April started playing shows all over Poland from their first show in September 2001 until they disbanded on April 29, 2007 with a gig in Warsaw.

Released on CD by long-standing zine and label Pasażer in 2004, April’s only full-length, Kill Depression, was the pinnacle of the band’s career. It left a lasting mark on the Polish hardcore scene. The record got the vinyl treatment from Refuse Records and a few others in 2011, but we are really excited about the news that Pasażer is bringing the legend back with a special edition Kill Depression vinyl reissue in April 2023.

This new version will include four additional tracks from the original recording sessions of Prolog and Kill Depression, as well as a 16-page booklet with live photos and lyrics. The album is scheduled for release on April 30, 2023, and pre-orders may also include a shirt or longsleeve plus vinyl bundles. As a longtime fan of the band, I spoke with singer Jacek Radomski to get some context and history on April’s run in the early ’00s and to help spread the word about the new Kill Depression reissue.

Jacek, you’re best known as the singer of the famous ‘90s band Złodzieje Rowerów, but this interview is about your lesser known, at least internationally, band April. Can you give us a brief history of the band, your town Zambrów and the Polish hardcore scene in the early 2000s? Was the band a kind of side project of Złodzieje Rowerów (ZXRX)?

Yes, April was a bit of a departure from what we created in ZXRX. The band was formed in the spring of 2001. It was a great time for the Polish scene. Excellent bands like Coalition (ed. – who later formed my favorites Hundred Inch Shadow), Sown The Seed, Sunrise, Good Old Days, Silence and 33 Rotations were already active, as well as our close friends Oreiro, and bands like Juliette, Życie Jak Sen and Rearrange were starting to play, among many others. In Piaseczno, near Warsaw, the fantastic Open Air Hardcore Fest was just getting started (April played there in 2002). The biggest Polish punk zine Pasażer is still going strong. Shing Records from Gorlice, founded around 1997 by Tomasz Góral, seemed to be at its peak in 2001. Warsaw-based labels Refuse Records (now based in Berlin) and Youth Culture were also in their heyday. In 2001, Jimmy Jazz Records was founded in Szczecin as a natural continuation of the Rock’n’Roller project, etc. The only downside of 2001 was the disbanding of the brilliant Post Regiment from Warsaw.

As for our little town—Zambrów has a very rich history and I don’t feel strong enough to tell it here. I will just say that about 28-30 thousand people live here, several bands play here all the time, and the place itself is considered clean and peaceful. If you have a job, a family and your passions, this place might seem almost ideal for living.

With April you only have a few records, most notably Prolog EP in 2002 and Kill Depression in 2004, please tell us more about these records. What were your musical and political influences at that time and did you want to give the hardcore scene a kick after the golden years you just mentioned? Was activism a central tenet in the band, as you have songs about Food Not Bombs, abolishing the borders, etc.?

Prolog was our debut single. It was released about six months after the formation of the band. Thanks to this record we started to be recognised as a band. Kill Depression was, in a way, a continuation of the ideas that had been in our heads from the very beginning. We were inspired by various bands, from Tsunami Bomb to The Distillers and even Treblinka from Finland. We actually played two songs from the latter. We didn’t have any revolutionary intentions when creating April, we just tried not to be indifferent to what was happening around us. In our songs we wanted to include resistance against the injustices of the world, but also the positive joy we experienced when meeting people. Activism was a natural part of who we were. So it was natural for us to sing about important things. That activism is still with us today—maybe in a slightly different form, without the band, but it’s still there.

You have some live video material as bonuses on your CDs in the early 2000s. How many shows did you play with April and was it the main goal of the band to focus on the live performances?

A few video clips actually appeared at the time. They showed the energy that April was generating. Those were very pleasant experiences for us. We didn’t play many concerts—I don’t know how many there were, but I don’t think we played more than 30. We loved playing them, we loved the atmosphere and everyone who was there. I have fond memories of every one of those shows. All of this makes us a band that was really focused on live performances.

Kill Depression was originally released on CD in 2004, but it wasn’t until 2011 that it got the vinyl treatment. Now it’s getting a new reissue from Pasażer. Do you see a resurgence of interest in the Polish scene around the world, or is it more of an intention to bring political yet melodic hardcore back to the new generation of hardcore kids in Poland in a time of reactionary conservative politics and attacks on civil liberties in the country?

It’s hard for me to talk about any particular interest in the Polish scene from the rest of the world at the moment. It seems to me that the reissue is the result of an internal interest in the band here in Poland. According to Pasażer Records, repeated requests for this album led to its reissue. I would like to believe that for the younger generation this re-release will not only be a collector’s item. I believe that its buyers will want to reach for it because of the content it contains. I think that April was, and through these recordings still is, a testament to civil resistance against the oppression of any government, with particular emphasis on the right wing that currently rules this country.

What inspired you to write the song “Hip Hop Boys Against Straight Edge”? Is it a joke song? What is the band’s relation to the Straight Edge scene? Is April a positive hardcore band before anything else?

This song was meant to highlight the differences between the hip hop scene and the DIY hardcore scene. Although it was written in a light-hearted way, it wasn’t a joke, as it dealt with serious issues we observed in the Hip Hop scene (drugs, mistreatment of women, gangsterism, money worship, etc.). Our relationship with Straight Edge was and is still very positive. Several of us live that way. Are April mainly a positive hardcore band? That’s for the audience to decide. We can only express our satisfaction if someone perceives us that way or has perceived us that way.

What are some of your own favorite songs on Kill Depression? Do you think they still hold up after all these years and do you have any unreleased material? Do you think an April reunion is possible?

As April, we only recorded 12 songs. I like them all. Since Pasażer Records wants to reissue it, I think someone wants to listen to it, which in turn makes me cautiously believe that these songs still hold up. As for a reunion—I don’t see that happening. April is a closed chapter.

What are the lyrics of the title song “Kill Depression” really about? At the beginning of last year you did a one-off studio project called ZXRX Community in memory of your friend Krzysiek Szymański, who struggled with depression and sadly passed away in 2020. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a resurgence of depressive disorders and suicides with the pandemic and now the war, inflation, etc. Do you have any thoughts or things you would like to share as practical actions besides playing music?

“Kill Depression” is a straightforward song pointing out the positive aspects of life. Its goal was to encourage the listener to seek inspiration in people, situations, and everything that allows us to avoid a mental low. “Kill Depression” is a track that affirms life as it is. It’s a song that aims to press on people’s chakras so that their negative thoughts disappear.

Yes, last year we released an album commemorating our friend Krzysztof “Siaha” Szymański, who at some point couldn’t cope. He was a good person, and his loss is a huge one for us. To say it’s a great loss is an understatement.

I don’t feel like a person who can give life advice to anyone. Maybe just to respect each other and be able to listen to one another. This way, there will be a greater chance of understanding, and life will be easier.

Are you still involved in the Polish DIY hardcore scene? What are the things that motivate you lately? Do you have any favorite current bands or things that inspire you?

Yes, I still feel connected to the DIY hardcore scene. Although my involvement isn’t as intense as it was 10 years ago, I always try to contribute as much as I can. As far as motivation goes, I still have a lot around me. My family motivates me the most. Other than that, I’m still inspired by meeting people, traveling, good albums and cool movies. Although the times we live in are not saturated with optimism, I try to see the bright side of life in every aspect.

Bands that inspire me? There are so many that it would be easier for me to limit myself to the Polish scene. I think the following bands are very good and inspiring: Moira, Foresight, Embitter, Astrid Lindgren, Orphanage Named Earth, Watching Me Fall, Lochy i Smoki, Wielki Las, Mojapołowa, Morus, Depit, Bełkot, The Forest project, Vicious Reality, Protein. I’m also still a huge fan of Aporia, Regres and the late Marksman and The Lowest.

Source: diyconspiracy.net