Interviews: Fish Basket

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Rock/Experimental Rock/Progressive Rock/Post-Rock band Fish Basket from Poland. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Did you plan it or came out just like that?

It came a bit as a joke, like many things in the band. We like to add humor to what we do. The name seemed so abstract to us that it actually fit the music, even though at the same time it didn’t fit at all. Fish Basket? How can it be a name for a prog/rock/jazz/psychedelic band?

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We didn’t want our music to be typical or boring. From the very beginning, we were looking for something that would make us stand out from the crowd of stoner, punk and metal bands. That’s why we decided not to have vocals. An additional advantage of this is the open composition and the lack of a need to adapt the music to lyrics. This makes us compositionally unrestricted. We also come from different musical backgrounds, but there is still a common denominator between us, and I think all of that combined means that we simply play Fish Basket music without really focusing on what style it is – we ourselves don’t fully know how to name it.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Actually, we all met through the internet. It just shows how powerful a post in a Facebook group can be.

4. Each band member's favourite band?

It's very hard to pick just one, but for Piotr it would be Pink Floyd, for Oskar No EFX, and for Rafał, probably Pearl Jam.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

We draw inspiration from everything. Not only from music itself, but also from films, paintings, or video games. We try to convey emotions through sound, so we focus more on finding a way to express what we feel rather than on specific melodies. 

6. Where was your last gig?

Recently, we had the opportunity to play the Monsters of Jazz tour with the legend of Polish psychedelic jazz, Wojtek Mazolewski, and his band Pink Freud. Nene Heroine also joined the tour. The tour went through the biggest cities in Poland, and so far, these were definitely the biggest concerts we have played. The tour was part of the Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw, which is the oldest event of this type in Poland. It was an amazing experience and a kind of dream come true.

7. Where would you like to act?

We have played in different parts of Europe, for example, in Portugal, so our dreams probably reach across the ocean. Maybe someday we’ll manage to make them come true.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

We really like collaborating with other artists. In the dream zone, it would probably be John Frusciante or Omar Rodriguez Lopez, but for our trio, someone who plays piano or saxophone would fit perfectly. On piano, it would be wonderful to create something with Leszek Możdżer, and on saxophone, for example, Kuba Więcek. 

9. Whom not?

Since we draw inspiration from many different genres, it’s a very difficult question. Different inspirations, instruments, or even vocals combined with us could create a wonderful atmosphere. We don’t have any specific names or bands we wouldn’t want to collaborate with, but if we had to point to something, we would probably prefer to avoid Disco Polo.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Oh man, I think each of us went through that at the beginning. You don’t really know how to behave when something you usually practice in your bedroom when nobody is watching, or in a basement with your band, suddenly has to be played in front of people who are watching and judging you, often critically. But over time, we started to deal with it. A big part of overcoming that feeling of stiffness on stage is communication. During rehearsals, we often talked about how we feel playing our music – not only whether we like what we do musically, but also whether we would like to watch ourselves on stage behaving in a certain way. Openness about the topic and working on yourself always helps, even if sometimes what you hear from a bandmate isn’t something you like. You have to put your ego in your pocket and sometimes take it as friendly advice. Believing in your own skills also helps a lot. All of this requires practice, an open mind, and self-criticism.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

It's a loooong loooong list. But to name a few, it would be The Mars Volta, Pink Floyd, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Listen to this: after one concert, a guy came up to us and said he predicts the future. He told us that we should break up after our first album and then, if I remember correctly, reunite after 10 years. According to him, that was our only path to great fame. We didn’t listen to him and so far… he might actually have been right :D

13. What do you think of your fans?

It’s a very diverse group of people. We don’t really fit into any specific subculture, so many different kinds of people listen to us. Both younger and a bit older listeners, and also a lot of people from abroad. That’s the advantage of instrumental music – there’s no language barrier!

14. What do you think of our site?

We’ve been following BTC for quite some time, and the support you give to bands by doing interviews and sharing their music is priceless for young artists. When you don’t have mainstream radio stations backing you, it’s very difficult to break through on social media. That’s when you show up and restore young artists’ faith in themselves, while sharing real art that comes straight from the heart.

15. Something to add?

Thanks to BTC for the interview, greetings to the BTC community, and we invite you to check out our social media and YouTube. We have some crazy music videos. It’s worth taking a look :)

Support independent metal journalism — Visit the official BTC store