Interviews About Albums: Atavia - To The Old Ones (2026)

In this new interview, we sat down with the Polish Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Post-Punk band Atavia to ask questions about their album, "To The Old Ones".

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

The album has an important, personal value for Maja, the founder of the band, as it tells stories that happened to her between 2019 and 2021. Stories both scary and beautiful, nostalgic and exhilarating. It was written in different cities, both in Poland and in Spain; at the seaside, in the forest, and at home.

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?

The title "To the Old Ones" refers to family, ancestors, traditions, ancient wisdom, and old gods. It also aligns with the concept of "atavistic nostalgia", taken from chaos magick literature, according to which people long for skills and characteristics lost in the process of evolution a long time ago, and they can retrieve them by acquiring a special connection with animals, humans' distant ancestors.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

Maja is the composer of all tracks, which were then finally produced with the whole band. Szymon, the guitarist, is also responsible for mixing and mastering the album.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

It's tough to pick just one, as every song is somehow unique. I would pick "Inclinations" as the one that deserves some more attention. It talks about the idea of death surrounding a person and the loss of love. The song talks about an emotional essence and an experience that was haunting Maja at the end of the year 2019 and describes the moment of entering a personal "abyss". After many years, it can serve as a song dedicated to people who commited a suicide, especially to Maja's close friend who did it in 2025.

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what it is?

Apart from that which was already written above, the album is a symbolic step out of the comfort zone, a decision to finally be visible, and to stop hiding and doubting in your own skills.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

All the lyrics are available on Atavia's Bandcamp. I would say that the lyrics for "Azure" are especially comforting for me. The song tells a story of a couple spending time at the seaside and experimenting with different states of consciousness, calling upon the essence of primal waters and dealing with its harshness, having difficulties swimming in the deep sea. At the end, they learn how to control the current and let go just by trusting the waves. It has a deeper meaning when you think of it. "We're born out of the ocean; it wants our devotion, so the water we drank from had something that was dissolved." "My god is a dissolver; you want it to be over." "Discipline has its form, surrender, and learn to flow". I wanted to incorporate Saturnian energies and the symbol of three into these lyrics in order to refer to a specific state that is present when someone is undergoing a process of transformation.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

I was especially inspired by the music and atmosphere from the '70s. UK punk rock, doom metal, or dark ambient, but also traditional Celtic and Nordic sounds. I listen to a huge spectrum of genres, but if I were to name the most important bands or musicians in my life, I would pick Black Sabbath, Clannad, The Stranglers, The B-52's, Siouxsie and the Banshees, or The Cranberries.

This album is soaked with emotions that come from recent times but also from very early moments of my childhood, for example, "Of the Longest Night" refers to the time when I lost my father as a small kid. "To the Old Ones" tells the stories of struggling to survive in a very fast-changing and challenging environment while being too old for your own age, seeing too much, and experiencing too much. This song was supposed to be dedicated to my mum.

I was also inspired by my friends who experienced all these moments with me. Trips to the sea, mountains, or music festivals. I want to thank my friend Kasia for being my trip guide and for supporting me in my journeys and helping me while I was moving out from Poland to Spain, and also for being the person who survived with me the longest and the scariest night in the mountains. I want to thank my friend Marcin for giving me the best holidays and also the toughest trip into the abyss. I wouldn't have written most of these songs if it hadn't been for him. I want to thank my friend Patrycja for making such a cool photoshoot for the album cover and the booklet that was later assembled by our guitarist Szymon (thank you so much!). And of course I want to thank our drummer Tomek for experiencing with me so many moments in Spain and for helping me build Atavia. Also, the whole band would like to thank Marcin Z. for providing space for our rehearsals and for all his support and kind words!

8. Anything to add?

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