“We Play Melodically and Aggressively”
How did your band come about?
Minimal Absolution was founded by my twin brother Paweł Golda in 2017, which is quite recently. My brother had been playing drums for years and I had always loved singing, but when the band was formed neither he nor I had any idea that I would eventually be a part of it. My brother was looking for band members and when he had found everyone, I auditioned as a vocalist and after a few rehearsals I was accepted.
You and your brother both became interested in music quite early in your life. It was no accident.
It’s true. Our father Jacek, who was a great fan of rock and metal, and generally strong sounds, had a big influence on our musical tastes. He introduced us to the work of such heavy metal bands as Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold, but also punk bands such as Off Spring, or Polish rock bands such as Lady Pank. I am certain that without his influence, our band would never have been formed, and I am grateful to him for that. We would also never have known the work of Polish artists, because although my parents come from near Sanok, my brother and I were born in the United States.
However, your musical adventure did not begin with founding a band.
Yes. Before that, my older brother Marcin and I attended the Kobo Music Studio music school run by Bożena Konkiel. There we learned the basics of music by learning to play the piano. Bożena Konkiel is a great teacher and the education there developed us a lot. We understood that we wanted to take up music seriously in the future. Before Minimal Absolution was formed, my brothers and I had many rehearsals with different musicians, until Paweł decided to start a real band in 2017.
Where did the rather intriguing name of the formation come from?
It certainly didn’t come easy. When we formed 7 years ago, we had no idea for a name at all. Our bassist said that the word minimal was very cool, but we had to add something to it, because minimal itself sounded quite banal. I started to think about what could go well with minimal and then the term absolution came to my mind. A bit based on the contrast of concepts, but it also sounds quite interesting. The word minimal in the context of absolution means great power after all. All the guys liked this name. And it stuck.
Are there five of you in the band at the moment?
Yes. I sing, Paweł plays drums, and the line-up is completed by bassist Shahab Newman, guitarist Ruben Jessurum, and last year we were joined by second guitarist Robert Lewis. We are quite a young band, age-wise. The youngest of us is 23, and the oldest is 26. My brother and I are Polish, and the rest are an international bunch.
How would you describe the band’s current style?
It’s hard to define it in one word. We definitely play metal, but with elements of rock and punk. At first, we were inspired stylistically by the band Trivium, but I think that after a few years we managed to achieve our own organic, unique style. Besides, we’re not really interested in copying anyone. The new guitarist Robert Lewis brought a lot to our playing, enriching our sound. We definitely like to play melodically and aggressively at the same time. I think that in our case, they don’t clash at all.
What bands inspire you musically?
Each of us listens to many different bands. There are definitely some that inspire us all. I would mention here more or less known bands such as: Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Korn, Linkin Park, The Offspring, Trivium, System Of Down, Rammstein, Stone Sour, Lamb Of Gold, Alice In Chains, Paramore, Gojira, Disturbed, Karnivool, Ozzy Osbourne or even Abba. We all also like the instrumental work of the band Periphery.
As a vocalist, you certainly have some favorite artists?
Yes. There are a few favorites that I look up to. They would definitely be Corey Taylor from Slipknot, M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold, Bryan “Dexter” Holland from The Offspring, David Draiman from Disturbed, and the unfortunately deceased Chester Bennington from Linkin Park. You could say that each of them contributed something to my singing.
Do you record a lot?
We currently have 4 songs that you can listen to on Spotify and Apple Music. For now, we are focusing on playing live. A few months ago, we released a livestream of a few minutes, when we met in our studio and played a few songs. We are working on more songs, which will be on our first album called Metamorphosis. We will have to wait a while for that album, though. I think it will be released next year.
You mentioned that you’ve been touring a lot lately.
That’s true. We currently play once or twice a month, mostly in clubs in New York, but we also occasionally tour outside the city. We’ve performed at clubs like The Kingsland in Brooklyn, Arlene’s Grocery in Manhattan, Amityville Music Hall on Long Island, and Crossroads in New Jersey. We really enjoy performing in front of an audience. It brings the band together and gives us a lot of energy to keep going. Not to mention the opportunity to polish our material.
Do you compose all the songs yourself?
Yes. Despite many inspirations, we focus on our own compositions, although in the future we may also work on some covers. Each of us provides musical ideas, most often me or the guitarists, and then we work on them together. I am also responsible for the lyrics. For now, I sing only in English.
When it comes to PSC Rock Festival in the Center, what can attendees expect from your performance?
We will be playing for the Polish audience for the first time and I hope that everyone will have a great time and simply enjoy themselves. You can definitely expect a lot of energy and a lot of hard playing from us. If our music inspires someone to do something, we will be overjoyed. I have been following the Centre’s activities on social media for a few years now and I am glad that such concerts are organised there. Besides, I see that the Centre hosts many different events, not only musical ones and for people of all ages. I hope that the audience will also be there at the Festival.
Then I wish you a successful concert and see you at the Festival.
