We play because we like it.

Let’s start with the history of the band. When was One Of Seven born?

Konrad: We’ve been playing since 2011, so for quite a long time, 14 years. Darek and I knew each other from a different line-up and earlier musical rehearsals. Besides, practically all of us have played or are still playing in other bands. So we can say that we are a group of experienced musicians.

Darek: When creating One Of Seven, we focused on more technical and hard playing. We moved away from the simple punk and ska we had been playing for years. We wanted to develop and started to mix styles, a bit of alternative, hardcore and a bit of metal. We also experimented with lower guitar tuning and different sounds. And I think we managed to create our own, recognizable style.

So how would you describe your playing?

Darek: I don’t like definitions, but we are somewhere between metalcore and rapcore, that is, we combine elements of metal, hardcore and rap.

Konrad: I prefer how our style is described by those who listen to us. However, to put it simply, we try to play our music, that is, what we feel and like the most.

It is impossible not to ask about the origin of the band’s name.

Darek: The extension of this name is “one of the seven archangels”. One Of Seven is also the name of one of our first songs. At some point, we decided that these words sounded interesting enough to name the whole band that way.

Konrad: It’s about referring to the Christian religion, in which there are seven archangels. The name One Of Seven therefore hides a certain depth of message, mysticism and spirituality, that is, values ​​that we try to convey in our songs.

Despite personnel changes, the core of the band has remained unchanged for years.

Darek: Yes. I founded the band with Konrad, Michał Pacia, who plays bass, and with drummer Jakub Doktor. In time, a second experienced guitarist appeared, Andrzej Maziarz, and a few months ago Rafał Pisarczyk joined us, who took Kuba’s place on the drums.

Konrad: So you could say that we’re still getting used to the current line-up. The festival in the Center will be our first performance in this line-up.

Despite your long experience, you don’t spoil the audience in terms of the number of concerts.

Darek: Indeed, over the past dozen or so years we haven’t performed very often. There were several reasons, including problems with the line-up, because for some time we didn’t have a drummer. Now, however, things should be much better in this regard.

Konrad: Up until now, we’ve played several times a year. Among other things, since the band was formed, we’ve performed at several finals of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity on the East Coast. It may not be much, but music is not our only occupation, in addition to that we have work and families, so this time is very limited. For us, every performance is very important, all the more we are happy that we will be able to present ourselves during the festival at the Polish – Slavic Center.

The culmination of all your activity so far is the album The First War, which saw the light of day in 2021.

Darek: Yes. So far, it is our only album, on which we have been working for several months. It includes 15 fully original compositions. On YouTube you can watch the music video we made for the song Integrity. You can also listen to several other songs we recorded there.

Konrad: We are not supported by any record company. We released the album ourselves at a small print run. However, thanks to this we had full control over the creative process, mixes, mastering and even the graphic design. At the moment we already have enough material for the next albums, but all of this is still in the planning phase.

I would like to ask about musical inspirations?

Darek: We all listen to a lot of music and many bands. When it comes to vocalists, I don’t have any one person that I model myself on. I draw inspiration from many sources and I like to listen to vocalists who sing both similarly and completely differently to me.

Konrad: When it comes to guitar playing, for me it will definitely be bands like Madball, Hatebreed, Terror or Hazard, as well as the guys from Long Island, the formation Vision of Disorder. There really are many such inspirations. In my opinion, Darek has an interesting, high vocal and it’s even better when he doesn’t try to model himself on anyone but goes on stage and just does his own thing.

Do you only perform your own songs?

Darek: Yes. We focus on our own compositions. Konrad and I have worked out a few covers, but we haven’t played them at concerts yet. For now, we’re just having fun at rehearsals.

Konrad: We do not rule out that such songs will appear live in the future, for example songs by Sepultura or Motörhead.

Who is responsible for the creation process in the band?

Darek: I write the lyrics, only in English. I get along great with Konrad, because he always intuitively knows what music to compose for it. I joke that Konrad understands me better than I understand myself. My lyrics often talk about not giving up in life and continuing to fight against the odds. And also about helping and supporting other people. Generally, when writing, I try to create positive lyrics with a message.

Konrad: Everything happens quite spontaneously. Most often, Darek brings some lyrics and a preliminary musical outline of a song that he already has in mind. I sit down and come up with the rest. We pre-record vocals with one guitar, and then we refine it all with the guys during rehearsals. Everyone also brings something from themselves, so you could say that the final effect is the result of the work of all the band members. We released our album The First War in the middle of the pandemic, although the songs that were on it were written earlier. Interestingly, they describe the pandemic times and what happened later and actually lasts to this day well. It looks a bit like we’ve predicted some things.

You are known for your lively performances and good contact with the audience. What can the Festival participants expect from your concert?

Darek: Exactly. We will give it our all as usual. It will be awesome. I can definitely promise that to the participants of the event.

Konrad: I think that you don’t have to convince people to play or listen to this kind of music. If someone feels it and likes strong atmospheres, they will definitely come to our performance. At rehearsals or concerts, we always have a good time. We play because we like it. And we will do it as long as it gives us pleasure.

Thank you for the interview and I wish you good luck at the Festival.