Igor Sidorenko (Stoned Jesus): We want to show that Ukraine kicks ass not only on the battlefield but also on the cultural front

Igor Sidorenko is the singer, guitarist, main composer and leader of one of the most successful bands in European non-commercial rock in recent years - Ukrainians Stoned Jesus. The group started in 2009 and joined the massive ranks of stoner and doom rock, which at that time was on the rise again. Their second album "Seven Thunders Roar" turned them into sensation in the European underground, and the track "I'm the Mountain" has so far over 15 million (!) views on YouTube. In the last 5 years on tour, Stoned Jesus have headlined shows for between 500 and 1000 people, played two packed shows at Sofia's Mixtape 5 (2018 and 2019), and on November 19th they're coming back for their third live hit here with their compatriots Vovk. We contacted Igor for the upcoming concert, but inevitably the conversation turned to the crises that he and his colleagues are currently facing - the pandemic consequences and the war in Ukraine. How does a person devoted to art live in a place where instead of rain, bombs are falling, how does one survive when he cannot practice his profession and when even electricity, water and internet are not guaranteed, yet manages to record music and plan concerts - read in our interview.

You have just finished your West European tour “Roots Of Heaviness” and almost immediately you jump to the next leg – “Heavy Resistance”, this time in Eastern Europe? Isn’t it tiring to return on the road so soon?

Oh no, it’s very important for us right now - not even in terms of re-establishing Stoned Jesus on the live music market, but spreading the word about Russian invasion and raising awareness of its worldwide influence

Did you miss touring and visiting shows during the pandemic? And how actually did it hit you as a band and you personally as being engaged in music as profession?

Well, our previous album “Pilgrims” is about being tired of gigs and how touring is messing with your head. So you imagine we’d be happy to catch a break. But it wasn’t a planned one, in fact it totally ruined our plans – “10th Anniversary Tour” (which should’ve included US and Australia for the first time), recording of the new album (which was pushed back to 2021), etc - so we hated it. The irony is I still had to work a lot on Stoned Jesus – “First Communion” reissue, all the canceled/rescheduled shows, moving our webstore to another platform, interviews, new label, etc - so I barely got any rest during the active phase of the pandemic. And there was this weird feeling of doing everything in vain because you can’t see the results of your work immediately and you don’t get paid for it. These two years were tough for my mental health. And of course this year is even worse.

Many artists used the time to write and record music – is this how the upcoming Stoned Jesus album is born?

Actually no, I hate to think of the new album as such! It was written largely in 2019 and it’s about things that were bothering me back then - but I guess now people will think this is our “pandemic” album or “war” album. In fact, we worked on it remotely through 2020, recorded it in 2021 and were ready to release it earlier this year - but then you know what happened, so we had to push the date further and further. But hey, March 2023 is just around the corner, right?

Still suffering the final waves of the CoVid-19 pandemic, Ukraine has to face even worse crisis – the war that Russia started. How do you live through these heavy times – both personally and as a musician?

It’s terrifying. I don’t think I can explain it, nor do I think anyone was prepared for it - and I mean the whole world. The imperialistic war of conquest with full-on genocide in the middle of Europe in 2022? Insane! I’m doing my best to spread the truth through our social media platforms but at this point I think it’s pretty clear who the culprit here is. And if anyone is still trying to play bothsideism/whataboutism game nine months into the full-on invasion/ eight years of the war, then they’re just working for Russia - whether they understand that or not.

If you had the chance to sit and talk to the people who believe that the war started because of Ukraine or because of the USA and are confident Putin was provoked, what would you tell them?

Oh man, I was doing exactly that for days and days in the first months of the invasion online. But after Bucha, after Izyum, after Mariupol - what else can you add? You’re either on the right side of history or you’re a genocide apologist, this is clearly a black and white situation here.

What is the everyday life for you now, during a war?

Wake up, be happy you weren’t killed by a drone/a missile strike in your sleep, read about the ones who weren’t this lucky, learn about another friend of a friend killed in action on the frontlines, donate money to couple of charities, drink some coffee, answer emails, walk in the park, hide in the basement when the air raid sirens go off, laugh at memes, check again if your emergency kit is ready in case of evacuation, watch a movie or some YouTube, read about your friend’s friend being raped/executed by russian soldiers, scroll through a Twitter beef, hope for more advance for the Ukrainian army, go to sleep fingers crossed you’ll live to see another day. Power outages, water supply issues, everyone has PTSD, impossibility to plan your life ahead and total disappointment in the human race - this is our life now.

Do you feel like on a mission now, waving the Ukrainian flag in other countries?

Absolutely! This is the main reason we’re touring in 2022 actually. We were volunteering and helping directly any way we could in the first weeks of the invasion, but now there are many professionals handling these things, so we can get back to what we do best. And by professionals I mean local Ukrainian funds and charities, not the useless scam like Amnesty International, the UN or the Red Cross. So we’re not just simply playing concerts now, we’re representing our country - and it’s extremely important for us to show that Ukraine kicks ass not only on the battlefield but also on the cultural front!

Do you see end of this madness and how?

You can’t trust a Russian, so the only “negotiation” language they understand is a military defeat - the Ukrainian army proves this time and time again. Our will to defend ourselves and important help from the countries that understand what Russian colonialism will send the barbarians with their tails between their legs fleeing back to their wasteland where they belong.

What do you think makes people go to these extremes in the 21^st century – aren’t we supposed to be wiser than our predecessors and more open to a world more united?

Historically Russia has always been about colonialism, be it Soviet Union or Russian Empire, so it’s not that surprising. They don’t think we’re even humans so for them these atrocities are just the way to obtain some territory. And I mean, maybe start improving the vast area you already have, right? Nah, they’d better go and kill some thousands of people in another country to make themselves feel proud about themselves. I get it, you get it, but sometimes it’s hard to explain to Western Europeans or Americans - because, you guessed it, they’re former imperialists and sometimes they just don’t understand how the victim feels.

What is the role of music in times of war?

Art is absolutely important - but at the same time it feels so pointless right now. At least we’re donating huge chunks of our touring income to people in need, so I guess we’re not completely useless.

You being a huge music fan and record collector yourself, what is music for you?

Again, right now it’s complicated. Music is my life, but when your life can be taken away from you at any moment you don’t know what to cherish anymore. It’s not only toilets and washing machines that Russians are stealing, it’s also our sense of purpose. And this is devastating.

What were your first favorite bands, songs or albums? Do you remember what got you excited about music and what turned you into a music lover?

Oh yeah - Nirvana’s Unplugged inspired me to write my own songs when I was 11. My dad use to be in the bands, so he showed me the basics of guitar playing. Through him I also discovered The Beatles and Pink Floyd, but for real the light bulb in my head turned on when I discovered Marillion at the age of 16.

When did you decide you will form a band and how Stoned Jesus was born?

There were many projects before - Krobak (instrumental post-rock), Arlekin (song-oriented neo-prog), Voida (acoustic songs) - so I was pretty experienced by the time I started Stoned Jesus. It was supposed to be another bedroom demo just for fun, but something went wrong (laughs) and now this project is the band which is currently on its fourteenth year, playing its 500+ show on yet another international tour!

Do you have other jobs apart of music or writing, recording and promoting Stoned Jesus takes all of your time?

We all do stuff from time to time to keep ourselves afloat in between touring. Dmytro (the drummer) use to work at the music recording studio, Sergii (the bass player) does some video editors and design, I produce local bands, translate texts and write scripts.

What are the good and bad sides of being a rock musician and music lover in Eastern Europe?

Honestly I’ve seen so much nepotism and networking within the industry while playing Western Europe, I don’t think there are any positives in being from Eastern Europe. You got to be really, really good to get noticed, and even then it’s not enough. Of course there were years of hard work, but I guess we were also very lucky to get where we are now. Hopefully the new album will open some doors for us we didn’t think of before.

As a touring musician for more than 10 years you have met a lot of bands and artists – did you get some disappointments of what some of these people would be like and have you got pleasant surprises?

I try not to judge the book by its cover, knowing from my own experience that on tour you have good days and bad days. But so far all the guys I’ve always respected immensely, like Steven Wilson or John Petrucci, are really nice in real life too.

What have you learned from music business?

Anything can happen! Either good or bad (laughs).

Ukraine has given birth to quite a few rock and metal bands that are well known in their genres outside the country – Nokturnal Mortum and Drudkh in the black metal, Jinjer in metalcore, Stoned Jesus and Somali Yacht Club in the stoner/progressive heavy rock, Okean Elzy in the more pop and mainstream sound – what is the reason for this?

I think in a way it’s this Eastern European understanding that nobody will do things for you unless you do them yourself. We’re not as spoiled as musicians in the West who have all the means and all the connections, so we have to work twice as hard. Of course I’m also tempted to say something like “well, Ukrainians have a lot of talent!”, but talent is a subjective thing. Success, on the other hand, is not.

Interviewed by Ivaylo Alexandrov