The Ukrainians
Encyclopedia
The Ukrainians are a British
band, which plays traditional Ukrainian music, heavily influenced by western post-punk
.
guitarist Peter Solowka
, with singer/violinist Len Liggins and mandolin
player Roman Remeynes, after all three had played on the Wedding Present's Ukrainian John Peel Sessions
recordings (Ukrayinski Vystupy v Johna Peela, released 1989). Following the success of that release, the trio began composing and recording in Ukrainian as a separate band.
In 1991, their first EP
, Oi Divchino, was awarded Single
of the Week by British music weekly, NME. Notably, the video for this release was filmed in pre-revolution Kiev
making them the first western band to produce a video entirely in Eastern Europe
.
In the same year, Solowka left the Wedding Present, later claiming that he had been kicked out, the success of the Ukrainian project making him the scapegoat for the band's lack of mainstream success.
Since 1991, the band have released five studio albums as well as various live albums and EPs, all without chart success in the UK
. They continue to tour regularly, especially in Poland
and England
. They are celebrating 20 years of the band in 2011 with a tour of British Ukrainian
clubs.
The current line-up comprises Liggins, Solowka, Tymruk, Wood, Weatherhead and Howe.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band, which plays traditional Ukrainian music, heavily influenced by western post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
.
Career
The Ukrainians were formed in 1990 by Wedding PresentThe Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are a British indie rock group based in Leeds, England, formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four to more varied forms...
guitarist Peter Solowka
Peter Solowka
Peter Solowka born in Leeds of Ukrainian and Irish descent was guitarist with the Wedding Present from its inception until 1991 after the recording of the Seamonsters album...
, with singer/violinist Len Liggins and mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
player Roman Remeynes, after all three had played on the Wedding Present's Ukrainian John Peel Sessions
Ukrainian John Peel Sessions
Ukrainian John Peel Sessions is a compilation album by The Wedding Present, originally gathering their first three Ukrainian language John Peel radio sessions...
recordings (Ukrayinski Vystupy v Johna Peela, released 1989). Following the success of that release, the trio began composing and recording in Ukrainian as a separate band.
In 1991, their first EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Oi Divchino, was awarded Single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of the Week by British music weekly, NME. Notably, the video for this release was filmed in pre-revolution Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
making them the first western band to produce a video entirely in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
.
In the same year, Solowka left the Wedding Present, later claiming that he had been kicked out, the success of the Ukrainian project making him the scapegoat for the band's lack of mainstream success.
Since 1991, the band have released five studio albums as well as various live albums and EPs, all without chart success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. They continue to tour regularly, especially in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They are celebrating 20 years of the band in 2011 with a tour of British Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
clubs.
Band members
Besides Solowka, Liggins and Remeynes, band members have included:- Dave Lee - drums
- Woody - drums, percussion
- Chris Harrop - bass guitar
- Paul 'Dino' Briggs - bass guitar
- Allan Martin - bass guitar
- James Howe - bass guitar
- Stepan "Ludwig" PasicznykThe UkesStepan Pasicznyk is a British born musician, song writer, and translator of Ukrainian and Irish descent born in Luton, Bedfordshire. He was the accordionist and co-songwriter of the original early 1990s line up of British band The Ukrainians....
- accordion - Steve Tymruk - accordion
- Paul Weatherhead - electric mandolin, sopilka, theremin
- Michael L.B. West - mandolin, guitar, piano, trumpet, duda, oud, 'cello, euphonium
The current line-up comprises Liggins, Solowka, Tymruk, Wood, Weatherhead and Howe.
Discography
Albums and EPs include:- Oi Divchino (1991)
- The UkrainiansThe Ukrainians (album)The Ukrainians is the eponymous title of the first album released by British folk-fushion group The Ukrainians.The album was released in 1991, the year Ukraine won its independence from the Soviet Union.- Songs :*Oi Divchino *Hopak...
(1991) - Pisni iz The Smiths (EP) (1992) (four songs by The SmithsThe SmithsThe Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
translated into UkrainianUkrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
). - Vorony (1993)
- Live in Germany (1993)
- Kultura (1994)
- Drink to my Horse! The Ukrainians Live (2001)
- Anarchy In The UK (EP) (2002) (three songs by the Sex PistolsSex PistolsThe Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
translated into UkrainianUkrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
). - RespublikaRespublika (Ukrainians album)Respublika is the fourth album by British post-punk band The Ukrainians. The album was released by Omnium Records in 2002. The album comprises covers of traditional Ukrainian folk songs and two Sex Pistols covers.- Track listing :...
(2002) - Istoriya: The Best of the Ukrainians (2004)
- Live in Czeremcha (2008)
- Diaspora (2009)
External links
- The Ukrainians official site