With a unique blend of punk, folk, polka, bundled up in the self-described genre of “Gypsy punk”, Gogol Bordello has proven to cut through the static with their fast-paced and high-energy sound for over twenty years. Formed in Manhattan by frontman Eugene Hütz, Gogol Bordello is a vehicle for Hütz to communicate the political unrest and turmoil occurring in his home country, Ukraine. As the world witnessed the Russian invasion in Ukraine earlier this year, Gogol Bordello used their platform to demonstrate their unwavering support for the Ukrainian people through their live shows and music.
2022 has been quite a busy year for the band with the release of their eighth studio album, Solidaritine, the 15th Anniversary Edition of Super Taranta!, and touring all around the world with shows in London, Italy, Greece, Israel, Ukraine, and ending the year with a leg of U.S. dates.
mxdwn had the pleasure of talking with Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hütz about the energy of the crowds on this latest tour, the reinvigorating recording process of the new album, and the perseverance of Ukrainian people through the arts.
mxdwn: First of all, how are you and where are you currently in the world?
Eugene Hütz: We’re out on tour. We’re in Dallas tonight, San Antonio tomorrow. Going towards West Coast.
mxdwn: Your music is described as “Gypsy Punk”, how did you initially gravitate towards this style and sound when making your own music?
Eugene: Well, the music wasn’t just described like that. I described it like that. It didn’t come from ether as a package. There was no such a style. It was something that came out of an idea that we got to shake it up and create our own, new form of punk rock. Some new, red hot form of punk rock that’s gonna recharge the situation.
At the time, when we were forming, that was the vibe. I was already living in New York and I was naturally gravitating towards… I’m kind of pretty good at exploring the world and seeing what it’s about no matter where we go. Most of my friends were still immigrants, from Columbia, Ukraine, Italy, France, or UK. We had the kind of scene like that and I became a DJ of that circle of people. And the thread that united us all was Gypsy music which I happen to know very well.
There’s a streak of Romani blood in my family. Romani is the correct word for Gypsy. It became this centrifying element. I just felt like in utility this is going to be an original new mix. So I pulled out my knowledge of it and started merging these melodies and ideas of where I came from with all the love of punk and hardcore. Then more great people joined in and here we go.
mxdwn: What do you hope the main message of your music expresses? Why do you think punk rock music is the best mode of communication for your artistic message?
Eugene: Because punk rock is about perseverance and resilience. It’s music about going against all odds. It’s about your true calling. It’s about being faithful to your true calling, against all odds. It continues to give young people worldwide those vitamins that they’re searching. It’s pretty incredible to see it’s thriving. It’s developing and evolution of it, ongoing festivals and networks of punk and hardcore musicians and fans. It’s awesome.
Even when I was getting into it when I was like 14 years old I thought that being polyglottic getting hold of all the music you possibly can. I was listening to metal, new wave, no wave, gothic stuff, and industrial stuff, and Nick Cave, and Leonard Cohen, all at the same time. And at that time, there was a fraction of time where it seemed like punk rock is getting old or something, even when I was 14. Now, the kids later, there’s not a trace of it getting old. It’s pumping and it’s rocking, and it’s going. The iconic bands of punk are headlining huge festivals because it’s great music. That’s why.
mxdwn: How do you hope your art paints Ukraine as a country, and what responsibility do you feel like you have to be able to relay this message?
Eugene: There has become a bit more responsibility about that, for sure. For some number of people, Gogol Bordello is their only connection to Ukraine. We understand that. To be able to tell the story of Ukrainian people’s resistance and their struggle authentically is important. At the same time, I’m an artist, I’m a songwriter, and a performer. I’m not a political expert. It’s important to acknowledge my energy will always be focused in the field of art. I’m not claiming far-sight or anything of that kind on that matter. But I do know that we are able to communicate the emotional message of Ukrainian people’s struggle well, and people understand it. And so we focus on that. Generating resistance, generating high morale and support from people who otherwise might have looked the other way.
mxdwn: I’m sure this current tour has been a significant one with the current war in Ukraine and the comeback of shows after a pandemic. How has this recent tour been and how was playing a show recently in Ukraine?
Eugene: It will take forever to process that experience. It’s so mind blowing to see people going through, in such high morale, through such adversities and atrocities. And it’s also amazing to see how efficiently they work. Going to Ukraine now, the way it was organized logistically was incredible. I’ve never seen Ukraine being so efficient. And I think this new kind of quality Ukraine and people are demonstrating they’re there to stay. They’re going to take it in the future. That higher efficiency and hyper-focus, and unity.
And going back to your question about the crowds on tour. Yes, it’s been extra-charged because why wouldn’t it be? People are sick of shoe-gazing through the pandemic years. Like who the fuck wants to have another New Year staring at their shoes? Especially people who love Gogol Bordello and fiery music like that. People had it with being indoors. Plus being together is subconsciously healing. You don’t have to analyze it. You’re there, people having a catharsis, people are forgetting about all their troubles, whatever it might be. People of all nationalities, countries, at our shows having a collaborative pan-tribal dance around the fire. Shaking it up and shaking it off. Letting the steam out, eyes start to glow. And that’s what keeps the band from being depleted.
In our case, tours might be long, well, maybe not as long as previous years when we played like 200 years of shows. It was absolutely insane. Now we just have this accord with the crowd, we give them all, they give us all. It is replenishing. It really is. It feels right and it feels rewarding. And it’s also amazing because we’re just an inner city band where like London, Paris, Berlin, New York, LA, San Francisco; anybody can do shows there. We were just in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tuesday, rainy night. Sold out, going “ham.” This is important to see. It’s a grassroots band. We never relied on radio play, we never relied on any hype. Hype comes, goes, comes, goes, comes and goes. And Gogol Bordello is just there. That’s what’s inspiring and rewarding.
mxdwn: For those who don’t know a lot about Ukraine and only have a limited knowledge from what they see in the media, what do you think people should know about the music and arts coming from Ukraine?
Eugene: I guess the trait that does stand out of Ukrainian people is it’s a very musical nation. Aside from the stars of Ukrainian rock and pop who are touring tirelessly right now, doing similar work, and touring far and wide as far as Australia, Argentina, and here. Last night we went out in support of our dudes from Ukrainian hip-hop band, Kalush Orchestra. They’re the ones who won the Eurovision contest. They’re working. There’s another metalcore band from Ukraine, actually one of my favorites called Space of Variations. They’re coming in. Their tour begins next week in the United States. They’re a pretty dynamic outfit, I would say.
Besides musicians, there’s the thread of music as an essential part of Ukrainian spirit is already there if you take in historical paintings from 17th century etchings and all that kind of thing from Ukraine. You will see that it’s a very often recurring character of a warrior class guy who is on a horseback with a musket and a sword, and a musical instrument across the other shoulder. That was the way of life. This is a self-actualized guy. That’s why there was a lot of, on TikTok, there was avalanches of videos from Frontline with guys playing musical instruments having this tribal, telling stories around the fire with their musical instruments kind of moments. There’s so many of that. It’s emblematic of who Ukrainian people are.
mxdwn: Yeah, they have a lot of fight in them and that’s a very beautiful thing.
Eugene: Music heals, man. It really is.
mxdwn: The new album, Solidartine, is an explosive feat with head to toe rock anthems channeling punk ideologies and talking about the injustices and intolerant views of the world. What was the creative mindset you were in when writing this new album and how much do world events influence your writing?
Eugene: It all comes out of world events and a bit of reflecting, but not reflecting for too long. Reflecting and going to a studio. We’re coming from years of political turmoil and pandemic, and now this absolutely horrendous attempt of invasion of Ukraine. Those are not local matters. Those are worldwide matters.
We recorded the album, we tracked it in four days. We booked five, and left at four. And mixed for, had a lot of creative fun mixing with our buddy Walter. Walter Schreifels, from Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Rival Schools, he even played in Warzone, one of the greatest New York City hardcore bands. There’s a lot of great songwriting there. Working with Walter was probably the most fun I ever had co-producing a record because there’s some of that energy like we were just starting a band. Like we’re 14 in a garage because of a lot of shared love for punk rock and hardcore, and a lot of common references. And also Walter is a great songwriter.
That’s kind of where Gogol Bordello’s knack really rests. It’s a little bit more subtle makeup in Gogol Bordello than some people realize. I mean, you can have all the energy in the world you want and go absolutely “ham” on stage. All that will last about 15 minutes at the most if you don’t have songs. It doesn’t work without songs. Songwriting has always been my hyper-focus. Especially writing for songs knowing that these songs won’t be radio material, most likely. Even though it leaks in here and there. But you gotta write songs that power and get people on the same page ASAP. Like you rollin’ in somewhere on the festival, say no one knows who you are which back in the day was the case. You’re playing daytime where the lights and dusk magic ain’t working for you. It’s not coming, it’s still like three hours away. You gotta get there first, you gotta get there fast with people. So you squeeze out all the water, let all the bullshit go; go right into the hook. And whatever storytelling gist you’re trying to communicate, just shortcut it through the woods. Take a shortcut through the woods. And that’s kind of the Gogol Bordello vibe. Get there, and fast.
mxdwn: It sounds like the making of the new album was a refreshing experience and this new tour seems like a very communal experience.
Eugene: Yeah, yeah. It’s extra charged, for sure because a lot of people around the world are very frustrated. And there’s a lot of social unrest and music brings people together and demonstrates to them that there’s an experience of blatantly communal dancing around the fire, musical fire. It leaves them with a recharged hope that we can get some shit together done and work out whatever needs to be worked out. If that music is positive or even if it paints itself as negative. But there’s a lot of bands that do “this is the power of negative thinking.” But underneath it, it’s still very positive. Those are just different masks that art takes on. I think a lot of the bands that kinda power plow that super dark kind of edge, I think a lot of them are coming from a place of resilience and resistance. And essentially, it is positive.
mxdwn: What do you see the future of Gogol Bordello looking like and do you ever feel there’s going to be an end to Gogol Bordello sometime?
Eugene: Those thoughts never cross my mind. You just have to live, man. We’re living the life and it’s constantly evolving. The thing is that whoever saw Gogol Bordello, they never saw it twice the same. It’s a kind of a living being collective. Over time, several people come and go and that’s also part of life. People move on to start families and chime in on other priorities. But the core of the band includes all the fresh blood that comes. In a way it’s kinda like a punk rock hockey team. The members that left a while ago will come out and do a reunion tour or if they’re in town, they’ll come out and play several songs. That’s an ongoing thing. It’s a really cool dynamic in that way. Like when Pam, who was from our original lineup, when she comes out to perform with us she sings a lot, talking about fireworks.
mxdwn: So it seems like it’s always a revolving band where it doesn’t look like one thing. It’s always changing.
Eugene: I think that’s the secret, well it’s blatantly wide and open, it’s part of its longevity. Like Korey Kingston came in on drums several years ago, who was great friends with Oliver Charles and Alfredo Ortiz, our previous drummers. Those guys kinda grew up together, and they are like brothers in a similar pool of influences. Lots of punk in essence but very wide in palette of musical influences from ska to jazz. Those are very sophisticated players. But I love the idea that they’re like three brothers on their own.
mxdwn: Very cool. Is there anything else you’d like to share with the people over at mxdwn?
Eugene: Thank you for having me, but I always prefer to let the work do all the talk. When people hear the album, it paints the picture of where we’re at. It’s a very diverse picture. We gave it all. Walter gave it all. We had a lot of fun and it’s a purposeful, fun with purpose. We feel like we have what it takes to levitate above the sanities and hardships of life. Not everybody does and that’s kind of what artists’ gift is. If they can do that and take other people along with them to the point of having their eyes sparkle. And forget all their troubles for a while, and just blow their steam, be cathartic and go home and reflect more on the lyrics. Feel more unified with people of goodwill that they met at the show. It’s great. That’s what it’s for, that’s the music we make. I don’t know what else to say. That’s what we do.
You can catch Gogol Bordello on their U.S. tour this fall, and make sure to listen to their latest album Solidaritine, available on all streaming services.
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