Poland under communism experienced censorship and state control of the music industry, but never as fully as in the USSR. Protests and worker uprisings, sometimes at great cost to demonstrators, kept authorities wary and forced them to permit more cultural expression than elsewhere in the Eastern Bloc. Officials, for their part, justified their relative leniency […]

Żywiołak, initially formed in Warsaw in 2005, is a Polish folk rock band steeped in mythos. Its name references the Elemental, a magical being said to harness the power of nature in the form of air, fire, water, or earth. Their lyrics sing of epic battles (in Wojownik, or Warrior) and explore the traditions of […]

Born in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Southern Poland, Dawid Podsiadło was the winner of Poland’s second X Factor contest. In 2010, he created an alternative rock band with his friends called Curly Heads in their hometown of Dąbrowa Górnicza. At first, the band only performed for each other, constantly practicing every moment they could get; then they […]

Andrzej Smolik, known simply as “Smolik,” is one of the most recognized producers in Poland. Smolik has produced six solo albums and collaborated with countless artists throughout his career.   As a musician, composer, and multi-instrumentalist himself, he debuted in 1993 with the band Wiki, continuing on to collaborate with the vocalist Robert Gawliński on […]

Agnieszka Chylińska is a Polish singer, songwriter, TV personality, and member of the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (Związek Producentów Audio-Video, ZPAV) known for her high-energy live performances. Though her music is largely styled as dance/pop, her abrasive vocals set her apart from contemporary artists. Chylińska was born on May 23, 1976 in Gdansk, […]

Aya RL is a Polish electronica/psychedelic rock group founded in 1983 in Jarocin, at a music festival. The already-established Polish-Russian soloist Igor Czerniawski (drums, keyboard, vocals) met the members of the band Hook, composed of Paweł Kukiz (percussion, vocals) and Jarek (Jarosław) Lach (guitar), and they formed a trio, originally under the name Aya Red […]

Patrick the Pan is a Polish soft rock band consisting of frontman Piotr Madej, Justyn Małodobry, Kuba Duda, and Adam Stępniowski. The band’s first album was composed, recorded, and performed entirely by Madej. Patrick the Pan’s music is soft and sad, as well as artfully composed. In Madej’s own words, their songs are “sad songs. […]

Lao Che is a Polish rock band that plays a crossover of alternative rock, punk, ska, ambient, and folk. Lao Che was formed in 1999 by former members of the seminal Polish band Koli. The band’s popularity grew quickly after the release of their album Warsaw Uprising (Powstanie Warszkawskie), a concept album that was nominated for a […]

Skubas is the stage name of Radosław Skubaja (formerly known as Sqbass and MC Sqbass), a Polish musician. As Skubas, Skubaja performs acoustic guitar songs that straddle the line between folk and grunge. Skubas is known for his unique and distinctive voice, as well as his grungy guitar riffs and melancholy lyrics. Born in 1981, […]