A Chat with poto&aby (05.07.24)
With an eclectic flair, singer-songwriter poto&aby creates a unique boundary-breaking sound interwoven with jazz, rock, pop and even classical sounds. This is our introduction to poto&aby, and I can honestly say he is something astoundingly unforgettable. We speak with the musician about his album The Window of His Room, musical influences, collaborations and much more.
OSR: First of all, The Window of His Room is such an interesting album, a unique concept. Where did this idea come from?
poto&aby: Thank you so much for your kind words. This album took me by surprise. Initially, I intended to record some instrumental pieces for acoustic guitar, but my day job kept me busy from 9 to 5, and by the time night fell, I was too exhausted to record while my wife and kids slept (as I had done for my previous album). One day, during a visit to my mom’s, I found myself playing a lively little piece on my old wooden piano, just for fun. It was a spontaneous moment, so I asked my son to record it on my cell phone to preserve the tune. A few months later, I stumbled upon a free DAW software and decided to give it a try. With limited time and a noisy home, I recreated that piano piece digitally. Once I had that down, I experimented by adding a virtual saxophone. Then I wanted to turn it into a song.
I had no lyrics but I remembered an old book I had written nearly 20 years ago – a novel made of poetic prose that had long been forgotten. I decided to give it a shot, and that’s how Clouds Were So Low was born. A few months later, I realized I had seven new songs, all inspired by passages from that old book. I needed five more to complete the story, and that’s when I knew it would become a full album.
OSR: This is obviously a passion project, are there autobiographical elements to it?
poto&aby: I can’t deny that there are some experience-based influences. Overall, the fragmentary story found in the lyrics is fictional, although the emotions are genuine. As for the music, some songs were created recently, while others have been with me for years, like the piece ‘The Sun Illuminated His Face’. I remember playing it on the piano in its early, undefined form back in 1999, though I might have composed it even earlier. I used to play it to soothe myself and to evoke the images that appear in my mind when I hear music.
OSR: Being 20 years in the making, has the album evolved since originally penning the novel, to include the experience which has shaped the artist you are now?
poto&aby: When I wrote that book, I never imagined that one day I would turn it into a solo music album. I used to play piano as a kid, and for eight years, I was a bassist and vocalist in a band that I started with two friends on a basketball court in 1994. However, I didn’t know how to mix and master music, which tools to use, or how to present it to the world. It took me two decades to learn those skills, and to be honest, I am still just an amateur bold enough to make my efforts public. Additionally, the passage of time and an adult perspective allowed me to view the book from a new angle, reflecting on what I was trying to convey in the past and what story I want to tell now. It was an enlightening experience.
OSR: You said that there is still the spirit of punk in your new record, have you always had an affinity with the punk movement?
poto&aby: I was introduced to the Polish punk scene by my peers in the early 90s. Those were my teenage years, and for Poland, it was a period of transition from a collapsed socialist economy to free-market mechanisms, which caused much suffering in the process. People were confused, and there were many ideas in the air. For a boy from a small town, raised to be a devout Catholic, the introduction to the punk movement was a liberating experience. We discussed topics such as feminism, racism, homophobia, environmental issues, and many others long before these debates became mainstream in Poland.
Artistically, I was inspired by the self-sufficiency of punk musicians. Music was a form of expressing freedom and ideas, not a competition or a way to make money. At least, that’s how I perceived it. In that sense, I am still dedicated to the ethos of DIY. It gives me complete artistic freedom from any expectations other than my own. I can switch between genres, create a protest song against the mistreatment of migrants by border guards, sing a blasphemous prayer, or make a song about longing for some kind of heaven. There’s no producer or sponsor to stop me and say that something is inappropriate or won’t sell. I am free, and that’s the spirit of punk I resonate with. I don’t sell; I create.
OSR: Who has been your biggest influence both musically and artistically over your career?
poto&aby: It’s hard to say because, when it comes to music, I am like a sponge. I soak in everything I hear, from the noise in the sewers to Mozart. There is one artist I usually mention when people ask me: Stina Nordenstam. I have been inspired by her voice and musical compositions ever since I heard her song ‘Little Star’ in 1994. I feel at home when I listen to her songs. Like her, I don’t perform live, preferring to focus on creating my next albums. Sadly, she doesn’t record anymore, although I still hope that one day I will hear a new song from her.
OSR: The use of video in the production of the album is very interesting and adds a different dynamic to the experience. Was it always something you intended to include in the record?
poto&aby: From the moment I decided I had enough material for an album, I started thinking about the visual representation of these songs. I usually try to make at least two videos to promote the album because my journey with music over the last two decades has been complemented by my foray into video production, thanks to my cousin Łukasz, who introduced me to editing software. I bought an amateur camera in 2006 and have made several films since, including a music documentary about one of the local punk bands from my youth (you can find it on my YouTube channel with English subtitles). The camera broke a few years ago, but I still had some footage that resonated well with these songs and the story told on The Window of His Room album.
So, there are three documentary music videos: one featuring nature shots from the region where I come from, another presenting everyday life in Japan recorded on a trip with a girlfriend who later became my wife, and the last one showing a Corpus Christi procession from my hometown. If you ask me what connects them, I’d say it’s the affirmation of life in its many forms. That’s why, at the last minute, I decided to add the additional visualizer featuring tadpoles seen from a wooden bridge for the introductory instrumental piece. I used to watch tadpoles every spring as a kid, and I still find it hypnotic.
OSR: How important do you think technology and other forms of art are in the production of music?
poto&aby: These days, I can produce a decent song alone at home using a microphone, a cheap computer, and DAW software that allows me to create multilayered compositions with various virtual instruments. It’s liberating. These tools weren’t available when I was a teenager. The same goes for video production – nowadays, we can shoot a video with a cell phone or even use AI to generate something, though I prefer to maintain full control over the creative process at every level.
On the other hand, it can also be alienating. It was different when I played in a band with my friends. There was a chemistry and connection that I miss. Now, since I don’t perform live, it’s just me sending signals into the void of the internet, hoping that someone on the other side will find comfort or inspiration in my music. But even if the technology were taken away from me, I would still make music and perhaps make friends with other musicians as well.
OSR: Who are you listening to at the minute? Are there any collaborations you’d love to make happen?
poto&aby: I am open to collaborations, and there are many musicians I’d love to play with, though the list is too long to mention. I am also quite busy with my own projects to initiate something right now. This month, I’ve been listening religiously to the last two albums by Squirrel Flower, the mind-blowing NPR Tiny Desk concert by Willow Smith, the song ‘Introvert’ by Little Simz, and classic pieces from Suede-like ‘This Time’ and ‘My Dark Star’. Apparently, like many others, I am very susceptible to musical influences from the UK and the US.
OSR: If you could sum up what The Window of His Room means to you as an artist in one sentence what would it be?
poto&aby: It’s the expression of my imaginative approach to music and life that I am proud of.
OSR: 2024 is obviously a very exciting year for you. Are you planning on taking time to reflect or do you have your next project in your sights?
poto&aby: For the next few months, I’ll be a regular citizen, a loving husband, and a father. Around November, I plan to transform once more into a home recording monster, consumed only by my music. I aim to revisit the acoustic material that I’ve been carrying for a while. Hopefully, I won’t be taken by surprise again by another album like ‘The Window of His Room’.
