written by Marko Jakob
Pix666: Hello Karolina. Thanks for your time. How are you doing these days, are you alive and well?
Karolina: I’m pretty good, thanks for asking. Moving forward and looking for silver linings in everything I do.
Pix666: Please introduce your band to the readers in a few short sentences. What kind of music do you make and how did you meet as a band?
Karolina: We are a trip-hop/ post rock band from a southern, Polish city called Opole. We started playing music together in 2015, first as a duo, then we decided to increase the number of band members. Currently there are 4 of us and we’ve met thanks to various music projects in which we had participated in the past and mutual friends.
Pix666: Really an impressive mix of sounds – which fans of which musical genres do you mainly reach with your music?
Karolina: I can say that it really depends on the album, because our fresh LP “The Wanted Light” has reached fans of darker music – mostly post metal, dark electronica, doom or ambient sounds. On the other hand, our EP “Just Don’t Disappear In Silence” (2016) included more pop, softer elements, so that aspect attracted a slightly different audience.
Pix666: What was the trigger or reason for you to want to become a musician and are there any musical influences or idols?
Karolina: I think it hit me when I started playing bass in my early teenage years. I was a shy kid and playing music helped me to deal with my emotions. I remember my first bass guitar teacher Zbyszek, he was such a rockstar and had this amazing confidence when he played guitar – I think he really wanted us (students) to feel the same way on stage. I’ll be forever grateful that I signed up for this class. When it comes to my favorite artists, the list is too long, but I can pick a few – Warpaint, The Velvet Underground, Puscifer, Hayley Williams and The Kills.
Pix666: You’ve been on the road with the band for a few years now. What have been the most beautiful and unforgettable experiences so far?
Karolina: I can’t speak for everyone, but our Spring Tour 2018 was definitely unforgettable. We have contacted one Austrian post rock band MAIRA via bandcamp and our cooperation led to gigs in Slovakia, Austria and Czech Republic. It was amazing to travel together, listen to our favorite bands in the van and form new friendships with other musicians.
Pix666: In November 2021 you released your new album ‚The Wanted Light‘ – how were the reactions to your new songs?
Karolina: I loved every piece of feedback we’ve received after the release of “The Wanted Light”. What stands out is that people pick completely different songs as their favorites on the album. This is very good news as we have put loads of hard work and our energy into each track on this record.
Pix666: What inspires you to write your music and is there a sharing of tasks within the band for songwriting?
Karolina: Since the pandemic I’ve had a hard time to really dive into writing lyrics again, but I believe it’s just a matter of time. I feel the most inspired when I make a music discovery and I get familiar with new bands and artists – that always helps me to dig deeper. When it comes to songwriting within the band, the backbone of new songs is made by Paweł (guitars, synths, backing vocals). That’s when the rest of the band gets inspired and starts creating instrumental or vocal parts.
Pix666: Are your songs played on the radio in your home country and did you have the opportunity to perform live last year?
Karolina: Some of our songs were played in Radio Opole, Radio Afera and Proradio. Yes, last year we had the opportunity to play one gig in Wyjście Awaryjne in Opole, which happened to be the premiere of “The Wanted Light” in December.
Pix666: Are there still restrictions in Poland at the moment regarding the Covid pandemic – have you already made concrete plans for a tour?
Karolina: Yes, there are still some restrictions. Therefore when we book concerts for this year, it’s never planned as one big tour as it can be easily canceled. This year we plan to perform in Poland (Wrocław, Łódź, Kraków) and Czech Republic (Brno, Prague).
Pix666: Tell me a little bit about your dreams…. In which locations or at which festivals would you like to perform and with which band(s) would you like to go on tour in the future?
Karolina: I think it would be great to play at OFF Festival or just any slightly bigger summer festival in Poland. All of us love beautiful mountain locations so performing outdoors would be amazing. I think for all of us sharing the stage with Cult of Luna would be a blast and a dream come true.
Pix666: At the beginning of this year you released your very first video clip. How long does the preparation and planning for such a shoot take and how long is the shoot itself? Where did you shoot the clip and were there any funny moments during the shooting?
Karolina: The track that we have chosen for the first video clip is called “Sold”. It’s very powerful in the end, so we thought it had tremendous potential to be a single. Big kudos to my band mate Paweł, who created the whole vision for the music video, directed it, programmed the lights and got us together to shoot it in one location. It must have taken a long time to think through all these details, but the obvious choice for the location was Wyjście Awaryjne in our hometown, Opole. It took two days to fully shoot the video with the great help of our cameraman Kacper and we surely had fun. Eating pizza and hanging out in the summer sun between the takes was my favorite part.
Pix666: As a musician, you surely spend most of your time creating music – but what else do you do in your free time when you want to distract yourself – are there any interesting hobbies you pursue? 😊
Karolina: No idea if that’s still a hobby, but I love dogs and I’m a certified dog trainer and behaviorist. For now I’m busy with my job and my band, but when the time is right I will continue dog training as it gives me a huge satisfaction. Recently I have discovered I really like bowling, but so far I’m not very good.
Pix666: Do you have any other news about Body Package that you would like to share with the fans and where can the fans read current things about your band?
Karolina: For now everything’s transparent and we share any news on a regular basis, but if you want to catch up and check what we’re up to, visit our Facebook page and join the upcoming events. Obviously, we hope to see you at our future concerts.
Pix666: Thank you very much for the interesting answers – Good luck for the future and stay healthy!
https://www.facebook.com/BodyPackage
https://bodypackage.bandcamp.com/
photos © by G. Wolak & R. Rogalski
