Culture Fix caught up with Julia Sanina and Val Bebko, two of the stars of Ukrainian rock group The Hardkiss. The group returns with their eagerly awaited new album Greyhound, arriving on June 11th.
In our interview, we take a deep dive into the themes of the album, which draws inspiration from harder electronic sounds reflecting the uncertainty faced by many Ukrainians. Julia and Val discuss the grey imagery and the grey-clad figure that haunts the album artwork and the music videos released by the band – exploring representations of the power of time as a force to heal and reveal truths. This sense of humanity is evident in the artwork of the album, which was hand-crafted and captures many of the symbolic themes on display.
The Hardkiss digs into many of the pre-released tracks, exploring the themes and stories that inspired songs such as Tenderness and Crush. The pair discuss the inspiration of The Little Mermaid in their Ukrainian-language track Ursula, as well as the power of the Ukrainian language across the globe. With much of the album also in English, Val and Julia explore their collaboration with UK rock band The Hara on the recently released single I Love You – after initially striking up a friendship with the band over Instagram.
Julia and Val discuss shifting from the more electronic-pop-driven sound of earlier albums Stones & Honey and Perfection is a Lie to Greyhound‘s harder and edgier electronic rock sound. We also explore the day-to-day challenges of life in Ukraine and the strength of the Ukrainian people over the years, as well as the importance of keeping international conversations about the conflict at the forefront of people’s minds. You can find the link to UNITED24 below to support Ukraine’s fundraising efforts.
Of course, we also had to reflect on Julia’s time hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool 2023, as well as The Hardkiss’s performance of Mayak as the opening act. The Hardkiss made a bold impression at Vidbir in 2016 with Helpless, coming in second, but would they ever consider entering the Ukrainian music contest again…?
Donate to UNITED24 to support Ukraine here.
Greyhound is released on June 11th. Pre-save here. Connect with The Hardkiss here: Instagram / X / Facebook / YouTube
Photo: Polina Talai
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