The Roles, a Kyiv-based rock band, recently unveiled ‘I Try,’ a powerful track exploring love’s complexities amidst relationship challenges. Lead vocalist Nastya’s raw intensity intertwines with the band’s mastery of rock, creating an emotionally charged atmosphere. They aim for personal connections, sharing their collective music background and seeking resonance with each listener through love’s highs and lows.
Despite upheaval due to conflict in Ukraine, the band persists in crafting energetic, mesmerising rock compositions. Their commitment to music remains resolute, channelling their emotions into their art. Advocating for soldier support and humanity amid adversity, The Roles exemplify resilience, showcasing unwavering dedication to their music and heritage amidst ongoing turmoil. We caught up with them to find out more!
The track ‘I Try’ seems to delve into themes of relationship challenges and love. Could you share more about the inspiration behind this song and what you aimed to convey through its lyrics and music?
All of our lyrics were inspired by our lead singer’s emotions and her own relations experience. The instrumental part is based on other band member’s feelings and ups and downs.
Live performances are a hallmark of The Roles. How do you infuse the emotions portrayed in your songs into your live shows, and what do you hope audiences take away from these experiences?
From the very beginning of our gigs we feel a huge kickback from our audience, which gives us burst of energy to infuse it to our live shows. We always hope that each and every gig participant leaves with a positive emotion and that we could meet on our further shows. We do our best to make our audience talk about us, listen to us and visit our shows further.
The conflict in Kyiv has undoubtedly impacted your lives and artistic journey. How has this situation shaped your recent music, and how do you maintain your artistry during these times?
We would to emphasise that the war concerns each and every part of Ukraine, it was not just in Kyiv. It goes without saying that the war affected us all. It sounds sad but the music industry and entertainment in general moved to the background. It is much harder to concentrate and move on, create something new or at least gather to rehearse, but we still do our best to continue our work. We constantly donate and even participate in the charity gigs to assist our country, which makes us feel more secure and confident to move forward.
How do you envision the role of art and music in contributing to resilience, unity, and healing within communities affected by such challenging circumstances?
Music is not just a great way to heal mental wounds but it may really help people physically. Lots of Ukrainian bands collect donations and share information about the war worldwide to support our army. Moreover, a bunch of well known Ukrainian musicians joined our army to fight against Russia.
As a band, what are your long-term aspirations and hopes for the future, both in terms of your musical journey and the messages you aim to communicate through your artistry?
First of all, we live with music and it definitely became more than just a part of our lives. It would be good to become at least somehow known around the world and to make people aware that Ukrainian music is great and should be heard. The main aim is to reflect our songs in the hearts of our listeners, so they could help them go through any challenges in their lives.