- Year of foundation – 2010
- City – Lviv (Ukraine)
- Language – Ukrainian
- Genre – indie, indie rock, acoustic music
Lineup:
- Ira Shvaydak – vocals;
- Ustym Pokhmursky – guitar;
- Ihor Dzikovsky – percussion.
Former members: Iryna Davydenko – percussion.
History of the band
Odin v Kanoe is a Ukrainian indie band that was founded in Lviv in 2010. It all started with joint rehearsals of 7–8 strangers who played completely different music. The band had three soloists. And none of the participants had a professional musical education and were only exploring the creative industry. The lineup changed until the vocalist and guitarist decided to create a separate project. Later, a percussionist joined the participants. Thus, in 2010, the first lineup of the group Odin v Kanoe was formed. The group released its first video clip only at the beginning of 2019.
The name of the team appeared unexpectedly. While reading material about Indians, singer Iryna came across a name that translated meant “Odin v Kanoe”. She liked it so much that it became the official name of the group. The band’s logo resembles a six-petal flower. This is a shape similar to the resonator holes of the Ukrainian bandura, where each petal simultaneously symbolizes a boat.
It is interesting that Ira Shvaydak did not plan a stage career for a long time. And she did not seek popularity and recognition from a wide audience. Having a musical education in piano, the girl deliberately avoided vocal lessons. And she wrote her first song "Sky" while still a student, learning to play the guitar.
Creative Path
On November 27, 2010, the band gave its first solo concert, presenting original songs. Since then, the artists have performed in most major cities in Ukraine. They also visited Prague, Paris, Cambridge, Minsk and Gdansk. They took part in numerous festivals and expanded the community of loyal fans.
The composition of the band changed. And from the original team, two remained: a vocalist and a guitarist. Later, a percussionist joined them. And the band worked in this trio for six years. Despite its popularity among fans of good music, until 2015, the band members combined music with their main work. Without a producer and team, they independently handled all organizational matters.
In 2016, the musicians released their debut album "Alone in a Canoe" with 25 songs, which was the result of five years of creative search. In addition to the album, two singles were released: "Icons (For the Sixties)" and "I Have No Home". The first video clip was shot for the latter, which gained about 5 million views in the first year.
In June 2021, the band presented their second album of the same name with 12 tracks. Among them are "Icons" and "I Have No Home". In the fall of 2024, the band performed in many cities in Europe, and in the spring of 2025, they went on a tour with concerts from Berlin to Barcelona.
Style and development of the band
The main feature of Odin v Kanoe is their unique charisma and ability to combine folk, electronics and ethno, creating a unique style. Their unchanging credo is “Strength in simplicity”. The lyrics are always in the spotlight, as they are primarily aimed at the Ukrainian listener. The leader avoids excessive romanticism in her songs, considering it a creative growth, and often invents plots and characters. Some tracks have personal origins – for example, “Little Boy” appeared after Iryna’s decision to leave her job at a rehabilitation center.
The principle of the band is to independently determine their own starting point, be honest with themselves and do only what they like.
Discography of the group:
- “Alone in a Canoe” (2016);
- “Alone in a Canoe” (2021).
Singles and most famous hits:
- “Icons”;
- “I Have No Home”;
- “Alone in the Field of the Warrior”;
- “Boat”;
- “Memory is Not Enough”;
- “Promise Me” and others.
Awards and distinctions:
- “Selection” award from Jam FM (in the “Breakthrough of the Year” nomination), 2017;
- place in the list of the best Ukrainian albums 2021 according to Liroom (album "Alone in a Canoe");
- place in the list of the best albums by Ukrainian musicians in 2021 according to the portal "#ShoTam" (album "Alone in a Canoe").
Interesting facts about the band:
- musicians joke that their main weakness is slowness. They call the pace at which the band moves creatively “decent, if people lived for 300 years,” so they sometimes reproach themselves for unrealized ideas;
- until 2015, Iryna Shvaydak combined performances with work at a youth rehabilitation center;
- one of the brightest moments in her work was the collaboration with “Elzy’s Ocean” – the joint song “City of Spring.” The composition dedicated to Lviv has collected over 36 million views on YouTube.
