Zwyntar

1. Year of foundation – 2015
2. City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
3. Language – Ukrainian
4. Genre – country, folk, rock, neofolk

Composition:

1. Divoir – vocals, guitar;
2. Sasha Kladbishche – vocals, drums, kazoo;
3. Eric – banjo;
4. Natalia Ferens – washboard, percussion;
5. Andriy Pavlenko – keyboards.

Former members: Serhiy Pror (bass, musician passed away in 2024).

History of the band

ZWYNTAR (Cemetery) is a Ukrainian dark country band from Kyiv, founded in 2015 by musicians Eric and Divoir. Regarding the name of the band, one of the band leaders, Eric, noted that the members could not agree for a long time. They offered each other a variety of and sometimes extremely exotic options. They also considered the name "Devils from the Valley of Death". In the end, the Latin inscription ZWYNTAR appeared on a piece of paper. It was this option that became decisive. After all, it immediately outlined the future style of the band, its aesthetic direction and the language of the compositions.

A few months after meeting, Sasha Kladbische initiated joint work on her old song "My mother once gave me a knife." They also decided to shoot a video clip for the song. During the creation of the track and video, the participants agreed on musical views so much that they decided to continue cooperation within the framework of a joint group. And the clip, designed in a post-apocalyptic style, received favorable reviews from both the audience and critics.

Creative path

In 2016, the band presented the first single "You are not God" to fans of the genre. And later a mini-album called "Sin" was released. The debut of the studio full-length album "Dead Voices" took place on December 14, 2018. The participants describe the release as an atmospheric journey into a bizarre world that lies somewhere beyond the Shadow of the Valley of Death. According to the musicians, folklore plots, urban legends and fictional stories are intertwined here, combined into a holistic concept. The space depicted in the compositions is filled with danger, but at the same time leaves room for hope. In the fall of 2019, the band presented a video clip for the song “Johnny”. And on June 17, 2021, fans received another gift from their idols - a new single “Girl”.

In 2023, on Friday the 13th, the second album “A Thousand Eyes” was released. The success of the album expanded the band’s army of fans and confirmed their recognition among both listeners and producers and critics in the music industry. According to the musicians, the release of “A Thousand Eyes” became the darkest in their discography. Individual tracks were released in different periods and touched on different topics. But despite this, within the framework of the full-length album, all the compositions merged into a single mood, imbued with a common atmosphere.

On December 7, 2023, the mini-album "Sin" was reissued. It included the songs "Black Tree" and "Johnny", translated into Ukrainian.

The style and development of the group

ZWYNTAR is the charisma of the participants, a special concept, high-quality sound and a professional approach to creating lyrics. The group works at the intersection of genres. The artists create music that can be described as dark country. However, other styles are also intertwined in the group's compositions - from folk motifs to gothic sound. The work combines the aesthetics of American folklore and deep Ukrainian traditional culture.

ZWYNTAR's music is a journey through dusty prairies, where time slows down to the heavy rhythmic banjo. Legends of ghosts, curses and retribution resound there. And nearby lives the eerie poetry of the Ukrainian land, woven into lyrics with folk melodies and expressive vocal manner. The creak of a washboard, explosions of contrasting timbres and a hypnotic atmosphere - all this forms the unique handwriting of ZWYNTAR.

Each member of the band has unique musical tastes. From jazz and metal to electronics and niche alternative. It is this diversity that allows the band to avoid repetitions, clichés and stereotypes. And the lyrical component is considered one of the strongest aspects of the team's work.

Since their appearance on the stage, ZWYNTAR has held over a hundred live shows throughout Ukraine. Often with sold-out setsutami. The musicians performed on the stages of the most famous festivals in the country: Faine Misto, Zaxidfest, Comic Con Ukraine, Gogolfest and others. The artists have repeatedly headlined country nights and thematic events, and also appeared on stage in front of such underground stars as King Dude, Aurelio Voltaire, Persephone and others.

The band's singles:

1. "You are not a god";
2. "On the Swamp";
3. "Mykola";
4. «Angel of Heaven»;
5. «The Devil Enters the City»;
6. «Don't Trust Mortals» and others.

The band's social activity

The musicians admit that they get special pleasure from live communication with the audience after concerts. According to the band members, they have repeatedly heard from listeners that their music becomes a support in difficult periods of life. Such reviews for musicians have incomparably more weight than any hit parade ratings or media mentions. After all, the true value of creativity is in the ability to help, heal, and inspire.

Support for creativity from the military has become especially important. The musicians are flattered by the fact that their songs are being listened to on the front lines. And this, according to the band, is really cool. From the beginning of the war in the East, and later after the full-scale invasion, the band members actively joined the volunteer movement. Sasha Kladbishche was the most active, who not only became an integral part of the volunteer community, but also made a significant contribution to supporting the army and helping the victims. Today, ZWYNTAR donates all the proceeds from concerts to charity.

Interesting facts about the band:

1. the band has its own magical creature named Byasha;
2. Eric and Divoir took an online course from Berkeley College on the theory and practice of poetry;
3. among the band's musical recommendations are King Woman, Lingua Ignota, Ghost, Trio Marenichiv, Moonspell, The Cure, Fields of the Nephilim and others;
4. Erik is a fan of Old Norse poetry;
5. Sasha has a degree in editing;
6. Natalia is a translator by profession.