Front man of band Antytila Taras Topolya: In August 2023 we will play a concert in Ukrainian Yalta

Taras Topolya is the leader of the Ukrainian band "Antytila". From an early age he realized that music would become an integral part of his life, and in school years Taras created the first band, which over time experienced a transformation and now every Ukrainian knows its name. In 2014, with the start of Russia's war against Ukraine in Donbas, volunteering became the second integral part of Taras and his band's life. During the first part of the tour, Taras' band managed to collect over 2 million hryvnias. The funds were used to purchase anti-aircraft guns and turnstiles for the Ukrainian Army. This fall the band "Antytila" will once again return to the world stage with new Ukrainian patriotic music. People will be able to feel the energy of freedom at the band's concerts in Edinburgh, London and Manchester. Before the start of the second part of the tour Taras told Drive Music Media about music, front-line experience, volunteering and the upcoming concert in the Ukrainian Crimea.

Interviewer: The first question is simple, but important. Remember how you decided to connect your life with music and how you created "Antytila"?

Taras: When I was little, I saw a man playing the violin on TV. I was 6. At that moment, I approached my mother and said that I wanted to be like this uncle. That's when I decided to connect my life with music. Later, I sang in the Revutsky choir under the direction of Aida Zaitseva, and in high school I decided to create my own band.

Interviewer: Why "Antytila"? Is there a hidden mystery in the name or was it chosen at random?

Taras: Everything is very easy with the name of the band. One of the first songs was called Antytila. It gave the name of the band.

Interviewer: Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, you did not hesitate to become a volunteer of the Territorial Defense and went to the front as part of the 130th battalion. Tell us about those times, hearing about the war first-hand is very important for the information struggle against Russian fakes. How did you become a paramedic? Anyway, you are musician.

Taras: Yes, we are musicians. But above all, we are also citizens of our country. We made a decision in advance because we understood at a certain level that the war was irreversible. That is why I, Sergiy Vusyk and Dmytro Zholud joined the ranks of the Territorial Defense, the 130th battalion even before the full-scale invasion. We even made few videos about it. And then on February 24, after sending our wives and children to safe places, we went to the deployment point of our battalion and began to serve there. Later, we became paramedics, because since 2014 we have been interested in and engaged in the field of military medicine. So we served in Kyiv, and in April we were transferred to Kharkiv. Different things happened on the front line, there were many difficult moments. But really, what I remembered was when I unlocked the phone of my dead colleague in the war on my birthday, and he had his wife's number from the last dialed calls.

Interviewer: Scriabin (ed. – a famous Ukrainian singer) once told you: If these guys are released on stage, many singers will retire. How do you feel about these words now, standing on various world platforms?

Taras: These are really nice words said by an important person for me, because in fact I grew up on Kuzma's songs. And it is really sad that he did not live to this day.

Interviewer: I can't stop myself from asking about your feat with Ed Sheeran and the music video for it. How did your cooperation begin?

Taras: Our cooperation began with the fact that we were refused participation in the concert. We were in Kyiv, when we saw that Ed Sheeran was participating in a concert in support of Ukraine and decided to approach him with a proposal to make a telebridge and play for us in Kyiv, and for them in Birmingham. But the organizers of the concert refused us this, because we carry weapons in our hands, we wear helmets and body armor. Later, Ed Sheeran's team approached us with an offer to make a joint song, recording a Ukrainian verse. We couldn't help but agree. That's how cooperation was born.

Interviewer: Let's talk a little bit about the tour. During this spring, you played many concerts in various European cities. Did the audience's perception change with the onset of full-scale war? Was it difficult to return from front-line everyday life to creativity and how exactly did you return to your work?

Taras: If we talk about how the audience has changed I cannot answer, because before we had not concerts in Europe except for some cases, such as in Paris. We had tours in the USA and Canada. When we go there this fall, I will be able to compare. Antytila concerts are not just about dancing or singing, our songs always have a social connotation and we always sing songs about what excites us. The fact that many foreigners come to concerts is true, for example, there were many British people in London. We always tell about the war and our experience there. And of course our concerts are charitable, we accumulate funds for the charity fund of the band Antytila, which provides Ukrainian Army, and also provides support to children whose parents died on the front line, our brothers from the 130th battalion.

Interviewer: The members of your band have changed. Tell us about the guys who are playing with you now and are standing side by side at the front.

Taras: We are one big family, which is united not only by a favorite business, but also by common values and a goal. For everyone music is the meaning of life. We have been with Sergiy Vusyk since the very beginning of the band's founding. He is a composer, director and producer of the group. For example he created the music for the song Bahmut Fortress. Dmytro Zholud and Michailo Chirko are guys from Krywyj Rih who each have 2 higher educations and built a successful career at home, but one day they decided to change everything and came to Kyiv to do music. Dmytro Vodovozov is a musician in the 5th generation. Parents, grandparents of Dmytro were all involved in music, and Dmytro has been playing the drums since he was three years old.

Interviewer: What projects can await the Ukrainian audience soon?

Taras: I don't know what projects the Ukrainian audience can expect but I know that Ukrainian music is waiting for a renaissance and prosperity. I really want to create a light major album after our victory. I'm talking about the band Antytila. And also in August 2023, we will definitely play a concert in the Ukrainian Yalta, in the Ukrainian Crimea. By the way, tickets are already available.

Interviewer: Words and language save in war. During the days at the front, did you manage to write songs? Maybe small poems? What helped you at that time?

Taras: To be honest, I was not into the songs. There were situations in which we did not know at all whether we would stay alive. But all the accumulated emotions during the time of being on the front line managed to be embodied in the songs of Bakhmut Fortress. It's what we've experienced ourselves and what we feel should keep the guys out there on the front lines in the hottest spots on earth right now.

Interviewer: And finally what would you like to say to Ukrainians: those who remained in Ukraine, volunteers, fighters, those who are going through a difficult time as a refugee?

Taras: Work, gather, donate and support the Ukrainian army. Everyone in their place and everyone who can. And ask yourself every day what you did today for our Ukrainian victory.

Concerts of the band Antytila will be held in Great Britain on the following dates: November 26 – Manchester, 27 – London and 28 – Edinburgh.

Photo by Antytila