The music of The Earsis penetrating. It vibrates, touches your soul, and provokes deep reflection. It will not leave you indifferent. One of its distinctive features is the angel voice of Marta Uszko, an actress and singer, who is a master of telling music stories. She invites you to her fairy tale, makes you feel at home there, and gives you a part of her story to be your own forever. It is a remarkable gift.
Your version of ‘Jabłoń’ with Agnieszka Osiecka’s lyrics is hypnotising…
I think it all began with that song.
What do you mean by all?
The band. A meeting of fantastic people – me, Tomek Licak, Maciek Wróbel, and Michał Starkiewicz.
You sing, I have no heart for you, I’ve turned you into a wild apple tree…
And that’s true, because I know the feeling of loss, rejection, leaving, parting. I wanted to show a different side of Osiecka’s lyrics, put the emphasis on different elements.
And you succeeded because your version of this song is… disturbingly magical. Two years passed from the time you recorded ‘Jabłoń’ for Actor’s Song Competition to when you released your EP, ‘Wielka Płyta’. What was it like?
It was a time of development and searching. We played together a lot. The idea for The Ears occurred to me of the need to tell the truth about myself.
It’s difficult to put a label on your music. The only thing I can think of is it’s music for intelligent people.
We don’t want to limit ourselves to one label. The potential of our band, our talent, musicality, and skills are unlimited. We have broad horizons of sensitivity. I feel we’re still developing, and our next album might be completely different. We want to experiment, experience new forms and genres. Our fundamental requirement is authenticity.
You’re a recognised actress. After I saw you on stage in the theatre, I told you you had a beautiful light within you formed of your charisma and talent. Acting experience often makes it difficult for actors to sing from the heart instead of performing ‘actor’s songs’. You made it. You don’t play a singer. You are a singer.
I want to convey my emotions through singing. I invite the audience to my world. I know it may be a challenge for some, but it’s the easiest way to get to know me and meet me. I also wish that people meet themselves by listening to our music.
Do you find singing more challenging than acting?
I feel I’m constantly learning something new in both fields. I’m always on the go both in my professional life and artistic activity as well as my private life. I’m constantly searching and developing. My acting experience has helped me a lot, especially in terms of working on lyrics.
It’s unbelievable that those lyrics are so in harmony with your voice and energy even though you didn’t write them – the author of most of them is Kaja Cykalewicz-Licak.
Kaja is a subtle, warm-hearted, and sensitive person. Many times, when we were talking about life, I realised we share similar views and look at the world in a similar way. For that reason, the lyrics Kaja wrote for me are in harmony with my emotions. The intention of the word goes with the intention of expression. Don’t forget the song ‘Klatka Be’ whose lyrics were written by my dear friend Maciej Litkowski. Once, I asked him to write a song about a neurotic. He did. He wrote an amazing, deep story about a cynic. I treat these lyrics as an extension of my thoughts. As an actress, I work with the word and ‘on words’ every day. I check what happens between the words, change the emphasis, play with intonation. But the word is only a starting point because I’m more interested in the intention. I want people who listen to our songs to understand the sense of my words and discover something deeper about them.
There’s much freedom in your singing. What do you let out when you sing?
It’s an energy that can push back boundaries, break the walls. It’s a kind of exhibitionism which allows me to let out emotions once blocked within m
How did you manage to set yourself free?
The key was my own head. By working on my relationship with myself, I can sing on such a scale today. When the music starts to play, and I start to sing, I feel all my mental blocks, inner restraints, and inhibitions that control me disappear for a while. At that moment, I can let it all out, shout it out or… at the other end of the scale – whisper it out. It’s like opening yourself up.
Do you cut your ties only for the moment of singing or for a long while?
That’s a very good question. Singing helped me realise I didn’t have to be ashamed of anything and I can be myself. I offer the kind of singing which can’t be classified or labelled, but it’s my own.
It’s a pleasure to hear how you harmonise, resonate together in the band.
It’s always been the foundation of our meeting as musicians. It’s very important for us to find a common rhythm, a similar pulse, to be together in music, experience it together. We play together but we let each other to be free in music.
You could have chosen a solo career.
I feel safer in the band.
Why?
It’s in my nature to be at different levels and in different configurations in the band. I form bands all the time. I’m in The Ears, in the group of Polish Theatre Actors, and many more. I enjoy being a part of the team because I draw inspiration and learn from people I surround myself with. Especially when they’re as talented as my friends from The Ears, who don’t have an over-inflated ego, try to be partners in music, and are very supportive. Believe me, there’s nothing like the feeling of support on stage. With their music and talent, the guys give me a trampoline I can jump on very high. I can trust them; I know they’ll catch me no matter how high I jump. This feeling of support is priceless.
You stress that truth is very important to you. What do you mean by that?
The truth about me as an artist and a person. I would like everyone to accept the truth about themselves, cast aside the shackles of fear and allow themselves to wind down.
And the best way to do it is to listen to your music…
… which is – like you said at the beginning of our conversation – for intelligent people, but mostly the emotionally intelligent ones.