Interview with Andrew Abramchick, drummer of "The Conspiraters"

The Conspiraters is a psych rock band, strongly influenced by 70's rock bands. Recently the recorded a few songs, and sure that they will release a album in physical format very soon. We have the pleasure to interview the drummer of the band, Andrew Abramchick:
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-Tell us about the beginning of the band. How did the band formed? How you did start in the world of the music?

The band’s history starts in December of 2008. We didn’t even expect before we would concern ourselves as musicians. My cousin Sergey, who started playing the guitar, called me when I was sitting during my daily round at the Art Academy, where I’m studying at. Sergey said, he had found a guitar player and proposed me to attend their rehearsal as a drummer, I mean, just to pretend a drummer, because their group looked incomplete without a drummer. I found drumsticks inside the studio and tried playing. I went wrong every time, and I hesitated a lot. But I was really keen on drums. Sergey gave me drumsticks in a few weeks and proposed to be a drummer in his group.

We started to rehearse from time to time and thought up the band’s name – “The Shopenghaurs”. Everything was so irresponsible. I was distressed I was playing like a child at the age of 18. As a result I just lost my heart to the drums and started to study the drums by myself, listening to the prof’s playing.

I wanted to refer fanciful to music, not as my mates in the band. I really wanted to make cool music on a high level of international standard. So I decided to collaborate with my younger brother Valera who was at the age of 15 then. He was studying at a musical school then in guitar class, but he gave up it after the school. I was able to take a cheap electric guitar from a friend of mine and I presented it to my brother with the words: “You are our new guitar player, aren’t you?” So he became a part of “The Shopenghaurs”. He lived in our native town Lida (Belarus), and I was studying in Minsk (it’s about 180 km from Lida). He came every month for playing with us and was gradually involved in music.

Valera and me left the band “The Shopenghaurs” in autumn of 2009 because of the dissidences and so decided to create our own band.

We were rehearsing once in month the whole 2010 almost, because Valera was not able to attend Minsk often.  Different kinds of bass and guitar players were playing with us, but anybody could hardly be suitable. However my brother and mother moved to Minsk in autumn of 2010, so we started to rehearse hard. We didn’t rehearse the songs; we just were trying to cultivate our abilities. We invited our bass player at the end of summer, 2011. He is our friend who played in “The Shopengaurs”, by the way he became a bass player by the accident, just like me. He visited our rehearsal starting jamming with us, so we understood we should play together, that we are a band, and that we are “The Conspiraters”!

The EP “Jesus Rock” was recorded in autumn and we had our debut.

-The band sounds a lot seventies rock bands. Which musicians/bands influenced in the sound of "The Conspiraters"?

Actually we don’t look about the concrete groups; we just adore the sound of 70s, its sincerity and classic rock. Each of us is being inspired by the personalities, not by the groups. Valera is influenced (vocals, guitar) by Zakk Wylde, Hendrix, Jack White, John Frusciante. Max adores Geezer Butler and Andrew's inspired by John Bonham, Mitch Mitchel, Patrick Keeler. However, the unity of musicians  is the main thing.  

- The production of these three songs that you have on your profile of Soundcloud it's pretty good. Where did you recorded it?

We were making the record in studio 33. That’s a home studio of one garage music amateur. We’ve recorded everything to save the energy on the record.

-Which reaction have the people when they hear your songs?

Well, first reaction is a shock, they really like it, especially people mind the vocals and solo. No one pays attention to the drummer and a bass player, but Valera is really a great guitar player.

-Do you have plans of release some stuff in physical format? (Vinyl, CD,...)

We have a dream to release vinyl and listen to us by ourselves. But we don’t have a turn table to tell the truth.

-Where do you get the ideas on your compositions?

All the ideas came from the experience and under consciousness.


-Which other band of Belarus do you recommend?

We doubt they exist.

-And what about play outside of Belarus? Do you think it’s possible to play in Europe?

We really want to play all around the world, but no one proposed yet, because no one knows about us. It is hard to promote by ourselves, the process is too slow.

-Which plans have the band in short-term?

We are making a new single in a month; there will be 2 new songs, which will be available in the Internet for downloading.

-Do you wanna say something before we finish the interview?

Thank you everybody for reading it, especially whether you like our music!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Conspiraters will record a new EP very soon. If you still didn't heard their first EP, "Jesus Rock", we highly recommend you to do it. You can hear it on their profile of Soundcloud.
Follow them in Facebook too to be informed about any new.

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