JINJER reveals inspiration for lyrics, future plans, and more + Live Gallery from Philadelphia

Fans of Ukrainian progressive metal band JINJER have been eagerly awaiting a North American tour, and it’s finally here! Though they are here in support of Cradle of Filth, audiences are greeting them with the same energy they would for a headliner, with some fans traveling several hours just to see them.

Tatiana Shmayluk attracts a lot of attention as the band’s frontwoman, and rightfully so. Shmayluk is a gifted lyricist who boasts a strong, charming stage presence paired with a mind-blowing vocal ability. Even in a live setting, she is capable of nailing a wide range of both clean and uncleans as she pours her soul into each and every note. Behind her brutality lies carefully crafted lyrics with a powerful message, as well as a set of musicians that deserve just as much attention. The members of JINJER manage to weave elements of jazz and reggae into their already unique blend of progressive metal, all without sacrificing any of the heaviness their fans adore. Bassist Eugene Abdukhanov and guitarist Roman Ibramhalilov are both masters of their instruments, creating infectiously groovy disharmonic djent. Vlad Ulasevich is a recent addition to the band, taking over drums back in 2016. Ulasevich brings along with him a new style that suits JINJER very well.

We are thrilled to share our gallery of images from JINJER’s very first Philadelphia show! Take a moment to read our exclusive interview below in which Eugene and Tatiana discuss the band’s future plans, what inspires the lyrics, and more.

This is your very first time touring in North America, so I just wanted to start by saying welcome! Are there any particular cities you are most looking forward to visiting?

Tatiana: As for me, I’m waiting for New York. Visiting New York and California, of course. I have some friends in San Diego. Actually, they moved to Tijuana, but they told me they would love to come to our show. That will be nice.

Eugene: Every single city here in the U.S. and Canada! I’ve been waiting for Philadelphia. I’ve been waiting to come here because well, because of Rocky movies I think. [laughs] I know that it used to be the first capital city in the U.S. and that it’s a historical place, and if only I had more time I would do a bit more of sight seeing here. I think more or less, the same for all the other cities. I have friends from the Ukraine living in New Jersey not far from here and [friends] living in Denver, I’m going to meet them. I’m really excited. I haven’t seen them for 10 years, and I have my best friend in Canada who moved there 10 years ago. I’m looking forward to meeting him. In terms of shows, I am really looking forward to meeting our fans. The first two shows have showed that they are very hospitable and they’re super cool here.

You get to travel to so many different places through touring. Is there anything you like to try everywhere you go, like craft beer or a specific type of food?

Eugene: Beer, yeah! [laughs] Especially touring a lot in Germany. Germany is famous for its beer.

Tatiana: I’m not a big fan of beer, you know. I think nothing can satisfy me. [laughs] I’m just kidding! No, I just like meeting people and actually seeing the exterior of the towns, cities, and countries.

Eugene: Yeah, checking out the views.

Do either of you have a favorite song to play live?

Eugene: Well, I think it’s different for every member. For me personally, it’s “Who Is Gonna Be The One?” and “Bad Water.” Those are my most favorite to play live, probably. And “I Speak Astronomy” of course! And “Pisces!”

So all of them basically? [laughs]

Tatiana: For me, it’s “Pisces.” Definitely.

Tatiana, you have said before that you are pretty shy, yet you have such a strong, confident stage presence! Is there anything you do before a show to help you get ready for your performance?

Tatiana: [laughs] Oh, I think it’s not a surprise for everyone. I think I told it before that I can drink some vodka, very little, before the show. It’s good for the voice, for the mood, for the show. But, I think that every person is split into different personalities and if I’m shy here in the ordinary life, when it comes to the stage, I think this is completely another personality that comes out.

Your vocal range is incredibly impressive, especially since you switch back and forth between singing and screaming. How did you train and develop your skills as a vocalist?

Tatiana: It’s hard to explain in words because it really comes from your mind. I call it the “technique of two throats.” [laughs] One throat is growling and screaming and stuff like that, and another one just stays clear, you know, clean. I don’t really know how to explain. It took me awhile to train the skill. And sometimes I might even lose the skill and I get so frustrated sometimes like, “Oh my God, where is it? It was there yesterday but now it’s gone!” [laughs] So, I think it’s still being developed.

You have toured with so many different bands so far in your career. Who would be your dream band or bands to tour with in the future?

Eugene: [laughs] It’s easy, yeah! Gojira and Mastodon, probably. And for me personally, it’s Opeth.

What is the band’s writing process like?

Eugene: Mostly each [member] comes with individual ideas and then it’s being put together. Most of the ideas are actually brought by Roman, our guitarist. I think he has written about 75% of what we play now, and the rest comes from me and now we have Vlad. He joined us unfortunately after we made King of Everything, but he will definitely be engaged into writing new material for the new, upcoming album. This time, it’s going to be 3 persons involved in composing music. But after we come up with the song without lyrics and without vocals, we give it to Tatiana, and that’s her part.

Tatiana: Yeah, I just need some uhh…sketch or pre-recording. A rough version of what it would be. Then I just write lyrics. It can take me…I don’t know. From one day to two weeks, maybe, just writing lyrics for just one single song.

Your lyrics are very well-written, deep, and meaningful, which is quite an accomplishment considering English is not your first language! “Pisces” is definitely a very popular one among your fans, and it’s obviously inspired by Greek mythology. What else inspires you to write?

Tatiana: I think my past, really. Or my present. I usually try to stay away from things like music of other people or poetry. I just want to keep my mind clear. Usually it’s something visual. It can just be a painting of an artist, and I can sing about that.

One of the most powerful lines from King of Everything that really stand out are from “Just Another” –

“I’ll cut you deep with forgiveness

My pain transformed into your sickness”

Without getting too personal, is there anything you can tell us about the inspiration behind those lyrics?

Tatiana: Well, during the writing process of King of Everything album, I was actually recovering from heartbreak, I’d say so! [laughs] I tried to heal myself, and I think I read somewhere, like on Instagram for example, that “It’s time that you forgive that person,” stuff like “Don’t hold grudges.” And I said, “yeah, okay. F— you, man. It’s time to move on.”

Eugene: It was for me, like a bit of a revelation, for me personally standing aside and seeing the situation. It was cool to see how Tatiana managed to move on and leave all of that shit behind through the lyrics she wrote.

Thank you for sharing that. Finally, is there anything else you’d like to tell us about the future of JINJER?

Eugene: Oh, the future is bright!

Tatiana: The future is near!

Eugene: Well, we are pretty much optimistic about everything. And we have some certain plans. We have this tour, then we go to Europe. We’re playing shows in the Philippines and in main Europe headlining. Then summer festivals, it’s pretty much…well, the schedule is tough. Starting from September, we will not play any live shows. Maybe just a single one if something big comes like a festival. Then we will devote 99% of our time to writing the new album and recording it. We are really, really aimed at releasing it next spring, in a year, so it’s a lot to do. But we’re very happy to be here!