What led you to initiate the formation of the band?
I had the feeling that I would need something other than Jablkoň for my life, or the Půljablkoň project, which is closely related to it. I’m old enough and I don’t have much time. The apple works, it’s well-established. They were twenty-two years old when my current teammates came to see her. Today, they are gentlemen, because time is passing unbelievably.
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I got the impression that I would like to surround myself with young musicians and make a new band with them. Even if I ruin their age average as a result.
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What do you expect from your teammates?
Young musicians naturally think differently than I do. This is due to generation, the advent of technology and a modern approach to interpretation. It’s hard to keep up with them in this. I grew up on a different relationship to music and although I try to catch a lot, I have a foundation that is given to me and on which I rely. I want the musicians around me to rejuvenate the music we make and me.
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Is there democracy in the band?
Yes, the Land of Ro is built on that. If only I had to boss and compose for her, it would be Apple again. I was the first to address guitarist Tomáš Frolík. I have lived in Slaný for four years and he lives not far from me. He is an excellent guitarist and I knew from the beginning that a new band would be formed if he nodded at my idea. That happened.
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We invited bassist Johnny Judl, who is my teammate in Jablkon, and thus slightly increases the average age in our band. However, he is from Slaný and he understands Tomáš well because he still plays with him in the band The Bladderstones. Drummer Michael Nosek also joined her.
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Anička Břenková is my niece. We went to a pub once and I told her I was starting a new band and I needed a singer for it. Instead of telling me about someone, she offered herself. And it fit great, we both write lyrics and we both sing.
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Krajina Ró, from left Michael Nosek (drums), Anna Břenková (vocals), Michal Němec (vocals, guitar), Johnny Judl Jr. (bass) and Tomáš Frolík (guitar).
Photo: Jakub Hrab
How did the group name come about?
The landscape of Ró is simply the beautiful landscape in which we move. It’s also an old Apple song. Anička and I came up with the name of the band when we listened to the song.
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Krajina Ró is a nice phrase, I like it when the names of the bands sound nice and interesting. I also cared that it sounded Czech.
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What musical goals have you set?
At first it was not clear to us which direction our music should go. All we knew was that it would be electric, everything else was born during the march. When someone asks us what we are actually playing, we answer that we do not know. I’m used to this answer from Apple. Also, I’ve never been able to pinpoint the music we make.
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But once we were thinking about our stylistic classification with Anička Břenková and the producer of the album Ondřej Ježek. And we came up with the soft rock foxtrot style. However, I admit that no one will remember this designation. Plus, it’s absolutely meaningless.
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What does the creation of the Ró Landscape mean for the continued existence of Apple?
Nothing. The apple tree has a lifelong heart affair that continues. When I miss the Half Apple Tree project, I’ve never been in another band. But I always said that while other musicians play in more bands, I still play in one with which I make different music. Now that has changed.
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Are you looking forward to concerts?
We originally calculated that the release of the album and the first performance of Krajina Ró will take place this spring. We had the record recorded in March. Due to the pandemic, however, we decided to move the releases and concerts in the fall, although it did not seem very practical to us, because for that time he postponed his albums and tours where who.
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Now the record came out and we decided to make the baptism in February next year. We’ve also moved the concerts to times when we can. I believe that the situation will change and next year the music scene will work differently and better.
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What do you want to achieve on it?
We would like our music to be among the people and to offer them good concerts, with which we can also earn a living. There is no point in making music without ambition.
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