Szczepan Wojsa
Vocals - I have always loved singing since I was a child. But now I think it's a very pragmatic way of making music. For example, I can practice in the shower, which I do not recommend to my fellow instrumentalists :):):)
Szczepan Wojsa is the lead vocalist of The One Ahead. Together with Karina Semków, he co-writes the lyrics and collaborates on composing the melodies for the band’s music.
How did you start your adventure with music?
Difficult question, it probably doesn’t happen in one moment. I like to say that my interest in music stems from a trivial reason. Well, I was born in 1969, that’s when the Woodstock festival took place :). Some piece of musical energy reached little Szczepcio, who was waiting to be born, and already at the age of 2 I was jumping happily in a baby stroller to the music of Jarema Stępowski 👏😀. In kindergarten, I willingly took part in performances, and in primary school I joined the school choir, from which I was expelled for making a cross-eyed look at a friend. Well, fate made me understand that my musical path was that of a soloist. It was then that Polish rock entered the charts. It was then that the first vocal successes appeared :). At the summer camp song competition, I led my group to victory in a joint performance of “Przeżyj to sam” by Lombard, and I sealed the success with a solo performance of the song “Jolka, Jolka poznasz” by Budka Suflera, for which I received first place. From then on I knew I wanted to be a singer 😀 .
As for my musical beginnings… my first band was a band from Świeradów with a cheerful name “Fallus” :). It was ’91, I came back from the army and it turned out that there was a rock band in my town. Their previous vocalist preferred to play drums, so there was a vacancy in the band, which I quickly jumped into. The era of rock’n’roll had begun for me. Maybe there wasn’t much quality in our music, but there was a lot of enthusiasm 😀. We even performed at a large concert in Bolków in 1992, which was one of the first concerts organized under the WOŚP banner, and the star was the Acid Drinkers band. A little later, our bandmates started their studies and the Fallus band became history. Later there was the Second Day Band and great rock and roll memories. I always knew that I would come back to music and singing in a band, although it took longer than I expected.
How did your loved ones react to your decision to cooperate with The One Ahead?
I met the band about 3 years ago. The Cultural Station was opening in Świeradów-Zdrój, and I was looking for advice on how to equip a rehearsal room for music bands. I got a link to The One Ahead from a friend. We talked a little about equipment and our musical interests. Later we played a few rehearsals with guitarist Jurek Litkowiec, playing mainly blues and rhythm ‘n’ blues standards. A year ago, at a concert I organized, I met Adam Jaworowicz, who invited me to the concert of The One Ahead in Leśna. I watched the concert with my wife and we really liked what we heard and saw. Honestly, we didn’t expect such a professional level from a team “from the area”. So when I received a cooperation offer a few months later, my wife said it was a very good idea 😀.
Do you have any talent for writing song lyrics?
I’m trying to have it 🙂. Sometimes the lyrics creates itself, and sometimes it is a struggle with rhyme, pronunciation and content to finally create something that sounds good and tells something interesting.
Which famous singer inspires you and why do you value them/them?
It’s hard to say who inspires me now. But if you go back in time, I loved Jim Morrison for the poetics of his lyrics and what was called the unique pain in his voice. Later, probably Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam for his great timbre and extraordinary vocal expression. Today I listen to music in a much wider spectrum than in the past, so I would probably add Presley to the list of my favorite singers for his outstanding voice and great timing, Pavarotti for all the wonderfully sung arias, Haley Reinheart from Postmodern Jukebox for this extremely energetic voice that could replace instruments and this incredible emotion that can sing, and Freddie Mercury, who created a new discipline of artistic multiplayer with his voice and musical fantasy. And Julie London, who was able to express so much by singing so calmly and delicately.
What excites you most about music?
Probably the most emotions and feelings that can be expressed and described using sound.
And the opportunity to create something of your own.
What is your biggest dream related to music?
Number one on the charts? 😀
Why did you decide to take part in this project?
Due to the professional approach to music and the high artistic level of the band.
From your point of view, what unites you and what divides you?
There is a very good atmosphere in the team, democratic 🙂 when it comes to making joint decisions, and we share a common passion and willingness to develop. What divides us? I guess I don’t really like listening to headphones 😂. But I’m getting used to it :).