Łukasz Lach
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L.Stadt is a Polish band, playing rock music with elements of
surf rock Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...
,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
. It was founded in
Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...
in 2003 and named after the city's name under the
Nazi occupation German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the government of Nazi Germany at ...
, '' Litzmannstadt''. The band has released two studio albums, ''L.Stadt'' (2008) and '' EL.P'' (2010), and an extended play ''You Gotta Move'' (2013). L.Stadt received critical acclaim and was hailed the hope of Polish alternative music by major media in Poland. The band has also performed at major festivals in Poland and abroad, including concerts at
Open'er Festival The Open'er Festival is a music festival which takes place on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia. It is one of the biggest annual music festivals in Poland. The first edition of the festival was organized in Warsaw in 2002 as ''Open Air Festi ...
, PKO BP London Live at
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...
, and
SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
in the U.S.


History


Early years (2003–07)

L.Stadt was founded by vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Łukasz Lach (former member of bands Puzzle and L.O. 27, also musician for Hedone and
Renata Przemyk Renata Janina Przemyk (born February 10, 1966, in Bielsko-Biała) is a Polish singer and songwriter. Biography In Bielsko-Biała she attended primary and secondary school. She enjoyed her childhood together with her parents, grandmother and br ...
) and drummer Radek Bolewski (playing with Elżbieta Adamiak and Krystyna Prońko), soon joined by members of band Kisiel, bassist Adam Lewartowski and drummer Andrzej Sieczkowski. The band members come from
Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...
, but met in
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
. L.Stadt debuted in 2003, playing at
Camerimage The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage () is a festival that celebrates and awards cinematography and cinematographers. The festival is held in Toruń, Poland, at the end of November every year. It spans the cou ...
Festival. In 2004, the band performed in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
and
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
in Germany, and at Class'EuRock Festival in
Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
, France. A year later it participated in Festiwal Dialogu Czterech Kultur, and in 2006, it was the first act to perform at "Łódź Alternatywna", a concert transmitted live by
TVP Łódź TVP may stand for: Arts and entertainment * Television Personalities, an English post-punk band * , an Argentine public broadcaster * , a Polish public broadcaster * , a former Malaysian educational channel * TV Patrol, a Philippine primetime news ...
and Radio Łódź. Around the same time, the band was among the finalists of ''
Gazeta Wyborcza (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish nationwide daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It was launched on 8 May 1989 on the basis of the Polish Round Table Agreement and as a press organ of the Solidarity (Polish trade union), t ...
's'' contest "Gra Muzyka", and was hailed "the Polish
White Stripes The White Stripes were an American rock duo formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals) and Meg White (drums, percussion, vocals). They were a leading group of 2000s indie rock and ...
". L.Stadt got a lot of media attention and started looking for a label to publish the debut album, but all the negotiations were coming to an end because the band had one condition: that the record label wouldn't interfere with the recordings. It changed after the band participated in a contest called ''OFF-scena'', organized by Polish national radio station Trójka, newsmagazine ''
Przekrój ''Przekrój'' (; ''Cross-section'') was the oldest Polish weekly newsmagazine in operation, established in 1945 in Kraków. After temporary closure in 2013, it was bought by photographer Tomasz Niewiadomski and subsequently relaunched in December ...
'' and portal Onet.pl. L.Stadt was among 4 winners (out of 374 participants), and the band was invited to play on the first day of
Off Festival OFF Festival is an alternative music festival series held annually since 2006. Until 2009 it was held at Słupna Park in Mysłowice, Poland in August and lasts four days. OFF Festival from 2010 takes place in Katowice in Dolina Trzech Stawow. Th ...
2007.


''L.Stadt'' (2007–09)

The performance at OFF Festival increased the demand for L.Stadt, and the band soon managed to find a record label. Around the same time, the band's music was used in a play titled ''Yotam'' in Teatr Nowy in Łódź, and was released on a soundtrack for the film ''Aleja Gówniarzy'', which had its premiere in April 2007. In the same year, ''Przekrój'', Onet.pl and ''Gazeta Wyborcza'' hailed L.Stadt the hope of Polish alternative music. A well-known radio DJ form Trójka, Piotr Stelmach, put the band's song "Gore" on a compilation album ''OFFensywa'', which was released by
Polskie Radio The Polish Radio (PR; Polish: ''Polskie Radio'', PR) is a national public-service radio broadcasting organization of Poland, founded in 1925. It is owned by the State Treasury of Poland. On 27 December 2023, the Minister of Culture and Nationa ...
. L.Stadt's music also found its way to other compilations, like ''Program Alternatywny'', ''FDM'', ''Lista Przebojów Programu 3-go''. The band's debut album titled ''L.Stadt'' was released on 29 February 2008 through
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
and received positive reviews. In the next two years following the release of the album, the band played over 200 concerts in clubs and at festivals, in Poland and abroad, including PKO BP London Live at
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...
,
Open'er Festival The Open'er Festival is a music festival which takes place on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia. It is one of the biggest annual music festivals in Poland. The first edition of the festival was organized in Warsaw in 2002 as ''Open Air Festi ...
, Wrocław Non Stop, Bremen Viertel Fest and B2gheter Festival in
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
. In 2009, the song "Londyn" (the only song from the album recorded in Polish) charted at several radio stations and was nominated in the category ''The Best Rock Hit of Year 2009'' at
Eska Music Awards Eska Music Awards (EMA) is a Polish awards ceremony for national and international music, launched in 2002 by Radio Eska. The awards were last presented in 2017. Amongst the award winners are Jamelia, Alexis Jordan, t.A.T.u., 3 Doors Down, The Ra ...
. L.Stadt was also one of the ambassadors representing the city Łódź in its fight for the title of
European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...
2016.


Concerts in the U.S. and ''EL.P'' (2010–11)

In March 2010, L.Stadt was invited to one of the biggest music festivals in the U.S.,
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
in
Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
. During that time the band played 13 times, having its first concert tour in Texas (Austin, Houston, Dallas, Ft. Worth). In the summer, L.Stadt performed at some of the most important Polish festivals, including
Open'er Festival The Open'er Festival is a music festival which takes place on the north coast of Poland, in Gdynia. It is one of the biggest annual music festivals in Poland. The first edition of the festival was organized in Warsaw in 2002 as ''Open Air Festi ...
and
Coke Live Music Festival Live Music Festival (previously known as Coke Live Music Festival) is a music festival which has been taking place in Kraków, Poland since 2006. The main organizer of the festival is the concert agency Alter Art, and until 2014 the festival's pri ...
. In autumn 2010, L.Stadt was invited to the first edition of
Filter Magazine ''Filter'' (stylized as ''FILTER''), an entertainment magazine on American music, was founded in the summer of 2002. It featured commentary, photos of musicians and filmmakers, actors, writers, and directors. The magazine also included reviews o ...
's Culture Collide Festival in Los Angeles, where they shared stage with White Lies, among others. The band also participated in Indie Week Canada in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, where it got to the finals, as one of the top 10 bands. After the finals, ''The Indie Machine'' wrote, "Poland's L.Stadt don't mess around when it comes to bringing the rock... they bring a city worth of it when they hit the stage." On 6 December 2010, L.Stadt released its second album, '' EL.P'', through Polish label
Mystic Production Mystic Production is a Polish independent record label. It was founded by Barbara Mikuła in 1995 in Skała. The company was initially releasing and distributing Heavy metal music, heavy metal music, including early albums by artists such as Scep ...
. The record was mixed and mastered by Mikael "Count" Eldridge, known for his work with
DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972 in San Jose, California, San Jose, California), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ and record producer. His debut studio album, ''Endtroducing.....,'' was released in 1996. He uses l ...
,
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
and
No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboar ...
. The album received positive reviews. In March 2011, the band performed at
SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
for the second time. Max Blau of ''
Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...
'' magazine wrote, "Polish vintage rockers mix in blues-rock with a hint of rockabilly. Jon Spencer meets Chuck Berry."


''You Gotta Move'' (2012–present)

In 2012, it was reported that the band was working on the release of ''You Gotta Move'', a record containing covers of
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
songs, recorded in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. Two songs off the record, "UFO" (originally by Jim Sullivan) and folk standard "Come Away Melinda" (written by
Fred Hellerman Fred Hellerman (May 13, 1927 – September 1, 2016) was an American folk singer, guitarist, producer, and songwriter. Hellerman was an original member of the seminal American folk group The Weavers, together with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Ron ...
and Frank Minoff), charted on
Lista Przebojów Programu Trzeciego Lista Przebojów Programu Trzeciego (''the Radio Three Chart'', LP3) is the oldest and the longest-running music chart in Poland. Aired by Polskie Radio Program III, a division of the Polskie Radio public broadcaster, the list has been broadcast ...
in 2012. ''You Gotta Move'' was eventually released on 2 October 2013 through Mystic Production.


Band members

;Current members * Łukasz Lach – vocals, guitar, piano (2003–present) * Adam Lewartowski – bass guitar,
scratching Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and Turntablism, turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a phonograph, turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to ...
(2003–present) * Piotr Gwadera – drums (2010–present) * Andrzej Sieczkowski – percussion (2003–present) ;Former members * Radek Bolewski – drums (2003–2010)


Discography


Albums


Extended plays


Charted songs


Music videos


References


External links


Official website
{{Authority control 2003 establishments in Poland Musical groups established in 2003 Musicians from Łódź Mystic Production artists Polish rock music groups