Stookcast #450

19 april 2026

Back in my day, I lived in a tiny Ukrainian village with no phone lines or gas, just radio waves and a school where I spent half my school life obsessed with folk music. I was constantly on stage, singing in competitions and digging deep into the local heritage.

So, naturally, my first major influences aren't even on Spotify. I'm talking about raw, soul-crushing songs about the fate of the Ukrainian people during serfdom under the russian empire — a system of brutal, near-slavery conditions, Cossack anthems, and stories of heroes from the Second World War. 

Everything shifted when my dad bought me my first tape recorder. From that moment on, I started inhaling every piece of music I could get my hands on.