Interview: Get to Know Tabula Rasa
What first got you into music?
I think it started with rock music itself. We grew up listening to bands that made music feel bigger than just entertainment – it could carry emotion, energy and a real sense of freedom. Over time, music became a way for us to process life as well. Both the difficult things – loss, change, personal struggles – and the moments that make you feel completely alive. Bands like Muse, Foo Fighters, The Warning and later Måneskin showed us that rock can keep evolving without losing its power. That idea really stayed with us. We didn’t want to simply copy the music we grew up with – we wanted to take that energy and build something of our own from it.
How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?
I’d describe our music as modern alternative rock built on contrasts. We combine heavy guitars and a strong rhythm section with synths, electronic textures and a lot of groove. Sometimes it’s dark and intense, sometimes more melodic or almost danceable, but there’s always a strong emotional core. We grew up on rock, but we don’t want to simply recreate the past. We like mixing vintage rock energy with a more modern, electronic approach, taking inspiration from bands like Muse, Foo Fighters, The Warning or Måneskin while still trying to build our own sound. If I had to put it in one sentence: it’s rock that hits hard, but still leaves space for electronics, melody and emotion.
Was there a defining moment when you realized music was your calling?
I don’t think there was one single defining moment. It was more of a gradual realization. But there were moments that really confirmed it for us — especially playing our own songs in front of people and seeing them sing the words back to us. Our tour “Przebudzenie” was a big part of that, because we organized it ourselves and saw that people were actually coming, connecting with the songs and becoming part of what we were building. Then getting the opportunity to support Smith/Kotzen and The Warning in Warsaw was another huge moment. Standing on the same stage as artists we respect so much made us think: okay, maybe this isn’t just something we love doing — maybe this is really the path we’re supposed to follow. So it wasn’t one lightning-bolt moment. It was a series of experiences that kept telling us to keep going.
Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics or melodies?
A lot of our inspiration comes directly from real life — the difficult experiences, losses, changes and moments of doubt, but also freedom, joy and the feeling of being completely alive. Lyrically, we’re drawn to things people often keep inside: identity, loneliness, relationships, pressure, searching for your own place and trying to understand who you really are. For example, “Diamenty” came from the idea that difficult experiences and personal “cracks” don’t make us less valuable — sometimes they are exactly what shapes us. Musically, inspiration can start anywhere: a guitar riff, a synth sound, a groove or just a certain atmosphere. We grew up on rock, but we’re always looking for ways to push it somewhere new, so we naturally mix guitars with electronics and experiment with different textures. Usually the best songs happen when the music and the emotion behind it meet naturally rather than when we try to force an idea.
How do you balance personal expression and creating something your audience will love?
For us, personal expression always comes first. We don’t want to write songs just because we think they might fit an algorithm, a trend or a particular audience. The music has to feel honest to us first. At the same time, playing live has taught us a lot about what people connect with. When you see an audience singing a chorus back to you or reacting to a particular riff or moment in a song, you naturally learn from that. So we try not to “write for the audience,” but we definitely listen to the audience. The goal is to stay true to what we want to say while creating something people can feel, remember and make their own.
What has been the most rewarding moment of your career so far?
One of the most rewarding moments so far was definitely playing in Warsaw as a support for The Warning and Smith/Kotzen. Sharing a stage with artists we genuinely respect was a huge moment for us and made all the work behind the band feel very real. But honestly, some of the most rewarding moments have also happened on our own shows — especially during the “Przebudzenie” tour, which we organized ourselves. Seeing people come to the shows, sing our lyrics back to us and connect with songs that started as very personal ideas is hard to beat. Awards and bigger stages are important, but that direct connection with the audience is probably what means the most to us.
Are there any specific milestones you’re working toward in your career?
Yes — definitely. One of our biggest goals right now is to keep building on the momentum we’ve created and take Tabula Rasa to the next level both musically and live. We’re working toward our second album, with “Diamenty” opening that new chapter, and we want the new material to push our sound further — especially the combination of heavy guitars, electronics and more experimental elements. On the live side, we want to play bigger festivals, more international support shows and eventually expand outside Poland. Supporting The Warning and Smith/Kotzen showed us that this is a direction we genuinely want to pursue. But the biggest milestone isn’t just a particular venue or number. We want to build a real audience that knows the songs, comes back to the shows and grows with us. If we can keep doing that while staying independent and making the music on our own terms, that would mean a lot to us.
How do you prepare for a show or tour?
he notes don’t spell out your exact pre-show routine, so I’d keep the answer close to what we know about the band: you organize a lot yourselves, care strongly about live energy, and use concerts to test how the songs connect with people. We usually prepare by focusing on one thing: making the live show feel like more than just playing the songs correctly. We rehearse the set until it feels natural, work on the flow and energy between songs, and make sure the whole band feels connected on stage. For a tour, there’s also a lot happening behind the scenes. We’ve organized our own “Przebudzenie” tour, so we know how much work goes into everything beyond the music itself. But once we get on stage, we try to forget about all of that. The goal is to be present, react to each other and to the audience, and make every show feel alive rather than simply repeating the same performance every night.
What’s the most unusual or memorable thing that’s happened to you on stage?
One of the most memorable moments happened during our “Przebudzenie” tour in Płock. We invited the supporting band to join us on stage for “Lewitacja”, and it turned into one of those completely unplanned moments where everything just clicked — the musicians, the audience, the singing and the energy in the room. It didn’t feel like two separate bands anymore. For a few minutes, everyone was part of the same thing, both on stage and in the crowd. We’ve played bigger stages since then, but moments like that stay with you because you can’t really plan or recreate them. That’s probably what we love most about playing live.
Can you tell us about your latest project or release?
Our latest release is “Diamenty”, the first single from our upcoming second album and the beginning of a new chapter for Tabula Rasa. The song is about finding your own value despite the cracks, difficult experiences and expectations that shape you. It’s really about identity — stripping away all those layers and trying to understand who you actually are underneath them. The idea behind it is that the things we go through don’t necessarily make us less valuable; sometimes they’re exactly what creates the person we become. Musically, it also represents where we’re heading next: a heavier modern rock sound combined with electronics, strong melodies and a more contemporary production approach. We also created a music video for the song because we wanted the visual side to tell its own story rather than simply illustrate the lyrics. Now we’re continuing to promote “Diamenty” while working on the next releases that will eventually form our second album. For us, it feels less like one standalone single and more like the opening scene of a much bigger story.
Are there any collaborations in the works you’re excited about?
There’s nothing we can officially announce at the moment, but collaborations are definitely something we’d love to explore more in the future. Because our music already sits somewhere between rock, electronics and more experimental sounds, working with someone from a slightly different musical world could take us somewhere unexpected — and that’s always exciting. We’ve had the chance to share stages with artists like The Warning and Smith/Kotzen, and experiences like that make you realize how much you can learn simply by being around musicians with a different background and approach. So for now, no spoilers — but if the right person, song and idea come together, we’d absolutely be open to it.
What message or emotion do you hope people take away from your music?
We hope people take away a sense of strength, honesty and the courage to be themselves. A lot of our songs come from real experiences — difficult moments, loss, doubt, searching for identity, but also freedom, joy and the need to move forward. We don’t want to pretend that life is always easy, but we also don’t want to leave people in the darkness. If someone listens to our music and feels understood, less alone, or maybe finds the courage to start again and write their own “blank page”, then the song has done something meaningful. That idea is really at the heart of Tabula Rasa: you can go through difficult things, carry scars and still find your own strength and value.
Who are you listening to right now?
Right now, we keep coming back to bands like Muse, The Warning, Foo Fighters and Måneskin. They all approach rock in very different ways, but what we really like is that none of them treat the genre as something that has to stay stuck in the past. We’re especially drawn to artists who combine strong songwriting and live energy with a willingness to experiment with production, electronics or unexpected sounds. At the same time, we try to listen outside of rock as well, because sometimes the most interesting ideas come from completely different genres.
How do you see your music evolving in the next few years?
We see our music becoming heavier, more electronic and more experimental, while still keeping the emotional core that has always been important to us. Rock will remain the foundation, but we don’t want to be limited by what a rock band is “supposed” to sound like. Synths and keyboards are already becoming a much bigger part of our music, and we’re interested in bringing in different textures, production ideas and even unexpected instruments when a song needs them. Our upcoming second album is already moving in that direction. We want to keep the power of guitars and a strong live band, but combine it with a more modern, atmospheric and sometimes darker electronic sound. The main goal is to keep evolving without losing what makes Tabula Rasa honest. We don’t want to chase trends — we want each new release to sound like a natural next step for us.
How do you handle the balance between commercial success and artistic integrity?
For us, artistic integrity has to come first. We’ve always built Tabula Rasa independently, and we don’t want to become a product designed around algorithms, trends or whatever happens to be commercially successful at the moment. Of course, we want the band to grow, reach more people and become sustainable — commercial success gives you the freedom to make bigger records, better shows and take more creative risks. But we never want that success to come at the cost of becoming something we’re not. So the balance is simple: we pay attention to the audience and the industry, but we don’t let them decide what our music should be. If we can grow while staying honest about what we create, that’s the kind of success we’re looking for.
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects, tours, or surprises?
The next chapter for us is already underway. “Diamenty” is the first single from our upcoming second album, so right now we’re working on the next releases and continuing to develop the new sound behind that record. At the same time, we’re staying very active live. We have more festival and outdoor shows ahead, and we want to keep expanding beyond the venues and cities we’ve already played. The new material is pushing Tabula Rasa further into the combination of heavy rock, electronics and more experimental sounds, so I think people can expect the next releases to reveal different sides of the band. And there are definitely a few ideas we’d rather keep as surprises for now. For us, the goal is simple: more music, more shows, bigger stages and another step forward without losing the independence that got us here.
Anything You'd Like Your Fans to Know.
We’d just like to say thank you to everyone who listens to our music, comes to the shows, shares a song or simply follows what we’re doing. We’re building Tabula Rasa independently, step by step, and every person who joins us makes that journey possible. People keep saying that rock is dying — we don’t believe that for a second. We think it’s evolving, finding new sounds and reaching new generations, and we want to be part of that. There’s a lot ahead of us: new music, new shows and a new album. So if you’ve discovered us recently, stay with us — we’re only getting started.
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