ANDRZEJ CITOVITZ AND THE FIREFLIES OF FEBRUARY – Interview with Andrzej Citowicz, guitarist & composer

“… the guitar has always been the background of my existence. (…) Creating, recording is a second life for me, a springboard and at the same time something that is more than a hobby. (…) For sure Vai and Joe Satriani were the first guitarists… (…) I feel more like a guitar songwriter like Richie Sambora.” – Andrzej Citowicz

Livius Pilavi & Pavel: Hello Andrzej! We’ll start trivially, but after the age of 40 (to put it mildly) we tend to recall our youth more and more often, hahaha… Was there any impulse that pushed you to play the guitar – a particular album, a concert you watched? In general, how did your adventure with rock and metal music start?

Andrzej Citowicz: It’s scary to write these words in your late 40s with a guitar in your hand… After all, where did the time fly by? It was Too fast, unexpectedly, with thousands of side problems in the background. But always with a guitar in hand. Answering your question – I have never parted with my guitar. Life wrote down its own scripts, and the guitar has always been the background of my existence. Starting from the first Lady Pank album, which shaped me musically in a way as a kid (born in the 70s, ending with rock hits of the late 80s such as “New Jersey” from Bon Jovi or “Hysteria” by Def Leppard.

Livius Pilavi: I know you’re a BON JOVI fan. What are your other favorite artists? Who is your number one guitarist?

Andrzej Citowicz: I have my guitar, sacred trio, which I never really grew out of: Richie Sambora, Steve Clark, Jan Borysewicz. … Eddie Van Halen should also be mentioned… Who knows, maybe not a guy who brings guitar inspirations together.

Livius Pilavi: Are you completely self-taught when it comes to playing the guitar and other instruments?

Andrzej Citowicz: I’m a total autodidact. There are good sides to it, and there are also bad ones, because the lack the ability of reading musical notes can create problems, but I’m grateful to that I found a way to combine these two separate worlds into one, my own patent for playing.

Pavel: Ok. Can we briefly go through your discography? On the internet I found something very archival, a ballad from 1995 – “Kiedy” (in English “When”). A very pleasant track, which (looking at those times) had the makings of a commercial radio song… So you were already recording something in those years…

Andrzej Citowicz: At that time, I was recording on a four-track Sony set (cassettes, however, carried the warm sound of recordings – even those made at home). Teenage fun and passion, which was the germ of what remained inside me for next decades.

Pavel: Haven’t you thought about re-recording this track?

Andrzej Citowicz: Many people asked me that same question. I’m surprised myself. Probably the song didn’t stand the test of time, but maybe the naive heart of mine then, made the song reach people. Who knows, maybe it’s the magic of music embedded in guitar sounds.

Pavel: In 2012 you signed with Down Boys Records (Erik Turner and Jerry Dixon’s WARRANT label). How did you come under the wing of this label?

Andrzej Citowicz: The beginning of the Internet Era… Or in other words… The beginnings of the Polish Internet. I set it up in my head, setting up my first e-mail box, that I would send my demos by e-mail to artists who inspired me. 90 percent of my messages went unanswered and for some reason Erik and Jerry replied to my email. Yes, without having a full-fledged material, based on demos, I signed my first contract. I realized that it is Very important, having in your passions, in your music giving you eventually things fall into place and the right people find you.

Pavel: What did you record for them?

Andrzej Citowicz: Looking back, the good sirs took me Under their wings, I recorded the demo EP “Year of the dragon”, prepared literally at home. Probably these songs had no chance to reach wider shores, but this release led to new doors opening in front of me, even unintentionally. Finally I started seeing some light at the end of the tunnel in my little musical world.

Pavel: I’m thinking about (inspiration) putting together a few titles, from old songs from 2012 – “Summertime”, or from 2013 – “Summer’s End” and “Winter’s Breath” and from the newest EP “Winter Songs” from 2022… Is it longing for Polish seasons?

Andrzej Citowicz: I caught myself doing that once. Probably the selection of titles happens beyond the control of consciousness, in this instrumental “universum” of the creator, but who knows if the seasons did not influence the choice of words or titles … I believe in the power of the subconscious, and it is very hard to argue with it.

Livius Pilavi & Pavel: We’ll talk about the latest EP “Winter Songs” later…. But on the occasion of the seasons… What is winter like in Egypt?

Andrzej Citowicz: 14 years ago, arriving in Egypt (where my wife and I live) I had the idea of a winter that does not exist in this region of the world. How surprised I was after a few months of living in this exotic country at the end of the day. In the Sahara, at night the temperatures drop to zero, and at the turn of December and February there are rains, and even one-day snow are not a surprise.

Pavel: And are the musical variations (interpretations) of Christmas carols a kind of longing for Christmas in Poland?

Andrzej Citowicz: Probably yes, but I also have to pay tribute to Janek Borysewicz and his releases made solo (“Królowa Ciszy”) or with Lady Pank (“Star Children”) for the Christmas. For many reasons, this music stayed with me and in a way inspired me and continues to do so.

Pavel: In 2013 you ended cooperation with Down Boys Records and started collaborating with German multi-instrumentalist and producer Dirk Arnicke. The result was the instrumental albums “Shot Down, Get Up” and “Ace Of Hearts”. So since then you haven’t acted alone in THE ANDRZEJ CITOWICZ EXPERIENCE?

Andrzej Citowicz: That’s true. I met Dirk via the Internet, through the Soundcloud portal and entering the new millennium (already a different century), our acquaintance turned into a musical friendship, which resulted in several releases that became my milestones in music.

Pavel: At some point you started to expand the line-up of THE ANDRZEJ CITOWICZ EXPERIENCE on-line… You were joined by a Polish bassist Patryk Szymanski (from TRANSTIME) and a German vocalist Oliver Monsieur (from AMP THE BAND)… And (also known as TACE) you recorded a great EP “Jack Of Hearts”, with music in the style of Hard Rock from the 80s… Easily catchy melodies but with a delicate claw and of course with lots of emotions… Apparently the songs from this EP were played on Polish radio stations and received a lot of positive reviews?

Andrzej Citowicz: Yes, it was. Unexpectedly, the songs from “Jack Of Hearts” appeared on air of the Polish Radio Rzeszów and Olsztyn and the EP was reviewed quite positively in the magazine “Teraz Rock”

Pavel: Did you collaborate with Ancient Dreamland Productions at that time? What company is this?

Andrzej Citowicz: This is the company that Dirk Arnicke created. This company was mainly focusing broadly on music production. Our paths parted last year, but the company still operates as Ancient Dreamland Games, developing independent computer games for the PC platform.

Pavel: But what happened that you ended TACE? They were really good pieces.

Andrzej Citowicz: It was quite a difficult period in my life, and I think there came a moment when I stopped feeling emotionally attached to this project. Creating, recording is a second life for me, a springboard and at the same time something that is more than a hobby. It’s a way of life. At some point, TACE lost this glow for me, which does not mean that we may return to this project someday. We are still friends outside of this project.

Pavel: However, you still (without the vocalist) worked together. And “In Time” was an album already released under the banner of ANDRZEJ CITOWICZ? Then “The Exit” (I may have missed some material as there was a lot of it)… Is it hard to collaborate and record online? How is it in your case?

Andrzej Citowicz: Technology has changed everything. Audio interfaces, amplifier simulations, such programs as Garage Band or Logic Pro made it possible to start an extraordinary adventure in the four corners of your own home. Recording online is really like putting together a musical puzzle. Once again, the recording technology, the so-called home recording, made it possible for people with similar tastes and having the same passion to record together, despite thousands of kilometers separating them.

Pavel: At what point does the name of the project change to CITOVITZ AND THE FIREFLIES OF FEBRUARY? I’m starting to get lost in these names, hahaha… But the musicians stay the same?

Andrzej Citowicz: The project was created in my head right after the TACE. I needed to be dealt a new hand, including the name. Plus after 40, if you still have any passion in your heart, you have to give it a 100 percent. And I saw no other option but to keep this fire in my heart, I had to get the ball rolling …not only composing and recording guitar tracks myself, but I also had to take care of drum production, arranging and programming. In this creative chaos, I found inspiration and freedom that I had not known before. From the former collaborators, the bassist Patryk Szymański stayed onboard with me, with whom we share an unspoken understanding during our virtual recording sessions.

Livius Pilavi: The name “Andrzej Citowicz and the Fireflies of February” is intriguing. Where did the idea for the name come from and what does it mean?

Andrew Citowicz: Fireflies have always fascinated me for reasons unknown to me since childhood. It is sad that in recent years there has been a growing concern about the declining number of fireflies in many parts of the world, possibly due to habitat loss, light pollution, farming practices, pesticides… A few months ago, I came across an article about fireflies that appear in February (February is also my birthday month).

There are about 2,000 species of fireflies, but not all are nocturnal. Not all of them are bright either – some don’t glow at all. This February firefly is unique. Appears for a while, in the coldest of months. It is one of the first insects that appear before spring. I found something in this firefly that made me want this name to also become part of my musical adventure, a new chapter of this adventure. Such naive poetry in this, but the discovery that there is a winter firefly reminded me that I am aware of only a small percentage of the infinite number of creatures that surround me. They may not have wonderful singing or pretty feathers, but winter’s dark fireflies are harbingers of spring, of that imaginary new life.

Pavel: In the summer of 2022, the album CITOVITZ AND THE FIREFLIES OF FEBRUARY “Misery Loves Company” were released… Where did you get your musical and non-musical inspirations from? While listening to your music, I sometimes had the impression of a similar playing style to STEVE VAI…

Andrzej Citowicz: It’s a great compliment for me, because I know my place in the guitar rank. For sure Vai and Joe Satriani were the first guitarists who introduced me to instrumental music during my teenage days in the early 90’s. I feel more like a guitar songwriter like Richie Sambora. He also wants to tell stories with guitar sounds, without words; only with the melodies and emotions contained in them. In addition to music inspirations are movies, sometimes a scene from a movie that makes a new melody start dancing in your head.

Livius Pilavi: Your music is often very moody, romantic. What role do feelings and love play in your life and work?

Andrzej Citowicz: Love is in everything. Love is something that probably dies last together with hope … Love gives wings, breaks the heart, but at the end of the day it is probably the only testimony that maybe somewhere our existence on this earth makes sense…

Livius Pilavi: “Misery Loves Company” has a lot of songs. How long did it take to work on the album?

Andrzej Citowicz: The recording process went extremely smoothly, moreover – originally this album was supposed to be a double album. I realized, however, that 50 instrumental tracks can be something hard to get through, so I chose a slightly different format – the whole recording took me about 6 months, including production, arrangement and drum programming.

Livius Pilavi: Your songs on the album “Misery Loves Company” are rather short, although they are composed in such a way that it doesn’t bother you. But aren’t you tempted to create larger musical forms?

Andrzej Citowicz: It’s tempting… and probably longer songs will definitely appear on the next release. This album was my private testing ground for my soul and passion. Probably for the first time in years I felt the joy of playing, which I felt only once, discovering my own way for the first time in the past; in music and life…

Livius Pilavi: Very interesting clips were made for many songs from “Świetliki” (Fireflies). Who is their creator? Where does the material for these videos come from?

Andrzej Citowicz: These are mostly stock videos, short shots (available for free), even for commercial use. Editing, adding effects is my job again. I wanted these songs to be accompanied by an image that could best reflect the musical heartbeat of each of them.

Pavel: The latest work of CITOVITZ AND THE FIREFLIES OF FEBRUARY is the EP “Winter Songs”. Just a few months after the Misery Loves Company album! You seem to keep composing. And how about anything else? haha…

Andrzej Citowicz: Time will tell, but in my “defense”, let the facts speak for themselves that these tracks are still part of the recording session that did not make it onto “Misery Loves Company”. For many reasons, I felt sorry for these compositions, which is why I decided to release them in the form of a winter EP.

Pavel: Apparently, you already have more ideas spinning in your head and you are announcing the material “NeverEnding Storms” for 2023! Can you tell us anything about this material?

Andrzej Citowicz: It will certainly be a continuation of the already chosen musical path. Maybe more organic playing, longer songs… and as a little surprise I can announce the appearance of a vocalist, but it’s a bit too early to write about it.

Pavel: Oh! This makes me even more curious!

Livius Pilavi: When you live in Egypt, you must be exposed to traditional Middle Eastern, Arabic music. Is this music interesting for you? Maybe in the future you will use some of its elements in your work?

Andrzej Citowicz: After 14 years of living in Egypt, these melodies naturally get into your head. More or less unconsciously. I don’t listen to this music much, but these oriental sounds find their way into my subconscious.

Pavel: By the way, I like oriental music very much!… And I have the impression that in the song “Grave Of Trust” from the album “The Exit” the solo contains some elements of Arabic music (or rather Arabic scale)…

Andrzej Citowicz: Yes, and it is certainly the result of what I wrote above. These Middle Eastern sounds were finally part of my life those days.

Pavel: But for now, we can enjoy what we have so far… What is the reaction of the media? For example… Radio Pro-Rock… Metal Hammer…

Andrzej Citowicz: I was met with incredible favor from media. For example, in Polish Radio Olsztyn or radio Rzeszów, or mentioned by Radio Pro Rock or Italian Metal Hammer (and even polish Teraz Rock). I am aware that my music is a niche, so every favorable hand (including an interview by yourselves!) is always a unique experience for me.

Livius Pilavi & Pavel: Will there ever be any CITOVITZ AND THE FIREFLIES OF FEBRUARY concerts anywhere? Have you thought about meeting on stage together, even just once?

Andrzej Citowicz: Logistically we are far, also organizationally, but last year discussions took place that perhaps we will be able to meet for a one-off concert. Time will tell, but some movements in this direction have already been made.

Livius Pilavi: Your songs have very interesting titles. If these songs had lyrics, what would their themes be?

Andrzej Citowicz: You’ll probably laugh, but for me the idea for a piece starts with… the title. I save on my phone every idea, word, sentence, sometimes overheard lines from movies, read in a book, sometimes overheard sentence. Everything is an inspiration, and the title of the instrumental music actually delivers the chosen name in a way. I guess I prefer my guitar to be my “lyrics”.

Pavel: And that “Parental Advisory Explicit Content” label on the album “Misery Loves Company”? After all, there are no texts, except maybe some short declamations…

Andrzej Citowicz: This is a funny story related to my American distributor. One of my songs has the word Fxxxing in the title. It turned out that even the title with censored profanity, and the declamation you mentioned appearing in several songs qualify the album under this designation. A distributor THING!

Pavel: Hahaha… Not much of that. This title “Fxxxing” is doubly suspicious! Firstly, the swearing, and secondly, those “xxx” can also be lewdly associated with the theme of porn, hahaha… Definitely it’s not for children, hahaha… Did you count how many songs you composed?

Andrzej Citowicz: There will be 200 of them. Some are still hiding in the recesses of the computer disk, others are wandering around the recesses of memory, and still others are stuck for good under the banner of “work in progress”. I try to write a lot. Without a plan, without knowing whether the song will appear in a finalized version on any album. I just write a lot. A gift and a curse perhaps!

Pavel: Do you have any songs that are particularly close to you, or those that you like the most? Or maybe the ones you don’t like too much?

Andrzej Citowicz: Some songs were written too quickly; I didn’t put too much heart and authenticity into. After all these years, these are my least favorite. In general, I am very critical of my recordings and I always want to improve something, add something … I’m never satisfied with the end result, so at the end of the day I’m glad that others find something more in my music than I sometimes do.

Livius Pilavi: Do you know any interesting rock and metal bands from Egypt? Does such music appear in local media? Is there a rock or metal scene in this country?

Andrzej Citowicz: There is a Cairo rock and metal scene. It’s extremely underground and I don’t follow their activities on a daily basis, but I know that they exist. In fact, the last decade has probably been kinder to those bands that, thanks to the Internet, have a chance to pay out to wider shores.

Pavel: So far, the rock scene is created by Andrzej Citowicz! So where can we listen to your music?

Andrzej Citowicz: You can find my music on all leading streaming portals as well as on YouTube. The Internet has unintentionally become a global stage for me to reach places where I had no access to a few years ago.

Pavel: Thank you Andrzej for going through this long interview! We wish you further success in the musical field. Will you visit Poland?

Andrzej Citowicz: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for these wonderful questions, support and kind words. There is less and less of me in Poland, but who knows what 2023 will bring. Thank you again for the interview!