Being the last living member of your family is a grim reality, drenched in loneliness and sorrow. The faces that shared your past are gone, leaving a void that memories can’t fill. Survival comes with a heavy load of guilt and gratitude, questioning why you’re still here when others aren’t.
War in particular leaves its mark, scarring the mind with anxiety and nightmares. The absence of family means battling these demons alone. Rebuilding life from the rubble is no easy feat. The road to recovery is tough, but the human spirit is resilient. Finding solace in new connections and honoring the lost can light the way forward.
This is the theme behind the powerful new joint single Cherga, from Ukrainian post-punk bands Small Depo and DK Energetyk.
Small Depo is a Ukrainian post-punk outfit that kicked off in 2014 in Kyiv. They’ve got a knack for mixing 80s vibes with a modern twist, creating tunes that wrap you in a melancholic haze. Their lyrics dive into loneliness, inner battles, and the feeling of being cut off from the world. DK Energetyk hails from Kyiv-Brovary, channeling the gritty essence of the 90s post-Soviet era in Ukraine. They sprang to life in 2023 and wasted no time, dropping two albums in a single year.
Cherga, sung in Ukrainian, is a powerful hymn of grief – and the gradual realization of needing to move forward from tragedy.
“The theme of the song is inspired by thoughts about the feelings of a person who remains the last of the living in his family tree,” says the band. The (lyrics) touch on issues of reconciliation with the passage of time and acceptance of the fact that there is no one behind you. Everyone will have their turn to be the beginning and the end of everything.”
Listen to “CHERGA” below and order here.
Vladyslav Zhiltsov and Maksym Ishchenko of Small Depo penned the music, while Yakiv Marnyi of DK Energetyk and Ishchenko teamed up on the lyrics. Seva Shutka of DK Energetyk took care of the mixing and mastering at PLAN studio, creating what the bands call a “strong symbiosis.”
“In a very short time, we managed to create a truly important and strong song for all of us. It was a pleasure working with DK Energetyk. I’m glad we found like-minded friends during this time,” said Ishchenko.
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