A Eurovision flavored collaboration.
Kalush Orchestra, winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, join forces with Finnish rock band The Rasmus, who also took part in this year's contest, to release a new version of their huge hit 'In The Shadows', now called "In The Shadows Of Ukraine".
The song, which perfectly reflects the feelings of Ukrainians towards the war that has broken out in their country, is the first release by Kalush Orchestra after their victory with the song "Stefania" at Eurovision 2022.
"In The Shadows Of Ukraine" is accompanied by a black and white video directed by Leonid Kolosovsky, which captures the difficult daily life of Ukrainians. Using mainly a Ukrainian artistic group, the video clip gives the world a chance to see what Ukrainians suffer every day in their country. Watch the video here.
Rasmus' song 'In The Shadows' was a huge hit in Ukraine when it was first released, so when the Kalush Orchestra met the band in Turin, where the competition was held, they immediately hit it off.
Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleg Psiuk said: “Probably all Ukrainians of my generation, as well as a little older, will know The Rasmus track very well. I was only 17 when I first heard it and have been listening to it on repeat ever since. I never imagined that I would meet The Rasmus in person, let alone create a new version of this iconic song."
While still in Turin, the two bands did a joint performance where they sang 'Stefania', 'Jezebel' and 'In The Shadows' together in the city centre. At the same time, they created a musical connection between them, which is captured in the new version of this classic rock song.
The song's opening, darker lyrics certainly relate to the situation in Ukraine for several reasons: "They say I have to learn to kill before I feel safe, but I'd rather kill myself than be their slave."
Lauri Ylönen, co-founder and frontman of The Rasmus, said: “From the first listen we loved the distinct sound of Kalush Orchestra – Ukrainian folk, with flute and rap. It was truly inspiring to hear such a revival of a song! Unfortunately, the lyrics are relevant to current events in Ukraine and around the world."
"The first time we met the Kalush Orchestra was at a Eurovision pre-party in Amsterdam. It was already an emotional moment because we knew about the war that had broken out in Ukraine and because we knew the mission of the country it was like meeting friends who were risking their lives,” he recalled.
"In Turin, the Kalush Orchestra approached us with the idea of mixing 'Stefania' with 'In The Shadows' and 'Jezebel'. We played this version at a gig downtown and it was truly magical. I was terribly impressed by their music. The flute combined with the beatboxing gave me chills. It was awesome and it was a first-time experience," he described.
“All the band members loved it. So we were inspired to create something together and share it with the world," he added.
The video contains references to the history of Ukraine and situations related to the experiences of modern Ukraine. On the set, "there was a need for all of us to give our best for a common goal", emphasized Lauri Ylönen, frontman of The Rasmus.
“We are thrilled to have reunited with The Rasmus and collaborated. We appreciate their music, as well as their support for Ukraine. They are such good and happy people. We immediately decided that we want to make a video for the song so that people can not only hear it, but also see everything that we want to show them with our new work," said Oleg Psiuk.
Kalush Orchestra's collaboration with The Rasmus does not end here, as more surprises are expected in the future.
