Blesk Podcast: After Eurovision, we were afraid of interviews, says singer Vesna Kaňok Fuxová

For many months, the five female musicians have been preparing for the biggest European music competition with a tradition since 1956. After this challenging performance and a series of interviews, they took a break and this Thursday they are starting the April tour for the new record Muzika Slavica. In the song Hey Mom, they tell all the “haters” to go stab themselves because their words don’t make sense.

Their competition song My Sister’s Crown has hundreds of thousands of listens and views on various platforms, but it caused quite a stir before Eurovision. Due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, critics were bothered by the motifs of the video clip and the theme of sisterhood itself, as the Russians referred to Ukrainians during the era of Soviet rule. “There are several pro-Russian narratives and such classic, inconspicuous, soft propaganda,” said Ukrainian journalist Marharyta Golobrodská in Blesk Podcast in February 2023 about the composition.

Someone didn’t get it

According to her, the Ukrainians on social networks were initially excited that the Czech Republic would send a hit song into the fight, in which the songs were also sung in their language. Then came the disillusionment. “I don’t want the Ukrainians to look ungrateful, but when there are narratives spread by Russia in the song, of course it hurts and we can’t help but draw attention to it and close our eyes“, she described the opinions of some of her fellow citizens.

The band’s frontwoman Patricie Kaňok Fuxová was of course aware of the criticism in the Czech Republic and Ukraine, but she could not comment on it due to Eurovision rules. Less than a year after the competition, he does not agree with the criticisms. “In that text we sang ‘My sister’s crown don’t take it down,’ that means, don’t take my sister’s crown down. So the whole song and actually the video clip was supposed to express the support of the sisterhood, i.e. the Czech band’s support for Ukraine. However, someone didn’t get it,” Patricia sighed on the podcast.

They were not prepared for the pressure they faced from people on social networks, but also from journalists. “We didn’t even know how to react, defend ourselves. For example, we went to a few interviews, where they involved us with political questions, and suddenly it made us afraid of interviews.” described the hardships of the band’s frontwoman. After the competition, they commented on the whole situation with a post on social networks and thereby closed the entire criticism. According to Patricia, they learned from the unpleasant experience and learned to handle the interview better.

Women in a band

Vesna acts as a revelation on the Czech music scene, as a purely female formation is relatively rare. According to Patricia, the girls don’t argue with each other, on the contrary, they complement each other and can negotiate well. However, she is worried about how they will manage to create in the years to come, when they become mothers. The director of animated films Daria Kascheeva drew attention to the same problem in her acceptance speech at the Czech Lions this year.

“When we get pregnant alternately, it might be challenging in some ways, and at the same time it gives me feedback that a woman in today’s modern society has to make a lot of compromises and make a lot of sacrifices. Every decision is at the expense of something else and the conditions are not created to take the woman one hundred percent with all biological functions, with all phases. The whole society is designed as if women function similarly to men, but women function completely differently than men,” the musician points out about the persistent discrepancy in society.

Patricie Kaňok Fuxová revealed in the Blesk Podcast: Where did Patricia look for safety from criticism, what is the breakthrough of their new album, and why she believes in Morana and another goddess: