- City – Lviv (Ukraine)
- Language – Ukrainian
- Genre – poppunk, poppunk
Band history
Ulyana Del Rey is a Ukrainian music band from Lviv, led by vocalist and stand-up comedian Kolya Kapishon. The history of the Ulyana Del Rey band began with the desire to combine Western punk rock and Galician expression, creating music that uplifts the mood and energizes. The frontman of the band admits that he dreamed of a project where the punk sound would take on a local character, and each track would become an explosion of sincerity. This is how the band was born, which later gained popularity among fans of the Ukrainian alternative genre.
Even before Ulyana Del Rey appeared, Kolya was a vocalist in the Lviv band Kurwa Matj. And the current bassist Richard worked there as a sound engineer. Once, after a concert, returning home, friends remembered their youth, when they played "punk", and decided that it was worth trying again.
The idea did not wait long. 2020, a pandemic, Kolya actively leads Instagram, where he publishes humorous videos and short songs, which will later turn into the first tracks of the new band. Richard involves two more musicians - Vova Gladky (the future drummer of the Palindrome band) and Romik. This is how the style is born, which the artists themselves call "neoragul poppunk" - a combination of energy, self-irony and melody.
Creative path
The band's debut took place at the wedding of Kolya Kapishon himself. The improvised concert turned into a crazy live, and the guests sang new hits for a long time. Later, the guys decided to reach a wider audience. Thanks to Richard, who is a co-owner of the Ruїn Bar boiler house, the group received a stage for their first performances and solo concerts. This is how the mini-album "Persha" appeared - the debut album that cemented the name of Ulyana Del Rey in the Ukrainian music industry.
However, two weeks after the release, a full-scale invasion swept the country. Richard and Romik went to the front, and the group's concert activities stopped. However, work on the material continued. During the holidays, the musicians gathered, recorded new compositions. And later the second mini-album "Druha" and the single "Khrystina" were released, which became one of the group's recognizable tracks.
Style and development of the group
Gradually the lineup was updated: Romik decided to end his musical career, and Vova joined Palindrome. New musicians were invited to the band – Dima Gladky, Max Urbanovich, Nazar Kokhansky and saxophonist Petro Vasylyshyn.
In their work, the musicians do not strive for philosophical depths – they create music for life, travel and joy. They themselves call their own works “a pleasant soundtrack for travel”. The group’s songs are the embodiment of the crazy charisma of the participants. This is light, sincere rock with folk shades, drive and humor, which is equally well received by fans and casual listeners.
In the fall of 2024, the first full-length album “Everything is Easier Than It Seems” was released. The release consolidated Ulyana Del Rey’s status as a bright representative of Ukrainian pop-punk. The record combines lightness and emotional depth. It contains ironic, romantic and even philosophical motifs. Among the hits is a composition created in collaboration with Lviv rapper Polamav. And also – a cover of the legendary song by Lviv pop-punk stars Loozer “My Dog”.
A special place in the repertoire is occupied by the track “The Best That Happened During This War” – a frank, lyrical composition where the band departs from the usual humorous style. It is a tender song about love and hope.
Social activity
The musicians actively maintain an Instagram page where they share news and plans with fans.
The artists also support volunteer initiatives and gatherings organized to meet the needs of the Defense Forces. During concerts, the band holds charity auctions and calls on the audience to donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Discography of the group:
- «First»;
- «Second»;
- «Third»;
- «Everything is simpler than it seems» (first studio album).
The most famous hits:
- «2007»;
- «Atheist Boguslav»;
- «The Book in Your Bag»;
- «Khrystina»;
- «The Best Thing That Happened During This War»;
- «Live in the Moment».
Interesting facts about the group:
- Before the big concert at !FestRepublic, the group came up with an original performance – invited a saxophonist who just sat on stage for four hours. The fans liked the joke so much that the saxophonist remained in the band;
- Kolya Kapishon is not only the singer and leader of the band, but also a famous stand-up comedian, co-founder of the gastropub "Long Turbulent Applause" and host of the Lviv City Stand Up Show podcast on Radio Skovoroda. His charisma, sense of humor and stage freedom became Ulyana Del Rey's calling card;
- the performance at the "Fine City" festival in 2023 became one of the brightest pages in the band's concert history. Ulyana Del Rey was the headliner of the underground scene. The performance gathered about five hundred fans who sang along with the musicians every track.