Interview: Jinjer Vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk on Touring with Babymetal, “I’m Open to Trying New Things”

When you think about prog-metal, standout bands like Meshuggah, Gojira and Opeth spring to mind as the default. But the consistency and longevity of Jinjer’s career show that they, too, are the blueprint.

Forever evolving, as each decade passes, the Ukrainian quartet are constantly standing the test of time. And have been an imperative asset to the prog-metal scene since the mid-2000s.

Over the years, Jinjer’s lead singer, Tatiana Shmayluk, has proven to be an absolute powerhouse of a vocalist. As evident in the effortless fluidity of her range. From her electrifying fry screams to the boisterous deep gutturals. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing Jinjer live, you’ll know that words do little justice to describe the true versatility and impact of Shmayluk’s voice. Though treasured albums King of Everything and Macro do a pretty good job of highlighting that.

Following an unforgettable mainstage slot at Download Festival on Sunday afternoon, I sat down with Shmayluk to talk about the perfect setlist and touring with Babymetal.

Hello hello. How does it feel to be back at Download playing the main stage again since your last 2023 slot?

First of all, I’m still under a great impression from 2023. I think I had one of the best times ever at Download [that year]. You gave me the present of seeing Metallica. The whole day was magical. I absolutely love playing the main stage, of course. It’s an honour for us. And we love the audience. It’s always great. Zero complaints. 

Any personal differences you recognise? Any sense of growth in your audience or yourself, even?

You know, I noticed the difference… I don’t remember what day we played in 2023, but I think the audience was a little bit bigger then. But maybe that’s the weather, because it’s pretty hot today, and I understand if people have been here for three days.

Yeah, some people have been here for five days!

Yeah, so I get it. There’s been a slight difference, but mostly it’s been fantastic.

Earlier this year, you dropped your fifth studio album, Duél. Your first full-length since your lockdown project, Wallflowers. What did it feel like to bring some of the tracks from this new album to life at such a huge crowd? 

Well, honestly, I really enjoyed performing those songs, because, oh, my God, [I get] so tired of performing all the old stuff. After you’ve practised the songs and recorded, it already feels so old. But playing it live is a completely different feeling.

I love it because I like to see the reactions, because Jinjer is not easy. We picked bangers – something that is, for us, really pleasant to perform and what we think the audience wants to hear, to move to and to groove to. It’s pretty new, the album. So we need to give it more time. We’re well known to be a live band, so that’s how we push ourselves for our fans.

When booking huge shows like this, what process do you go through to make sure you’re locking in the best setlist? As you just mentioned, you want to include the bangers.

We try to include all the older hits and popular tracks. That’s how we built it to be. It’s a struggle for us because sometimes we are in between playing the bangers that are not usually the faster and more energetic songs. And then, also playing the faster songs. But it takes too much energy for the musicians. So we try to keep it balanced. That’s what’s important.

That’s a really good point. I think, as fans, we don’t think about how much energy it takes for artists to go through all their best, and heaviest songs. (especially for metal bands). Is it a really physically demanding experience?

Yeah, absolutely. It’s a total physical exercise for me, even if I don’t move. For me, it takes all the energy out of me when I scream. We still have to find a balance.

So you’re currently making your way through your European summer tour. What’s it been like so far? Any standout dates? Or moments?

Oh yeah. It’s not often that I love live shows to the point I want to go back on stage, but I really enjoyed Sweden Rock, Rock am Ring, and Rock im Park especially.

I feel like we’ve been on tour forever, and a few festivals that we’ve played. But yes, so far, Download, we love this. Especially with the state we’re in right now; hungry, stinky, tired and ready to have a day off tomorrow. So far, I love them all. Thankfully, I’m grateful to all of these festivals for having us.

Next month, you’re heading on tour with Babymetal and Bloodywood, that’s amazing. Have you toured with either before?

No. We’ve never toured with [either of] them before, and we had an offer from them earlier. We kind of turned it down, but they insisted. So we agreed because we want to try and see how it is. We’ve never even had them in mind as a direct support, because we are always looking for something heavier and niche. But I’m excited to see how it will go.

I think this could be really fun because it’s a bit different, isn’t it, for you guys?

Yeah, absolutely. For the past few years, we’ve opened up our minds. We’ve stopped being so demanding. I’m open to trying new things. So it’s them that I have to convince. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but it’s good to try and a good experience. So, I’m looking forward to the tour.

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