Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Tomek Zdyb

Hi! I’m Tomek Zdyb, a singer-songwriter from Poland. I create pop-oriented music influenced by a variety of different styles. My songs put today’s complicated world under the spotlight through sarcasm and irony, using them as a way to cope with the reality we live in.

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

Funny enough, my very first memory of performing feels more like a prophecy that I would never have anything to do with the stage! I was in kindergarten, preparing a performance for our parents at the end of the semester, and I was asked to sing a solo. The problem was, I was absolutely terrified of the stage, so I refused to do it.

Can you imagine that this same frightened little boy is now completely addicted to the stage adrenaline?

How did your passion for creating music begin?

It actually came to me pretty late. I wasn’t one of those kids who took singing lessons from an early age, participated in talent contests, and built their confidence step by step. Not at all! I was close to graduating from high school when I truly discovered my love for music.

At the time, I was obsessed with P!nk and her music was what first inspired me to start singing. And that’s how the whole journey began.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

I’ve just finished my first project, The Untold Stories. It’s a collection of 10 songs released in the form of a playlist. What was originally meant to be a small beginning quickly turned into something much deeper and more meaningful.

At first, the project was supposed to be called Taboo Stories, because the songs focused mainly on sexuality as a social taboo — and on the consequences that taboo can have while growing up. Everything changed when I wrote the title track, The Untold Story. That song really opened my eyes and made me realize that taboo goes far beyond sexuality. We all create taboos within ourselves. We all hide our own untold stories because we’re afraid of showing who we truly are.

Who knows — maybe one day there will be The Untold Stories Pt. 2?

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music

before?

Expect the unexpected!

That’s probably the simplest way to describe it, or at least that’s what I’m aiming for. I love surprising people. Out of all the reactions I hear, “Wow, I’m shocked” is definitely the most satisfying one for me.

I enjoy playing with genres, experimenting with my voice, and breaking traditional song structures. I think a lot of that inspiration comes from my love for Girls Aloud.

You’ll hear electronic pop in my music, but I’m always trying to step beyond the boundaries of pop itself, so you can also notice influences of rap, rock, or punk. And honestly, I still feel like there’s so much more left for me to discover.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

You can’t satisfy everyone.

I think that’s one of the most important things to understand, especially as a new artist. So many beginners dream about becoming the next “big thing,” and because of that, we often start shaping our creative process around making something that could please everyone. But the truth is, that’s impossible.

You have to learn who your audience is, but most importantly, you have to accept your own identity within your music.

For me, this struggle goes beyond just the sound of a song. It’s also about language. Polish is my native language, and living in Poland naturally makes that audience the closest and most accessible to me. But at the same time, my songwriting feels the most honest and natural in English. I’m still learning how to balance those two worlds without forcing anything. Maybe one day I’ll feel ready to change something, who knows?

At the end of the day, I simply want to find people who truly understand and connect with my music. Because music has no nationality, no race, no orientation. If you feel it, then you feel it, and that’s enough for me. I make music for people, not for nations.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

It’s really all about me, my imagination, and the people I trust. Everything starts with a brainstorm — with a concept, an emotion, or a source of inspiration. Those ideas slowly turn into words, and the words turn into music.

Then I bring those songs to local producers I collaborate with, and together we give them their final shape and sound.

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

My biggest indie influence has to be Qveen Herby. She’s absolutely phenomenal. What inspires me the most is the fact that she built everything on her own and completely reinvented herself as an artist.

She first entered the music industry as part of Karmin, but later decided to walk away from the commercial world and follow her own artistic vision. Since then, she’s been unstoppable. You can clearly see her growth, both musically and creatively, and the way she constantly pushes boundaries is incredible to me.

She’s a true indie genius.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

Well, let me split that into two separate experiences.

The first one, and it’s something that’s clearly reflected in The Untold Stories, is growing up gay in Poland. If I had to describe that project in one word, it would definitely be “frustration.” Every song on the project captures, in some way, how frustrating it can be to grow up surrounded by limitations, expectations, and fear. I think that frustration naturally added a certain aggression and intensity to my vocals as well.

But then there’s another experience, a much more recent one, that will definitely be heard in my upcoming projects. The death of my grandmother, who was incredibly close to me, made me find an inner peace I had never experienced before. For the first time, I no longer feel the need to explode with energy all the time. Strange as it may sound, the moment my world stopped, I found balance. I stopped fighting reality so much and started learning how to accept it.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

I think I search for unity. I was very lonely growing up. I separated myself from my peers and often felt misunderstood, like I didn’t belong anywhere.

And I know I’m not the only one. There are people who want to be accepted exactly as they are. People who need space to understand their own strength and identity.

That’s my goal. I want to connect with those people. I want to accept them, and I want to listen to their stories just as they listen to mine.

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

There is no greater lesson than understanding who I am. I am music.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

I like aiming high. It gives me a constant drive to keep pushing forward. Instead of focusing only on small, incremental steps, I prefer setting goals that feel almost unreachable and then watching myself gradually move closer to them, step by step.

Of course, I’d love to headline major events worldwide one day, but right now my focus is on Eurovision. Let’s see what happens.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

I guess you’d like to hear just one name, right? Well, that’s impossible, but let me try to keep it short.

Cheryl for a dance banger. Kylie Minogue for a new gay anthem. P!nk or Gwen Stefani as a guest collaboration live. Park Bom or Mylène Farmer for an emotional ballad. Lily Allen for a writing session. Delta Goodrem or Carrie Underwood for a vocal lesson. And Greg Kurstin for production.

Okay… I probably need to stop too, because this list could go on forever.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)

You are more than welcome to check my music platforms:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6AhJo0IWmBFeerPlyyTsv0?si=0-wiF0KZSLSm9VZxU7XyaA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomekZdyb

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/pl/artist/tomek-zdyb/1737239004

social media:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/tomek.zd/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569485999341

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tomek_zdyb

Every single like, comment, subscription counts! I’d be grateful if you want to support me and my music <3

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical

journey?

I’m still building my audience, but I’m really looking forward to the day we can all connect and sing those songs together. I’m ready for it.

Right now, I’m taking a few months off to slow down and to mourn my grandmother, but I’m not stopping my work in the studio. I’m still working on different projects. One of them I need to keep secret for now, as it’s a collaboration project.

The other is my second solo project, inspired by mythology. I can’t wait to share it.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

Honesty. Truth. Authenticity.

I don’t like the “god-like” aura that some artists create around themselves. At the end of the day, we are all human beings. Perfection is a myth.

I want people to see me as an imperfect human  and I want them to feel comfortable with their own imperfections too.

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interview 🙂

Thank you for the interview!