Doomed Confessionary: Anna Maria Olchawa (Ols)

Ols is a Polish one-woman project created by Anna Maria Olchawa, who composes, arranges, writes lyrics, sings and plays all instruments. Ols combines elements of many different musical genres. Anna creates music that draws inspiration from different sources, united by a dark atmosphere and strong emotions.

In Ols’ work, you can find classic neofolk, mystical journeys through the landscapes of atmospheric post-black, strange tales from the forest interwoven with urban, almost trip-hop hypnosis and hybrids of dark folk with heavy sounds, seen through a gothic lens and filtered by the artist’s unique sensitivity.

Ols sews together seemingly incompatible musical realities to create her own patchwork darkness, a melancholic, dark kaleidoscope that draws you into its embrace.

Ols’ discography includes several singles, EPs and three full-length albums: »Widma« (2020), »Pustkowia« (2022) and »Poświaty« (2025), all released through Pagan Records.

Can you please say a few words about your project?
Ols is a one-woman project. I do everything myself, and I think that’s a big part of what makes my music sound the way it does.

I’ve never really aimed to fit into a specific genre. From the very beginning, my goal was to create a space where I could take care of the entire creative process, from writing and recording to the final arrangements. That’s why Ols is built around multi-layered vocals, with harmonies I create by recording several vocal parts. The instruments accompanying them are simply the ones I know how to play.

I started out with just a handful of instruments, but over the years I’ve gradually expanded my definition of what it means to be able to play something. These days, I think that if I can coax a simple melody out of an instrument, that’s enough to make it part of my music. I’m much more interested in the possibilities it offers than in mastering it in the traditional sense.

I like experimenting with different approaches to music. In the end, though, everything seems to share a common denominator: a dark, misty atmosphere and a certain dark folk sensibility, even in songs that are musically quite far removed from folk. I think it comes from the fact that nature, and human beings as part of its cycles, are at the heart of what I do. Perhaps that’s what gives my music its distinctive, almost organic quality.

There’s also a lot of my love for heavy music in there, especially atmospheric black metal. I rarely use the genre’s more straightforward means of expression, although it does happen from time to time. You can still hear traces of it in the riffs, harmonies and darker themes. It’s all filtered through my nature-oriented sensibility, with a certain Slavic flavour.

I started Ols several years ago without any particular vision of what it should become, other than a means of free artistic expression. It’s always had a therapeutic dimension for me, which makes it a very personal, intimate and emotional project. I believe that’s its greatest strength, and that people can feel it.

Ols is music for dark souls and wild spirits, for people who feel deeply connected to nature and its changing seasons. I write music as a way of creating my own rituals, of participating more consciously in the natural cycles. For me, it’s a way of reaching beyond the everyday and feeling a deeper connection with the world around me.

What was the biggest challenge for you?
The fact that I’m not a band 😉

In the past, I’ve had some very tempting offers to play live as a support act for bands I love, but I’ve always decided to pass. I’ve always seen Ols as a solo venture, and I can’t really imagine turning it into a full band.

Of course, whenever those offers came along, I did think about it. I imagined what it would take to translate my music into a live performance, and how much work would be involved. But the sheer thought of putting a band together, auditioning musicians, meeting loads of new people, leading them and explaining what I wanted them to do was so overwhelming that I couldn’t sleep for days. I honestly can’t imagine what it would cost me emotionally to go through with it.

I’m just not built for that kind of stress. I created a solo project for a reason. There are downsides, of course. The biggest one is that I’ll probably never have the kind of visibility that bands can build through touring and playing live. I’ll never be the person people recognise on the street, and I’m unlikely to sell piles of merch. I’ve come to accept that.

Ols was always meant to be a personal, intimate way of expressing myself, and I want to keep it that way, even though I occasionally fantasise about standing on stage and being cheered by a crowd of fans. I’m only human, after all 😉

What can you be most proud of so far?
That’s a difficult question. I think the fact that I’m still creating music, despite all the challenges of balancing a full-time job, everyday responsibilities and life in a rather troubled economy, is something I can be proud of.

This year, I also finally moved out of the big city and into a house on the edge of the Carpathian forest. Making that happen was a huge personal achievement, and it’s become one of the greatest sources of joy in my life. I truly believe that being physically closer to nature will nourish my spirit and, in time, feed my creativity.

I’m still figuring out my daily routine in this new environment, but I hope that once I settle in properly, the music will start flowing more naturally.

There’s one more thing I’m proud of: I think I’ve finally stopped worrying so much about what people might think of my music or my social media presence. I’ve decided to express myself more freely, without constantly trying to rein in my imagination, my sensitivity or my tendency to exaggerate.
That’s a real milestone for me. I don’t want to spend my creative life trying to fit into someone else’s idea of what an artist should be.

What was your biggest regret?
That’s an easy one, for a change 😉

Most of my regrets are connected to my lack of social skills, but I have a few more technical ones, too.

Every few years, I go back to my earliest recordings. The compositions themselves aren’t bad. Some of them have real potential. But the recordings are often dreadful. You can hear the fear in my voice. I sound like a frightened little mouse.

I also used to limit myself quite a lot when it came to instruments. It took me two albums to realise that I didn’t have to be particularly good at playing something to use it in my arrangements. I regret leaving some of those old melodies behind instead of giving them a chance to grow into something more.

I also regret never really figuring out social media. I’m always late to the party. A few years ago, there was a real opportunity to build a community around your music, and I missed that window. It’s much harder now, and I don’t think I’ll ever make up for the time I’ve lost.

What else? Loads of regrets Not being more productive, being lazy, wasting time, not earning enough money, letting circumstances dictate the direction of my career…

And yet, despite all of that, I still consider myself a happy person.

As a witch living in a house at the edge of the woods, I feel as though I’m inhabiting two parallel realities. There’s my ordinary life, where all those things matter, and then there’s this other, almost magical existence, where I talk to plants, wander among old trees and live in a way I’ve always wanted to.

I think the latter makes it much easier to live with the former.

What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
See above 😉 I don’t play live, so I can only tell you about the best concert I’ve attended as a fan. It was Agalloch, back in 2012, in a small club in Prague. I went there alone. It was my first time in Prague, and everything about that trip felt magical.

The concert itself was beyond words. The intimate atmosphere, the low stage that made it possible to feel genuinely close to the musicians, the smell of burning resin filling the venue with smoke… And the entire crowd whispering the words:
Here at the edge of this world
Here I gaze at a pantheon of oak, a citadel of stone
If this grand panorama before me is what you call God
Then God is not dead.
I literally died there.

And then, at the end of the gig, all the performers from the three bands, a dozen or so musicians, came on stage and sang the refrain from Sol Invictus’ Kneel to the Cross together. That was fucking powerful. I’ll never forget it.

What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Over the years? I’d say Wardruna. Their debut album, »Runaljod – Gap Var Ginnunga«, was a real turning point. It helped open up a new direction for heavy music, bringing folk influences into the genre in a way that felt authentic and deeply rooted in tradition, rather than kitschy or simply designed to entertain.

It showed that traditional sounds could be taken seriously and used to create something genuinely atmospheric and emotionally powerful. I think it helped pave the way for a whole new kind of music. I remember hearing their first album for the first time and playing it on repeat for months. I just couldn’t get enough of it.

What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
New Enslaved, new Wolves In The Throne Room, and my playlist for the darker months of the year, which includes old Katatonia, Agalloch, Tenhi, Daylight Dies, Sólstafir, The Cure, Drudkh, Mournful Congregation, just to name a few.

In late autumn, I need the comfort of familiar sounds. There’s something reassuring about returning to music that has been with you for years.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Don’t give a shit. Haha!

I’m still working on putting that into practice in my everyday life, though.

What are your guilty pleasures?
I’m not Christian, so I don’t feel guilty about my pleasures 😉

I love sleeping. If there were a long-distance sleeping competition, I’d definitely win. One day, I’d love to try a sensory deprivation tank and see how long I could sleep without anything disturbing me. I’m pretty sure I’d surprise myself.

I also love food. I have a serious sweet tooth, and you can always talk me into ordering dessert.

And I love being alone. I enjoy having guests over, but once they’re gone, I need a period of recovery. Time when I don’t have to see anyone, when I can enjoy my own company, spend some time in nature or simply sit in the quiet of my cosy room.

I think solitude is one of life’s greatest luxuries.

Can you say something more about the current music scene in Poland?
Absolutely! Poland is a strong player in the metal scene, especially when it comes to black metal.
I live in Lesser Poland, and I spent the last decade in Kraków, which is home to bands such as Mg³a, Odraza, Totenmesse, Medico Peste and Owls Woods Graves.

Another band from the area, Cursebinder, have just released a new album, and it’s definitely worth checking out. Totenmesse are releasing their new album at the end of November, and I’m really looking forward to hearing it.

When I think about the local metal scene, I also think of my good friend Mateusz Kujawa, who’s currently involved in several very interesting projects. I highly recommend Drowned in Silver, as well as Baarra, which is a particularly good choice if you’d like to immerse yourself in a musical hypnosis on a dark winter night.

Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
You can visit me on my hill, in my house at the edge of the Carpathian forest 😉

I think my concert season is over for this year, so you won’t be able to see me anywhere, even in the audience, until next spring.

I’ll be spending the winter at home, probably making music, wandering through the woods and trying to convince my two cats that they don’t actually own the place.

What are your plans for the future?
I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head, but with all the changes in my personal life, I haven’t had the time or the mental space to bring them together and give them a proper shape.

I’m really hoping that the darker part of the year will offer me a quieter moment, allowing me to focus on writing my next album. I feel like I have a lot to say, and I’m curious to see where this new chapter of my life will take my music.

Apart from Ols, I also have a few plans involving some interesting collaborations. I won’t say too much just yet, because I don’t want to jinx anything, but there’s a chance you might eventually see me on stage, not under the Ols banner, but still 😉

How can people best support you?
Spread the word that I exist! 😉 Since I don’t play live, my only real hope of reaching new listeners is through my online presence. You can find Ols on Facebook and Instagram. Like, leave a comment, share my music with your friends. Every little bit helps, and it really does make a difference when you’re a one-person project.

You can also find my music on all major streaming platforms.

And if you’d like to support me directly, or you’re looking for CDs, merch or digital music to buy, please visit my Bandcamp: olsproject.bandcamp.com.

Do you have any message for your listeners?
I guess I’d like to say thank you.

Thank you for being here, for listening, for taking the time to explore my music and for finding something of your own in it.

Ols has always been a very personal project, and I never really know what happens to the music once it leaves my hands. So it’s a wonderful feeling to know that it can reach someone, become part of their own story, accompany them through difficult moments or simply make them feel a little less alone.

I don’t have any grand message or life-changing wisdom to share. I just hope that my music can remind you that we’re all part of something much bigger than ourselves. That there’s beauty in darkness, that change is inevitable, and that even in the most difficult times, there’s always something worth holding on to.

Take care of yourselves, stay curious, and don’t forget to go outside and get your hands dirty.

See you somewhere in the woods.

Links:
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Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well