Doomed Confessionary: Maja & Szymon (Atavia)

Photo credits: Michał Dudulewicz

Atavia was born in early 2018 as a solo project by Michalina Maja Rutkowska, known as the vocalist for Polish post-metal/dark folk band Datûra.

Maja’s initial musical experiments oscillated around ambient, dark folk, and psychedelia, taking the form of abstract soundscapes. Over time, the sound of the compositions began to evolve toward rock and post-punk, and the tracks gained a more song-oriented structure. Influences from psychedelic rock, electronics, and even doom metal can also be heard. As time went on, drummer Tomek Wazia and guitarist Szymon Stadniczenko (Defying) joined Atavia, transforming the solo project into a power trio.

Atavia’s debut album »To The Old Ones«, released June 11th, 2026, is a collection of stories about encounters, journeys, and altered states of consciousness. The songs were written in various places and circumstances – by the seashore, deep in the wilderness, and amidst the urban hustle.

»To The Old Ones« waited a very long time for its release. Although the tracks were composed by Maja back in 2019-2021, it wasn’t until two years later, after Tomek Wazia and Szymon Stadniczenko joined the band, that they were fully produced and achieved their full sound.

Atavia was drawn from the term “atavistic nostalgia” by Phil Hine, an author of books on chaos magic. In short, this term signifies a longing for the primal forces dormant within humans, which they lost in the process of evolution. According to Hine, humans are capable of summoning these forces through interaction with animals, meaning their distant ancestors. The project’s name echoes a tribute to the non-verbalized, subconscious, and primitive world. This is the very world from which the ideas for the album »To The Old Ones« emerged.

Can you say a few words about your band?
Szymon: We play music. Some people like labeling it as folk, or psychedelic, or rock, or something. Personally, I just try to enjoy the process.

Maja: We are Atavia. Our music is dictated by the powers of primal waters.

What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Szymon: Finding a common language when writing and rehearsing songs. Talking about music can be tough, especially when trying to be specific.

Maja: Definitely expressing abstract ideas can be tough. Music is abstract, delicate and subtle, it escapes reasoning sometimes.

What can you be most proud of so far?
Szymon: Finishing the debut album. The damn thing took a lot of work (which we took upon ourselves, to be fair), but we managed it somehow.

Maja: I can say I’m glad, or I should say, relieved that I decided to finally show this album to the world as this is something very personal. It took me many years to grow to this decision as I had to fight with a lot of doubts and complexes.

What was your biggest regret?
Szymon: The album release could have been better coordinated. We had a lot of ideas on how to make it more special but we just ran out of time. There ain’t ever enough time for everything.

Maja: I guess there is no point in regretting anything. There was supposed to be one more videoclip promoting »Azure« which was planned to be the first single, but it turned out that there were too many obstacles to finish and release the clip… but who knows? Maybe we will resurrect that idea one day.

What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Maja: Our first performance is scheduled for September at Summer Dying Loud Festival in Poland.

What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Szymon: In general or recently? In general, it’s going to be ambient music; projects like Mz.412 or Future Sound Of London made me realise that you can treat sound in a very plastic way, unlike a lot of music. Recently (as in the 21st century), it’d be witch house, vaporwave, and »Honora« by Flea, it’s great to see him do his own thing.

Maja: For me the most positive surprise was when I discovered the album »Heavy Meta« by Ron Gallo last year. Listening to this piece was like a time travel to the mighty seventies. I was listening to it in quite challenging moments of my life. This album healed my soul.

What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Szymon: Sigh and Minstry, would Psyclon Nine count as heavy…?

Maja: I don’t listen to anything heavy in particular, rather psychodelic: Citrus Citrus, Broncho, Deradoorian.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Szymon: Don’t pay too much attention to the gear that you’re using, it’s just a tool. Especially relevant nowadays, when most of it is digital anyway.

Maja: It’s not really a piece of advice, but rather my own discovery – I just have to be stubborn and determined in making my own vision come true. Adjusting to others in the past was only killing my potential. I work best when I listen to my own intuition and other people cannot disturb my flow.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Szymon: Moonshiners, for sure. It’s a documentary/reality TV show about brewing alcohol, think Master Chef but with hillbillies and booze. It’s fake, stupid and exactly what I need sometimes.

Maja: Speaking of reality shows, I fell in love with this Netflix series called Million Dollar Secret. Although I know it is staged, I easily get gripped. It’s all about coming up with the best strategy, it’s about being mysterious and deceptive in order to survive the game and win the money. I can’t wait for more episodes.

Can you say something more about current music scene in Poland?
Szymon: Not really sure what to say, I feel to close to it to have an opinion. Listen to Gorycz, they have something to say, I think.

Maja: I don’t listen to a lot of Polish music but you should check Worms Of Senses, ARRM, Furia and Dopelord. And of course – Gorycz, from our town.

Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Maja: Summer Dying Loud Festival in Aleksandrów Łódzki in September, and in January next year – Katowice, Piąty Dom.

What are your plans for the future as a band?
Szymon: Make more music would be the main goal 😀

Maja: Finish at least a few of these 40 songs I have started to compose. 😀 Realease our next album in less than 7 years, haha. And of course I would be happy if we get a chance to play at some big festivals in upcoming years!

How can people best support your band?
Szymon: Buy merch and stuff directly from us, go to concerts, stop using streaming platforms. This goes for most smaller bands, not just us.

Maja: Talk about Atavia to your friends and local bookers. Invite us to play gigs in your area.

Do you have any message for your listeners?
Szymon: We have listeners?? That’s cool, I hope you enjoy it. You can contact us at some point, I think listeners should be more involved in the music making process.

Maja: Support animals. Protect the wild outside and within.

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