Still photo from Carbon White’s ‘About It’ music video.

Founded in 2011, Carbon White is an up-and-coming self-described indie/alternative rock band based in Moscow, Russia. While their musical genre may in reality be difficult to define, one thing is for certain–they are capable of creating some catchy, feel-good tunes.

If you don’t understand Russian, don’t fret–currently, all their songs are in English.

Fresh off the release of their new music video for the song About It, lead vocalist Alexander Chekhov took some time to answer a few of my questions about the band and its future.

Moskvaer: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions!

Alexander Chekhov: Sure, no problem!

I’ve only heard a few of your songs that are on VK. What is the style of your music?

Chekhov: It is hard to describe our style, because we are still searching for our sound. Of course I can say that we are playing Indie Rock, but today one should be a little bit more specific, when describing the style. We try to preserve the good old Rock and still have a modern sound. It looks like our new album (we plan to release it in Spring 2016) will fully represent our style.

How did Carbon White begin? Where is the band from? When did you guys get together?

Chekhov: About 8 years ago a group with another name was formed by students of Moscow State University. They played Russian Rock and that project was not really successful. Three years ago, a series of changes led to a completely new band, with only one member remaining unchanged – Sergey Pavlin (guitar player and lead singer). That was the moment, when I was invited to the group as a lead singer and we changed our name to Carbon White.

Why do you prefer to sing in English?

Chekhov: We believe that Rock sounds much better with English phonetics. Changing the language will change the sound and the style. However, we are thinking about composing several songs in Russian – why not?

What is Moscow’s music scene like from your perspective?

Chekhov: Moscow’s music scene is very diverse. Lots of different bands with various styles, from underground to pop. And also lots of people, ready to listen to all of this music. It is hard to get on top, but as soon as you do, everything will be fine. We are still on our way up.

What obstacles have you faced as a band? Do you all get along with each other?

Chekhov: About two years ago our drummer left to pursue his PhD in the US, which was quite unexpected. However, a good friend of ours replaced him and fit perfectly.

Sure, our music tastes are different, and we often argue, but I believe that this helps to make something new. Every song is filtered by each member of the band, resulting in something that combines our desires.

What is your favorite venue to play in Moscow?

Chekhov: Hard to say! There are many venues in Moscow, where we would be happy to play, but haven’t managed to do it yet. So I will not distinguish some specific stage, until we try all we want to try.

Who is your primary audience (English-speaking, expats, Russians, etc)?

Chekhov: Russians, of course. After all, we live in Moscow!

You recently released a new music video for the song About It. What was the experience of filming the video like?

Chekhov: Damn, that was great! The filming took only five days, and those were crazy ones. About 5-7 locations per day, can you imagine? And the result is really nice.

What are your plans as a band? Will you release a new album soon?

Chekhov: Sure, as I said, we plan to release a new album in Spring 2016. New songs, new music videos and, of course, new concerts.

What’s the best way for new listeners to follow you as a band or hear new music by you?

Chekhov: Any social network: Facebook, Instagram, Vkontakte

Thanks again for your time. We look forward to hearing more music by you in the near future!

Chekhov: Thanks to you!

The music video for Carbon White’s About It seems to fit the song perfectly, with the band popping up all over Moscow in an attempt to spread the tune to all who will listen!

Check it out below:

Stay updated on new live shows via the band’s official social media pages.

Here they are again:

facebook.com/CarbonWhiteOfficial

instagram.com/CarbonWhite

vk.com/CarbonWhite