Interview: Misscore
Misscore
Polish heavy hitters Misscore have been making waves in the European alt-rock scene with their fierce blend of nu-metalcore intensity, melodic hooks, and raw emotion. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist Natalia Rygiel, alongside bassist and keyboardist Mateusz Dźwigała, guitarist Krystian Suchorab, and drummer Jarek Bielecki, the Lubrza-based quartet channels the energy of bands like Slipknot, Linkin Park, and Bring Me the Horizon, crafting a sound that's both heavy and captivating.
With their highly anticipated sophomore album Hypocrisy set to drop on 29 November, Misscore is ready to unleash their most dynamic work yet. Building on the momentum of their debut album Drown and a successful run of live shows across Europe, the band is now turning their attention to the UK. Hypocrisy promises a fusion of hard-hitting riffs, explosive vocals, and thought-provoking lyrics that will resonate with their growing fanbase.
In this Q&A, Misscore dives into the making of Hypocrisy, the band’s evolving sound, and what fans can expect from their upcoming tour and release.
Your new album Hypocrisy drops soon—what can fans expect from this release, and how does it differ from your debut album, Drown?
Hypocrisy will have what our fans missed the most— some screams. From the perspective of the songwriter, I believe Hypocrisy is a continuation of the first album, especially because these tracks were written from 2019 to the end of 2023 almost consecutively, and if you had the list in the order they were written, the songs would be quite similar in genre. But when you listen to the first one, "Inside," and the last one, "Fire," you’ll hear a noticeable difference. Over the years, our inspirations and reflections have changed a bit. I think the third album will be different because in 2024 we focused on recording and two releases, cleared our minds of those ideas, and are showing them to the world. Now, after a few months, we’re diving into new songs, and that will be interesting!
The first single from the album, “F,” is about to drop as well. What inspired the song, and how did you approach its songwriting and production?
I usually start writing songs by myself, and I’m involved until the last stage of production. The first demo I recorded on my phone, and it was the same in this case. But since the song is about motivating yourself to change something in your life and that you have to work hard, or rather bust your ass, to achieve something because it won’t come on its own, I also changed something in my songwriting for the first time. I pulled out the computer (sic!), the guitar, and the MIDI keyboard and made the first outline of almost the entire song by myself. Usually, it would be limited to vocals, a metronome, and possibly basic harmonies, which I would pass on to Mateusz for further production. Now, I’m happy because those keyboard and guitar elements remained in the song (nicely recorded), and I’m pretty satisfied that I managed to translate the music from my head into the song.
You’ve cited influences like Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot, Linkin Park, and Paramore. How do these bands influence your sound, and what elements of their music resonate with Misscore?
We all listen to Bring Me The Horizon, especially me (Natalia), as I’ve been following them practically since they started. I don’t have a voice like Oli’s so that automatically disqualifies us as a metalcore band, but we draw inspiration from their structures, polyrhythms, breakdowns, synth sounds, and overall stage presence. The comparison with Paramore comes from the nice melodies in the choruses, sometimes even bordering on pop. And Linkin Park—calm verses, energetic choruses, and now Emily’s equally edgy female vocals.
With the line-up solidified in 2023, how has the band’s dynamic evolved since then, and how did it shape the recording process for Hypocrisy?
We sped up the recording of the material we started creating in 2019. We worked on the first album for four years, constantly making improvements. That was also due to the fact that in 2020 we began building a studio and kept moving. We recorded drums in a garage, then suddenly had a room available. Guitars were recorded at home—then we bought new preamps, or the bassist changed. Or we had three different rooms in the studio—we had to test how vocals sounded in each. Finally, in 2023, I put my foot down, found funding from the regional governor, and we had a deadline for the physical release. Then everything moved quickly, and immediately after the album’s release, we went straight into recording the next one.
Your music blends intense metalcore energy with melodic elements—how do you strike the balance between heaviness and melody in your tracks?
It’s hard for me to pigeonhole Misscore because when you listen to the album, it’s neither metalcore nor pop rock. But that balance comes very naturally. I tend to imagine entire songs, then I record as much as I can from memory onto my phone’s voice recorder—these recordings sometimes last 5-10 minutes, but they are often already song-length. Then I listen, re-record corrections, edit, or write lyrics… and usually, that genre blend is already there because it comes from the moment the whole song plays in my head. The hardest part is conveying this to the guys during production, especially since I’m not great at playing instruments, and I don’t play drums at all. Plus, I’m a bit disorganized: my keyboard is at work, my computer at home, and cables in the studio, but I always have my phone with me, so I somehow manage to capture my ideas before they slip away.
Misscore has gained a lot of momentum in mainland Europe. What has that journey been like, and how are you preparing for your UK release and future tours?
I feel like we’re more recognized in Germany and England than in Poland. That’s certainly what the statistics on our social media channels and streaming services show. I think it’s because we play very little in Poland, where rock with elements of comedy reigns, meaning songs to jump around to with funny lyrics. We don’t play that way and won’t. I’m definitely planning a tour in Germany and the Czech Republic. Of course, we’d love to come to the UK, but first comes promotion—then the tour. :)
The lyrics in your music often feel raw and emotional. How much of your personal experiences or struggles find their way into your songwriting?
There’s always something in the songs that relates to me or what I see around me. I’m a rather empathetic person, and I often dwell on a single topic repeatedly in my head, and then I feel the urge to write about it. It’s usually hidden in metaphors, although I’m slowly opening up to simpler structures—you can hear that difference between the first and second album.
As a band from Lubrza, Poland, what are some unique challenges or advantages you’ve experienced breaking into the European and UK metal scenes?
As I mentioned earlier, a different kind of rock dominates here. Of course, there are influences from the UK and the West; I personally attend foreign band concerts. We don’t play easily marketable music, and local managers quickly give up, which is why we operate independently and rely on foreign agencies. We’re waiting for that special person who knows what to do with us.
The metalcore and nu-metalcore genres have a devoted fanbase. What do you think sets Misscore apart from other bands in the scene?
We have many loyal fans who discovered us by accident, came to a concert, and now support us, but we haven’t reached many of them yet, and that’s what we’re working on now. We’re well-prepared technically, visually, and musically to hit the big stages, but we’re working to take that “big step” and push things even further.
With live dates planned through 2024 and into 2025, what are your expectations for performing Hypocrisy live, and how do you connect with audiences during your shows?
We already have a few concerts planned for this year and the next. I don’t book a huge number of shows because I prefer to focus on their quality, and sometimes organizers struggle to handle us well. Of course, there’s growing interest in us, so we’re getting a lot of inquiries, but we don’t accept everything. Right now, we’re working on a new show, which will probably be even more technically demanding. Next season, we’ll also present new songs that will resonate even more with the audience. I think the title track “Hypocrisy,” which will premiere on 22.11.2024, will be a hit.
Finally, what have you been listening to lately? Any new or old favourites that have been on repeat?
Personally, I keep hitting replay on Linkin Park’s latest songs. Also, Bring Me The Horizon, Spiritbox, Sevendust (I love those harmonies!).
