Hey

One of the leading Polish rock outfits of the 1990s, Hey formed in 1992 under the direction of guitarist Piotr Banach (who would later leave the band) and vocalist Kasia Nosowska (who would find solo success with her album puk.puk in 1996). At their start, Hey attempted to meld Polish and English on their albums, but they retreated after an attempt at a full-on English-language market push failed in 1995, instead opting to consolidate their power at home, and in so doing they became one of Poland's leading rock acts. Fire, the band's full-length debut, hit shelves in 1993, and was followed by Ho! in 1994 and ? in 1995. A series of concerts in English-speaking areas and the English re-release of ? heralded their attempt to break into that rather touchy and tough pop market. After their grungy new wave and metal stylings failed to impress, Hey shifted gears and slowly moved their sound toward a more industrial rock feel for the remainder of the decade. The group continued to go great guns at home, and with its albums now exclusively in Polish, the band's popularity at home kept rising. Over the course of the next ten years the band released five albums, a handful of live offerings, and two DVDs. In 2007, Hey - Kasia Nosowska (vocals), Pawel Krawczyk (guitars), Marcin Zabielowicz (guitars), Jacek Chrzanowski (bass), and Robert Ligiewicz (drums) - released an album highlighting an appearance on MTV Unplugged, and the disc managed a number two chart placement. ~ Chris True, Rovi