Gogol Bordello has cultivated a massive, dynamic sound it dubs "gypsy punk" since forming in 1999. Taking cues from the rock music of Russia and frontman Eugene Hütz's native Ukraine, the New York band is an international music festival staple thanks to its energetic live show. The band's latest album is 2017's "Seekers and Finders."
Hütz stopped by CPR's OpenAir last week for a Guest DJ session before a New Year's Eve show at the Boulder Theater. His picks included a classic '70s disco track, Motörhead's signature song and Johnny Cash's take on a gospel standard.
He also spoke with Bruce Trujillo about singing with Regina Spektor on "Seekers and Finders," his forthcoming solo record and some of his favorite New Year's Eve memories. Read interview highlights below.
On working on three new records over the past year:
"My manager sent me a breakdown of studio hours and said: 'Could you please correct this? This cannot be true.' And there was nothing to correct. It was exactly the amount of hours that I spent in the studio since we've been off tour. Twelve hours a day easily. So engineers beware."
On a recent New Year's Eve when Gogol Bordello didn't play a concert:
"One of the few times when we decided not to do the New Year's Eve show and have it to ourselves, it felt extremely abnormal. It didn't feel right.
"My life mission, or whatever you want to call it, is to be out there and make people's eyes sparkle. It's pretty clear to me that that's my calling. Without fulfilling that, I feel like [the band] wasn't living up to its maximum potential."
Listen to a Spotify playlist of Gogol Bordello's Guest DJ selections below.
