Helena Zeťová: I am happy that I am working again

I know you haven’t been on tour lately. What actually happened in the past year 2022?

It’s like this. Tour to record Consequences I had it planned from around February 2020, but covid started, and as we all know, everything was closed. This created two years of question marks for me, as it did for others in my industry.

I started walking and running in the mountains, spending time with my friends and loved ones. And when it started to relax, the covid subsided, I had an operation that took more time than I thought and planned.

Sports and everything like that had to go by the wayside, and for the rest of 2022 I struggled with it in various ways. Lumbar spine pain, which I have never experienced before, appeared as a post-operative complication. Anyway, I’m getting over it, I’m diligently rehabilitating and I’m very happy that I can slowly function normally again.

You live in a cottage in Wallachia. How is life in the countryside?

I grew up here. I know everyone here, so I’m fine. I lived part of the village life in Greece, and in addition, my whole life is that home is where I have good friends and family.

It is calm here, there is not as much aggression and hustle and bustle as in Prague. So much human fatigue. I love Prague, but when I talk to my friends, they often despair about the mood there.

Will you not return to Prague?

I will return, I will not return. I have no idea, I can go to concerts in our country from Prague as well as from here. We’ll see what fate brings us. I look forward!

I saw photos on Facebook in nature with a dog. Are you on vacation now or are you still working on music?

As I said, it started with a mandatory covid vacation and continues with rehabilitation, but I sing every day, something new comes to mind here and there, luckily I have a drawer full of ideas. But I won’t really get into it until spring. I told myself that I don’t want a big concert until I climb Lysa hora again. For me, it’s similarly physically demanding.

Are you planning a tour in the new year 2023?

No classic tour yet, but I already have smaller events, private performances and so on. Especially in the summer. If there is a tour, then in the fall. I have to get the band going again, because the last record deserves it, and above all, my fans deserve it.

Will you continue to sing in English?

Also. But also in Czech. That’s actually what the fans always blamed me for the most. So I hope I won’t disappoint them.

Is there a new song yet?

I finally made a Czech song again. And she found out that she can do it in Czech! It was a bit of a shock, because I’m not a lyricist, but I’ll try to use Czech here and there for the others that I have sung in English. When I was younger, I refused it completely. I’m not so against it now. Czech is beautiful, it’s just not that singable, it needs good lyrics. I’ll see if I can do it, or ask someone who knows better to help.

Your voice is fantastic in soul songs. Don’t you want to make a record of classic soul covers?

You made me very happy. People think of me as a rocker, but I consider myself a soul singer. There’s just a bit of a problem. We know what kind of music is leading in the Czech Republic and soul songs are not in the charts. Fortunately, we are now on our own and I can create what I want and do what I feel even without the charts.

Does the world of musicals not appeal to you?

I heard you like motorbikes. Do you have your own, or do you let yourself be carried as a so-called backpack?

I drove motorbikes, but mostly I was a backpacker. And she lazily observed the landscape. Today I’m more afraid and prefer four rounds. And I have a nice bike, so there will be cardio in the spring. Maybe I’ll even ride in the snow!

Do you ever see Terezka Černochová from Black Milk again?

We were once in contact, but Terezka has a completely different life than me. Just like the other Terezka from our former band (Kerndlová). I’ve seen her more often at events in recent years. In short, our paths diverged, but I don’t think anyone can deny that we will always belong together, even if we should no longer see each other. I wish them a wonderful time and success. And may we all be happy. We deserve it.