Uvula (band)
| Company type | Indie rock group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Aleksey Avgustovsky, Aleksandr Smirnov |
| Headquarters | Yerevan , Armenia |
Area served | Russia, Armenia, China, Central Asia |
Key people | Aleksey Avgustovsky (lead vocals, guitar), Aleksandr Smirnov (guitar), Denis Shilovsky (drums), Artemy Shilo (bass guitar), Roma Kuzankin (keyboards) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs, merchandise |
Uvula () is an indie rock group from Russia, established in 2015 by lead vocalist Aleksey Avgustovsky alongside guitarist Aleksandr Smirnov. In 2023, the band faced blacklisting within Russia and was prohibited from performing in major venues.[1] Although the ensemble dissolved in November 2022, they recommenced their activities in 2025.
Background
The band's title originates from a Cyrillic adaptation of the English term uvula. Frontman Aleksey Avgustovsky recounted encountering the word for the first time during his university years.[2] While the group emphasizes the second vowel (), they permit fans to pronounce it with some variation.[2]
2015-2016: Early creativity and Nikak
In 2015, Avgustovsky and Smirnov founded Uvula while residing in tents near Anapa.[3][4] Other founding members departed after approximately one year.
Uvula started performing at Ionoteka (), a bar in St. Petersburg known as a center for Russia’s underground music scene.[5] This venue is recognized for launching bands such as Buerak, Elektroforez, and Shortparis.
Their first full-length album, Nikak (), was released on April 4, 2016 through Colanade Magic Bros, featuring a shoegaze-inspired sound.
In September 2016, Uvula appeared at the Russian indie festival Homecultism alongside acts like Padla Bear Outfit and Sonic Death. Their set included songs from Nikak as well as early versions of tracks that would later appear on their sophomore album, Ya dumal u menya poluchitsya (). POW! POP KIDS issued a compilation titled Homecultism Vol. 1 in 2016, which included songs such as “pulpy” and “natural behavior.”Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name These compositions eventually developed into “We” () and “Intro.”
2016-2019: Ya dumal u menya poluchītsya and growing acclaim
With increasing popularity on the Russian social platform VK, Avgustovsky devoted more effort to the band. Following the release of Ya dumal u menya poluchītsya in 2017, Uvula expanded their fanbase and began performing at larger venues. Although income from merchandise sales and concerts improved, expenses related to travel and accommodation posed challenges; in response, Avgustovsky sold his car in 2019 to finance additional merchandise production.
2019-2020: Nam ostayotsya lish' zhdat', Nothing Supernatural, and pandemic challenges
Uvula released their third studio album, Nam ostayotsya lish' zhdat' (Russian: Нам остается лишь ждать, lit. 'We can only wait'), on April 1, 2019. They followed this with a Moscow show at Aglomerat on April 30, supported by Avtosport (). On June 21, 2019, the band performed at Nike Box in Gorky Park; the full recording was made available on YouTube on July 4.
In 2020, Uvula joined Homework (), a label created by members of Pasosh. Their debut EP under this label, Nothing Supernatural (Russian: Ничего сверхъестественного, romanized: Nichevo sverkh"estestvennovo), was released on March 5.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Uvula took part in the online festival Bol' () fundraiser titled "Karantin eto bol'," aimed at supporting musicians affected by event cancellations. Avgustovsky noted that proceeds were donated to Russia's Sozidanie Foundation to provide assistance to medical professionals.
In March 2020, Uvula performed “Elektricheskiy Tok” () on the Russian talk show Evening Urgant (). The following month, they contributed the track Pobeg to the compilation Ne vykhodya iz doma, produced by the Institute of Music Initiatives (IMI) to spotlight artists impacted by the pandemic.
In April 2021, IMI hosted Aleksey Avgustovsky for a YouTube livestream entitled How to write good songs without in-depth songwriting knowledge (), where he discussed songwriting techniques drawn from his experience with Uvula.
Departure from Homework Label
In 2021, Homework label halted its activities after allegations of domestic violence surfaced against Petar Martich, a founding member of Pasosh. Aleksey Avgustovsky publicly responded to these claims and revealed that Uvula had severed ties with the label. On the band's Telegram channel, Avgustovsky explained that their exit was motivated by these accusations, underscoring their dedication to transparency, equality, and support for the LGBT+ community. He also condemned the label’s reaction, describing it as inconsistent with the principles it once championed.
Severe Weather Release
Uvula unveiled their newest album, Severe Weather (Russian: Устойчивая непогода, romanized: Ustoychivaya nepogoda, lit. 'Persistent bad weather'), on October 1, 2021. This record marked a departure from their previous digital mixing approach, being the first to be recorded on tape.
Withdrawal from VK Platform
In June 2022, the band announced through their VK page that they would remove all their music from VK and Yandex Music due to concerns about these platforms’ collaboration with state authorities. They urged their audience to avoid using such services.
On November 30, 2022, Uvula officially disbanded after being designated as “opinion leaders” by Roskomnadzor, which prohibited them from performing in large Russian venues. Subsequently, on December 15, 2022, they released a compilation of Aleksey Avgustovsky’s demos to support humanitarian aid fundraising efforts.
2023–Present: After the Breakup
Ahead of their final EP, the band launched merchandise on October 12, 2023.
Starting January 1, 2025, Uvula released the single "here and there" (), with promises of additional new material forthcoming.
On February 26, 2025, they dropped the single "Cafe" (), announcing via Telegram that fresh music would continue with the release of the EP dancing with myself on March 5. Unlike earlier works, this EP was solely composed and performed by Avgustovsky without involvement from other members.
The group announced a tour covering China and Central Asia on October 8, 2025, via Instagram.
Musical Style and Inspirations
Uvula’s sound is a fusion of indie rock infused with synthwave, jazz influences, and post-punk elements. Colta.ru characterized their music as "...atmospheric-romantic dream-pop immersed in warm 80s-style guitar tones..." A festival organizer likened them to "the Russian counterpart of The Smiths." Their style is frequently described as dreampop, surf rock, or Midwest emo; however, the band resists rigid genre labels. Lead vocalist Aleksey Avgustovsky has dismissed their post-punk classification as “reckless.”
Their earlier recordings (prior to 2020) were noted for an "...exceptionally laid-back vibe reminiscent of dissolving into predawn mist..."
Regarding Severe Weather, Avgustovsky commented:
LPs
| Title | Year Released | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Nikak | 2016 | |
| Ya dumal u menya poluchitsya | 2017 | |
| Nam ostayotsya lish' zhdat' | 2019 | |
| Snova vozrashchayus' domoy | 2020 |
|
| Severe Weather | 2021 |
EPs
| Title | Year Released | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Nichego sverkh"estestvennogo | 2020 | |
| Dancing with myself | 2025 |
Singles
| Title | Year Released | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Syorf | 2017 | |
| Den' 20!8 | 2017 | |
| Without U (ft. SALUKI) | 2017 | |
| With U (ft. SALUKI) | 2018 | |
| Ty i tvoya ten' | 2018 | |
| Dom (ft. cherry candy) | 2018 | |
| Lyublyu (ft. 044 ROSE) | 2018 | |
| Novyy tvoy (ft. istochnik) | 2019 | |
| Ver' mne | 2019 | |
| Mnogo oshibok (ft. tima ishchet svet) | 2019 | |
| Dnyom s ognyom (ft. foresteppe) | 2019 | |
| Pobeg | 2020 | |
| Snova vozvrashchayus' domoy (ft. Pasosh) | 2020 |
|
| Ne vidimsya | 2020 |
|
| Syorf (live) | 2020 | |
| Fukc 2020 | 2020 |
|
| Uvidel drugoy | 2021 | |
| Wake me up when 2021 ends | 2022 | |
| "Tut i tam (here and there)" | "2025" | "" |
| "Kafe (Cafe)" | "2025" | "" |
Demos
| Title | Year Released |
|---|---|
| "Vneshnie vody" | "2016" |
| "Lek demos 16-22 pt.1" | "2022" |
Collaborations Featuring Uvula
| Title | Artist | Year Released |
|---|---|---|
| "No Way (ft. Uvula & Ars Was Taken)" | "Kindy King & SALUKI" | "2018" |
| "Molody Demo (ft. Uvula)" | "044 ROSE" | "2019" |
| "TRANSGRESSION (ft. Uvula)" | "Marble Bust" | "2019" |
| "Vnov' i vnov' (ft. Uvula)" | "BEJENEC" | "2021" |
| "V otele 'Priboy' (ft. Uvula)" | "Trud" | "2021" |
Band Lineup
- Aleksey Avgustovsky — lead vocals, guitar
- Aleksandr Smirnov — guitar
- Denis Shilovsky — drums
- Artemy Shilo — bass guitar (notably utilizes Hohner B2A headless bass)
- Roma Kuzankin — keyboards
Disbandment
In 2023, all members were designated as “opinion leaders” by Russia’s Roskomnadzor amid intensified scrutiny of "foreign agents," affecting numerous artists and opposition figures alike. Aleksey Avgustovsky revealed that this blacklisting compelled the group to halt performances at large venues. Following this development, the band relocated to Yerevan, Armenia, where they continued living and performing for some time.
Additional Endeavors
Circle K
Circle K represents a video production partnership between Aleksey Avgustovsky and Alyona Koleso responsible for directing prominent music videos such as “ты и твоя тень,” which has surpassed one million views on YouTube as of 2023. Their portfolio also includes videos for artists like Sexhater and Tima ischet svet.
Video Releases
| Title | Artist | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Kak ne boyat'cya" | "Sexhater" | "Music video" | "2020" |
| "Sobaka" | "Tima ischet svet" | "Unofficial music video" | "2020" |
| "fukc 2020" | "Uvula" | "Music video" | "2020" |
| Title | Artist | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Ty i tvoya ten'" | "Uvula" | "Music video" | "2018" |
Fleece Flower
Fleece Flower is an electronic dance music project led by Aleksey Avgustovsky featuring his vocal performances. Although many tracks have been removed from mainstream streaming services, they remain accessible on Bandcamp, YouTube, and SoundCloud.
Discography
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| "Chto ty vidish'" | "2017" |
| "1999–2000" | "2019" |
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| "Neznakomiy drug" | "2018" |
| "Izganannik" | "2019" |
Lek
Lek (styled as lek) is a solo venture by Aleksey Avgustovsky who released his debut album 1000 i 1 razbitoe serdtse in 2022.
External links
- Official YouTube channel of Uvula: https://youtube.com/@user-tb7cs2ro9l
- Uvula’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/uvula1000000/
- Uvula’s VKontakte page [ru]: https://vk.com/uvulauvula
- Telegram channel for Uvula [ru]: https://t.me/uvulasucks
- Facebook profile of Uvula: https://www.facebook.com/uvulauvula
- Early live session at Ionoteka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ORwOr7LRyE
- Live show at Nike Box, Gorky Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCl-cDcYLrU
- Circle K’s YouTube collection: https://www.youtube.com/@circlek7568
References
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