Introducing: Extra Band

Something a little different to our norm today as we introduce a legendary Czech rock band Extra Band, who started making music before I was born and describe their sound as “energetic, melodic and liberating.”

The band first formed back in 1982/83 and has seen many famous musicians come and go over the decades. But it currently consists of Miroslav Caba (vocals, bass guitar), Radek Kroc (guitar and vocals) and Petr Kotora (drums). They initially only wrote songs in Czech, but that changed with the release of their first English language album, Who We Are, in 2016.

Extra Band sent us their fun latest track I Like Girls, which was released on Christmas Eve. It opens up with the engaging vocals “I Like Girls, I like girls with a smile, I like girls every style, Short hair, long hair free, I like girls just like me.” A funky little riff sets up another quick verse, which feeds into the catchy chorus “Hey you girl, yeah you, Let’s dance, see it through, Come here now, hold my hand, We’ll rule this whole land.” The funky little riff jumps back in several times as the chorus repeats.

On the track, Petr told us: “I Like Girls is a catchy and energetic song that celebrates the beauty and diversity of women. The track is a fun and upbeat anthem celebrating individuality and the joy of friendship, capturing the essence of youthful exuberance and expressing their appreciation for girls of all types, conveying a universal message about the beauty of diversity and fun.

“I would describe it as unique and would recommend everyone to listen to it. Then stop it halfway through and put on your favorite song and you’ll instantly know what I’m talking about.” Check it out in the video here:

That follows their excellent single Deathless, which you can check out in the video below, and their second English album The Power Of Thought, which is packed with great tracks like The Wizard In Your Mind, Change Your Life, and a personal favourite Temptation.

We haven’t featured too many Czech bands, so asked the band for insight into their local scene. Petr told us: “The Czech rock and metal scene is in a way specific only for Czech listeners, and those who try to do it differently definitely don’t have it easy. And the support for new bands in this genre is tristic.”

On what inspires them to write music, Petr told us: “I was introduced to music in my time by the band Sweet. Later I was influenced by a lot of other bands from around the world. However, I have been most influenced by working with individual world musicians some of whom I have already mentioned. It affects my life as a whole, it’s unique and everyone experiences it differently. Based on thoughts feelings and decisions. And that’s where most of my lyrics and music come from.”

I Like Girls and Deathless are the first two singles from Extra Band’s new album, which they’re currently in the studio recording until March. Another single will be released at the end of this month, and they’re looking to play gigs and festivals from May onwards.

And Petr added: “Each time our music makes existing and new listeners happy and they send us feedback, it’s the biggest appreciation for us. We are happy that we can give joy and a good mood to everyone else by what we do.”

You can follow Extra Band on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.