Lake Malawi (band)

Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi performing in 2019
Background information
OriginTřinec, Czechia
GenresIndie pop
Years active2013–present
Members
Past members
  • Pavel Pilch
  • Patrick Karpentski
  • Antonín Hrabal
Websitelakemalawimusic.com

Lake Malawi is a Czech indie pop band from Třinec, formed in 2013. It currently consists of lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Albert Černý, and bassist and keyboardist Jeroným Šubrt. The band was formed by Černý following the breakup of his former group, Charlie Straight. Their debut EP, We Are Making Love Again, was released in 2015 and followed by the album Surrounded by Light in 2017. They represented the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Friend of a Friend", finishing in eleventh place. In 2022, they released their second album, The Great Video Game Crush. The band's lyrics are in English.

History

Lake Malawi original lineup, 2015
Lake Malawi in 2018

Lake Malawi was founded by singer Albert Černý following the breakup of his former band, Charlie Straight, in September 2013.[1][2] The band's name is inspired by the Bon Iver song "Calgary", from their 2011 self-titled album.[3]

Lake Malawi released their debut single, "Always June", in 2014, performing it live on BBC London. That year, the band played at the Czech music festivals Colours of Ostrava and Rock for People as well as the Great Escape Festival in the UK. A year later, they issued their debut EP, We Are Making Love Again.[4] They opened for several notable acts performing in Prague, including the Kooks, Mika, and Thirty Seconds to Mars.[5] In 2016, drummer and former Charlie Straight member Pavel Pilch left the band and was replaced by Antonín Hrabal.

In 2017, Lake Malawi self-released the studio album Surrounded by Light.[6][7] It produced two singles: the title track and "Paris", both of which charted on the Rádio – Top 100 in the Czech Republic.[8] Lead guitarist Patrick Karpentski left the band in late 2017. In 2019, it was announced that Lake Malawi were taking part in the Czech national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, with the song "Friend of a Friend". The track later won the national selection and represented the Czech Republic in the contest.[3][9] After performing sixth in the first semi-final, the band qualified for the final, where they finished in eleventh place, with 157 points.[10] The following year, after Černý's solo qualification to the Polish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, the other band members performed the song "Lucy" alongside him in the final of the selection and finished in second place.[11]

Band members

Current

  • Albert Černý – vocals, guitar, keyboards (2013–present)
  • Jeroným Šubrt – bass, keyboards (2013–present)

Past

  • Pavel Pilch – drums (2013–2016)
  • Patrick Karpentski – guitar (2013–2017)
  • Antonín Hrabal – drums (2016–2021)

Touring members

  • Lukáš Chromek – guitar
  • David Kandler – guitar
  • Matyáš Vorda – drums
  • Pavel Plašil – drums
  • Jan Uvira – keyboards

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
CZE
[12]
Surrounded by Light
  • Released: 10 November 2017[13]
  • Format: Digital download, CD
  • Label: Holidays Forever
 81
The Great Video Game Crush
  • Released: 21 October 2022[14]
  • Format: Digital download, CD
  • Label: Holidays Forever
 —

EPs

Title Details
We Are Making Love Again
  • Released: 25 May 2015[15]
  • Format: Digital download
  • Label: Self-released

Singles

Single Year Peak chart positions Album or EP
CZE
[8] 		CZE (Dig.)
[16] 		SWE
[17] 		UK
Down.
[18]
"Always June" 2014 34 — — — Non-album single
"Chinese Trees" 25 — — — We Are Making Love Again
"Aubrey" 2015 — — — —
"Young Blood" — — — —
"We Are Making Love Again" 2016 43 — — —
"Prague (In the City)" 2017 — — — — Surrounded by Light
"Surrounded by Light" 64 — — —
"Not My Street" — — — — Non-album single
"Bottom of the Jungle" — — — — Surrounded by Light
"Paris" 85 — — —
"Spaced Out" 2018 — — — —
"Friend of a Friend" 2019 — 92 86 65 Non-album singles
"Stuck in the 80's" 85 — — —
"Lucy" 2020 — — — —
"Shaka Zulu" 2021 — — — —
"Spinning" 2022 — — — — The Great Video Game Crush
"High-Speed Kissing"
(with We Are Domi) 		— — — —
"Mermaid Surf Club" — — — —
"Joanne" — — — —
"Another Christmas Song"
(with Tamara Kramar)[19] 		2023 — — — — Non-album single
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. ^ "Zpěvák Albert Černý ze skupiny Lake Malawi: Chtěl bych od fanoušků druhou šanci" (in Czech). Novinky.cz. 24 January 2014. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Lake Malawi už koncertují, Charlie Straight jsou minulostí" (in Czech). Czech Television. 28 February 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b Zwart, Josianne (7 January 2019). "Czech Republic presents 8 hopefuls and songs for Eurovision 2019". EBU. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Lake Malawi v "Young Blood" nabízejí životní vlakový příběh" (in Czech). musicserver.cz. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Lake Malawi si pražský křest "Surrounded By Light" mohou přidat do zlatého fondu svých koncertů" (in Czech). musicserver.cz. 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  6. ^ Pešta, Filip (5 December 2017). "RECENZE: Lake Malawi debutují na světové úrovni" (in Czech). iReport. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  7. ^ Vedral, Honza (12 December 2017). "Silný český debut. Skupina Lake Malawi zpěváka Alberta Černého natočila jedno z nejlepších alb roku" (in Czech). Hospodářské noviny. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  8. ^ a b "CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 LAKE MALAWI" (in Czech). ČNS IFPI. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  9. ^ Granger, Anthony (7 January 2019). "Czech Republic: Eurovision Song CZ 2019 Entries Released". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Eurovision 2019 Czechia: Lake Malawi – "Friend of a Friend"". Eurovisionworld. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  11. ^ Granger, Anthony (18 February 2020). "Poland: Albert Černý Will Compete with "Lucy" Alongside Lake Malawi in Szansa na sukces Final". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  12. ^ "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100 LAKE MALAWI" (in Czech). ČNS IFPI. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  13. ^ "Surrounded by Light by Lake Malawi". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  14. ^ "The Great Video Game Crush by Lake Malawi". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  15. ^ "We Are Making Love Again – EP by Lake Malawi". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  16. ^ "CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 LAKE MALAWI" (in Czech). ČNS IFPI. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  17. ^ "Discography Lake Malawi". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  19. ^ "New music from Eurovision artists: Christmas 2023 Part 1". Wiwibloggs. 24 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest
2019 		Succeeded by