Tales of Mini Drum Sets, the Secretary of State, and Tony Soprano in Kyiv

From Maggie Battles

Denys Putsenko, also known as Pencil Legs, is a 23-year-old singer/songwriter from Kyiv, Ukraine. In a place where conflict is rampant, music serves as a tool in bringing people together, as told by Putsenko. The kind-hearted musician graciously chatted with me about what inspires him to create, the struggles he faces as a musician in Ukraine, and his hopes for the future. Putsenko currently records and produces his own work, with two albums released on streaming services and hopes of a third before the end of the year.

How did you get into making music?

[Putsenko] I picked up a guitar when I was twelve, just playing covers and such with my friends. But, when I was seventeen or so, I started actually trying to write songs. It all came together from there. I downloaded FL Studio off of some dodgy site and started messing around on there. I had to watch a lot of YouTube videos to figure out how it all worked. I actually started out making lo-fi beats after I understood the basics. The Pencil Legs stuff all came together later on from there.

Who produces your music?

I currently do everything by myself, including distributing and marketing. I just started to put my stuff out there randomly. Luckily, people found my stuff on Bandcamp, so it gained a little attention through there. I put out my first album on the site, and some guy re-uploaded it on his YouTube channel.

From there, one of the guys from waveform* found my stuff and told me he wants to do a batch of cassettes with Pencil Legs (the first Pencil Leg's album). That was a moment where I was like, "Oh wow, how did that happen?" I am lucky that somehow the algorithm picked up my music

How did you get the name "Pencil Legs?"

Hmmmm. I heard a phrase with those words in a movie or a game. It wasn't pencil legs exactly; it was something similar to pencil-thin legs. That stuck with me, and after playing around with it for a bit, Pencil Legs came out of it. I thought it was a cool name. I guess it doesn't really mean anything in particular.

What artists inspire your sound?

I would say primarily lo-fi sort of artists. I saw you interviewed Mathew Lee Cothran; he's a big inspiration for sure. I love the Coma Cinema project. I would also say Alex G, Sam Ray, and the Teen Suicide stuff, too.

Before that, I was doing more indie rock stuff, kinda inspired by Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr. Then I switched to the more bedroom pop-inspired sound for my newer projects.

I like Slaughter, Beach Dog, too. The title for my album, Fruit Under The Tree, is inspired by one of their songs.

Do you have music out under different names?

I had a couple of projects out using my native language, but I deleted all of those. I was kind of embarrassed by them. Pencil Legs is the first project I put out and have felt sure of.

Who designs the covers for your albums?

I have a friend who is also from Ukraine who does the artwork. But, as soon as the war started, she moved to Austria, and we haven't even met in person. We got to know each other right at the start of the war, so we never got to truly meet. She's a very good friend, and she does all of my cover art, as well as visuals for my music. I only have one music video out, which she animated. She's very talented. It is actually the first animated video she ever did.

Check it out here -> https://www.youtube.com/@pencil1egs

Music in Kyiv

Are you currently playing shows?

Sometimes, yeah. I don't have a regular band, but I play with my friends occasionally. We kinda suck if I'm being honest. Every show I play is with different people, usually my friends.

Do you have a favorite show you've played?

I had a show last summer that was a lot of fun. I was supposed to play alone acoustically. My friends came over before the show, and we were just messing around. My one friend picked up this mini drum set and started playing along, and I asked if he wanted to play in the show with me. It was just this tiny blue toy drum set. My other friend was over as well, and she was playing the guitar. She wasn't expecting to play in the show, but I asked her to join, too. We had to find a guitar for her to use somewhere before the show, and we did. It was just the three of us, but that show was the best one. It was stripped down and sounded way better than it would've with the real drums. It was a small space, so it was nice and intimate.

What is the music scene like in Kyiv?

There's a whole bunch of different artists working on music right now, a lot of shoegaze over here. There are some indie bands, too. A lot of young people are into it. We have a space where people can play and share their music with others.

If people are brave enough, they can come over to perform. I heard that Neil Young was supposed to come, but his family said no. I actually know the guy who was supposed to open for him; it would have been really cool. Instead of Neil Young, Antony Blinken came over and played the guitar and sang. It was in this bar, and I know the guys he played with. It was random, but it was fun.

Have you ever been on tour?

No. I've never been on an official tour. I was supposed to tour with a friend of mine, but he also moved to another country, so it couldn't happen, unfortunately. I tried to do a European tour, but in order to leave the country over the age of eighteen, you have to get special permission from the government. I was twenty at the time, so they didn't let me out. That happens a lot here.

Did growing up in Ukraine influence your music?

That's funny you ask, because the thing that influences my music the most is American culture. I try not to address the things happening over here in my music. The majority of Ukrainians like American culture. We grew up with a lot of the movies and the music. We had some English lessons in school, but I learned the most through music and movies. I like Jim Jarmusch and Harmony Korine a lot. Paterson is one of my favorite movies. Richard Linklater, he's good, too. My girlfriend and I are currently watching The Sopranos for the second time, actually. I would love to tour in America, but I can't right now.

What is life currently like for you in Ukraine?

Despite all of the things happening here, these past four years have honestly been the best years of my life. I mean, every day we have to go hide and such, but socially, musically, and artistically, oddly enough, things have been nice. The arts really do bring people together.

New music?

I'm working on a new album right now. Actually, I was supposed to finish it over the summer, but it is taking me a long time. Hopefully, I will have it done before the end of the year. I put out the first single about a month ago. I'm trying to level up my mixing game. I still watch a lot of YouTube videos to help. It's tough. Sometimes the more I listen to it, the more I start to hate it, you know? Since the first two albums were very lo-fi, they were easier to make. But I'd like to make the next one as "hi-fi" as possible, well, considering my circumstances.