Stepan Pasicznyk is a British born musician, songwriter, and translator of Ukrainian and Irish descent born in Luton, Bedfordshire. He was the accordionist and co-songwriter on (Vorony) & Kultura) and accordionist and co-translator for the Pisni iz The Smiths Cover of the original early 1990s line up of British band The Ukrainians.
Stepan Pasicznyk performs traditional Ukrainian music either solo or with a bassist and drummer. Concert appearances to date have been in the UK, Canada, France, and Germany. He is currently accordionist for Folk Roots trio Karpatsky Zvuky (Sounds of the Carpathians) who play music from the countries the Carpathian mountians pass through, namely Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia and Romania.
As well as having recorded more traditional Ukrainian music and original songs about Ukraine in Ukrainian and English since leaving The Ukrainians, Pasicznyk also works as a session musician, having recorded on various projects such as Rev Hammer's "Bishop of Buffalo" produced by Justin Sullivan of New Model Army, Cage by the Bridewells produced by Phil Manzanera, guitarist of Roxy Music, and "Swill" Odgers of British Punk/Folk Group The Men They Couldn't Hang's latest release "Elvis Lives Here" with his "Swagger Band". He sessioned on the last release by Ukrainian American duet "Believe" Darka and Slavko before they parted company. Other previous Ukrainian musical activity included playing accordion for Reading-based traditional dance ensemble Metelyk and a year with Ukrainian male voice choir Bulava. He plays with UK Waltham Cross based Ukrainian dance and general function band Zhnyva. His main instrument is accordion, but he also plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboards and mandolin.
He has translated songs from Ukrainian into English for Ukrainian artist Lessia Horova, and translates traditional Ukrainian songs to English. Some of his other musical and media exploits include incidental music for BBC TV's Soccer enthusiasts show Row Z, preparing musical arrangement for a London Theatre production "Husbands and Lovers" by Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnar, and recording introductory music for British Columbia, Canada's longest running Ukrainian radio show, Nash Holos (Our Voice). In late 2007 he played accordion for Welsh folk rock band Here Be Dragons in Italy, and for their US gig and ABC TV debut for the Chicago Celtic Festival. He toured with Here Be Dragons until November 2014.
In Summer 2011 he joined the movie production team of Ukrainian social and justice pressure group "Maidan". In January 2015 with his daughters he released the first ever adaptation from Ukrainian to English of the original meaning of Shchedryk, the tune of which was used for the lyrically non related Carol of the Bells. This has been perfomed by choirs, and featured on BBC World Service Ukraine in January 2017.
Pasicznyk is from a musical family. His second cousin on his maternal Irish side was Eddie Rabbitt, the Nashville country music star whose song "Kentucky Rain" was a hit for Elvis Presley and whose song "Every Which Way But Loose" was the theme tune for a film starring Clint Eastwood and an orangutan.
