They've been around for a dozen years and although they qualify as a Serbian indie pop band, Ničim Izazvan are so much more than that. Which is precisely why this week, Balkan Express is stopping in their vicinity.
Ničim Izazvan, or Unprovoked are a big, nine-member act which – in addition to a classic pop setup – also feature elements of etno and folk music. Which sets them apart from the rest of the indie bands in Serbia just enough to make their sound instantly recognisable.
Ničim Izazvan
The origins of the band go way back to the year 2012, when Boris Bakalov and Bojan Gluvajić, two close friends, founded the band in Serbian city of Vrbas. The band soon ballooned to its current nine-member lineup and their first album, self-titled Ničim Izazvan, was an instant success.
Tracks of Ničim Izazvan are both musically and lyrically heavy. They easly straddle several genres at the same time, smartly using the wide instrumental array at their disposal. Their main source of inspiration are everyday struggles, be it in love, life or society in general. And we all know there's no shortage of any of the above in the Balkans
Ničim Izazvan are Bojan Gluvajić on vocals and guitar, vocalist Boris Bakalov, bass player Mane Gluvajić, Borislav Kuga on keyboards, Dragana Ilić as a back vocalist, Igor Martinko on the accordion, trumpet and violin, Nikola Petrović on the trombone, Nemanja Vujović on acoustic guitar and Marko Ledinac on drums.
To date, Ničim Izazvan released four studio albums and a plethora of singles. Notably, each album is a story unto itself, with a slightly different slant. Over the years, they've also accumulated decent on-stage mileage, performing at every major festival in the region, earning a notable fanbase in the process.
Ničim Izazvan released their latest album two years ago. Titled Godine Prolaze / As Years Go By, the title suggest dealing with the fact that none of us is not getting any younger. This may or may not have something to do with their recent collective change in lifestyle, becoming more health-conscious. Their latest release, however, is a track titled Svila or Silk.
And that's all the time we have for today. Check out Ničim Izazvan on YouTube, Spotify and wherever you get your music from and Balkan Express will be back next week.
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Balkan Express brings you the latest and/or the greatest in music from the Balkans. On air every Tuesday at 11am on Ara City Radio, it is hosted by Aljaž aka @pengovsky who once did the world a solid and vowed never to sing again in public. Which is how he ended up doing radio.