MUSTANG INTERVIEW (ROBEX MUSIK BLOGG)
MUSTANG recently gave an interview to the Sweden music blog Robex Musik Blogg. You can read the whole interview here:
MUSTANG INTERVIEW
Mustang is a hard rock band from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their debut album, On with the Fight, was released in March 2016 by One Records. Media and fans have recognized the band's quality; they are getting through fast, earning a fan base that gets bigger every day. They were chosen as an opening act for ex Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley for his concerts in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Often called „Bosnian kings of ballads“, they have more than 20,000 followers on various social media. They are regular guests on Balcanic moto parties as well, and even dedicated a song „Full Throttle“ to all bikers. They are currently working on a new album. We talked to the guys from the band; read on to find out what they had to say…
Hello Mustang. Can you guys introdice yourself - What are your names? Who plays what? How old are you?
Boris: Hello, my name is Boris Boras. I play bass. I'm 30 years old.
Marin: Hello. Marin Bevanda, guitar, 34 years old.
Josip: Hi, my name is Josip Perić "Perke". I play drums and I'm 19.
What year did the band form?
Mustang: In 2013.
What's your genre, and where are you from?
Mustang: You can say we're a hard rock band, but we also combine various genres… We're all from Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Have you had any other previous members?
Mustang: Yes, we had a few vocalists, a few drummers and a second guitarist.
Have any of you played in other bands?
Boris: Yeah, in Stratos for 3 years and in La Grange for 2 years.
Marin: Yes, in a rock cover band called Kultni Arpa band.
Josip: Yes. In the begining in Impulse (metal band), then in Sandero Band (club/pop band) and after that in Nezers' (fusion band).
How is it that you started playing music?
Boris: Well, my father had a lot of CDs of rock bands such as Queen, The Doors, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin...I've started to listening to that music when I was a kid; I liked it a lot, and thought how cool it would be if I played in a rock band one day...
Marin: I was listening to metal and rock music, and one of my friends played a guitar, so I had an opportunity to learn how to play. The idea looked cool to me at a time...
Josip: I was 7 or 8 years old when I heard my cousin playing an electric guitar. He had a band and I used to watch their rehearsals. At one of their rehearsals, I sat on a drumkit for the first time, and started pounding the drums BAM BAM BAM... I was like:"This is so f*ckin' awesome!". After that, I started watching the videos of various drum covers etc. But I didn't start playing immediately! My "drum love" was only born then. I started playing drums 5 years ago, when I was 14…
Did you make music when you were kids?
Mustang: No.
What inspires and motivates you guys?
Boris: My inspiration for songwriting is usually love, sometimes anger, haha. Motivation for playing in a band, and doing music your whole life, is the fact that you can leave something behind you. Something that someone loves. We will all die one day, but your songs will live forever.
Marin: Mostly love for rock/metal music; that feeling when you play and feel the energy of people who love your music, and you return that energy back.
Josip: My family, friends and all the people who love listening to our music, or similar music.
How often and where do you rehearse?
Mustang: We rehearse a lot, it all depends on our schedules. We rehearse in a big house's garage, outside the town. The place is very quiet, relaxing and beautiful.
How have you developed since you started with the music?
Boris: I became more persistent in every sense.
Marin: Every musician develops more and more with playing and practicing, but you develop mentally too, as the years go by. When you combine these two, you get the best formula.
Do you have any other interests outside the band?
Boris: Yes, I like football, I like reading and travelling.
Marin: I love video games, working out...
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts on this?
Mustang: Not at the moment; we have our manager for all that stuff, but we think every band needs them…
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts on this?
Boris: We already have it – One Records. My opinion is that every band needs a quality label…
What are your songs about?
Mustang: We cover many subjects, really.
Who does the composing and who writes the lyrics in a band?
Boris: Me and Marin, we both compose music and write lyrics.
Do you start with the music or with the lyrics?
Boris: Usually with the music.
Do you compose in a certain environment?
Boris: Not really. I can be literally everywhere when a certain idea comes to my mind. I immediately record them, and then work on them later. I compose mostly in my mind; I know from the start what a song will sound like. The interesting thing is that I compose in my dreams, too. I sometimes wake in the middle of the night searching for my mobile phone in a panic, so I can record the melody. :)
Marin: Most of the ideas come to me when I play my guitar, sometimes it hits me as I go, right from the start, then I record it right away for later.
Have you done any covers live?
Mustang: Yes, many of them. Mostly rock classics...
What language do you sing in?
Mustang: English.
What was the lowest and what was the highest attendance at your gigs?
Boris: You rarely know the exact number of attendants, but I would say that the lowest attendance at our gig was only a couple of people, and the highest attendance was a couple of thousands. But we always play with the same energy and passion; our fans are everything to us.
What ages are most of your concert attendants?
Boris: That's a very Interesting question. I sometimes even see kids as well as the middle-aged people.
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?
Mustang: There are certain songs that we really enjoy playing, and which people really love, and we play them almost always, but we refresh the set-list as well. Also, as the news songs are made, we add them to the set-list gradually.
Do you have a regular place where you play live often?
Mustang: Yes, we really enjoy playing at Duradžik in Mostar. What an awesome place! It's always the spectacle.
What was your first concert like?
Mustang: Our first concert was on a New Years's Eve in Mostar in 2013, with Zoster. What an amazing concert it was…
What was your latest gig?
Mustang: The gig at aforementioned Duradžik in Mostar.
How do you get psyched up for a gig?
Boris: I always prepare myself on time, so I wait for the show peacefully. I can't wait the show to start. Waiting for the show to start is one of the worst things for me, but when the show starts, it's some special magic that's hard to describe.
Marin: At this point of our career I'm always happy when we get a gig, and I don't need more motivation, every gig makes me hyped.
Have you ever had to cancel a gig?
Boris: Once we book a gig, we never cancel it. I hope this will last as long as possible. I would feel really bad having to cancel the gig.
Where have you played live this year?
Mustang: We've played in various towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We've played some awesome festivals as well.
Where do you plan to play the coming year?
Mustang: We have in plan visiting Serbia, and some other countries, if everything goes well...
When did you start selling your merchandise, and what do you have for a sale?
Mustang: We didn't start yet, except the CD's, but it's in the making. We'll be selling our t-shirts, badges, posters etc.
Where can people buy your merchandise?
Mustang: It will be available at our concerts, on our website, and on the other social media, like Facebook, Twitter...
What do you think of people downloading music instead of buying records nowadays?
Boris: Every era had its own specifics. Before, there were LPs, then CDs, now you can have the songs in a digital form. For me personally, nothing can replace the real thing - LP, or CD; but on the other hand, you can have a lot of songs on your mobile phone for example and listen to them everywhere...
Marin: Maybe this is more fair. Before, everyone else was getting rich but the musicians; they were earning like 5% of everything. Now they can make a living in music and get all the money. Free downloading can promote you, which is good to get a bigger publicity, but the main problem today is that the bands and playing are underestimated a lot, and it's hard to make a living in music.
How do you think the music industry has changed because of this?
Boris: It has changed a lot, it has changed drastically. However, if people download the music legally, that's all right. The illegal downloading is problem.
Marin: Well, the biggest labels are still getting rich, but they are now a minority, the rest of them are getting scraps. Pure quality pop music now rules the scene and that is such a shame, because most of that music degrades human intelect and emotions. I'm dissapointed, but it will have to change some day...
Do you have any role models or idols?
Boris: Of course. Those are the people that I was learning from; all rock and metal music heroes that showed me how to work in order to succeed.
Marin: My role models are mostly the bands, not really a persons.
Josip: The guy who inspired me to drum is Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, ex Avenged Sevenfold drummer. R.I.P. brother.
Why do you think that they exist?
Boris: Well, it's a human nature. We all learn from elders, we follow them, and then after that, youngers learn from us. It will always be that way…
Is it easier to find an inspiration from the older bands, or from bands that are more active today?
Boris: For me personally, from the older ones, without any doubt. Because they worked in such harder conditions. But, you can learn something from everybody...
Marin: I find it in both. You just have to look through a lot of them...
Josip: It depends on what kind of music do you like or work with. We have to learn from the older bands, but not copy them. If you want to be modern and play alternative music, then you should be in contact with the new bands…
What have been your biggest obstacles so far?
Boris: People. Enough said.
Marin: Mostly money to invest and a lack of people that want to work hard to create something good.
Do you have any new material?
Boris: Yes, a lot of material. We always work on new songs, and I'm pretty sure that we will record a lot of albums, because we can't stop making new music. Of course, if all other things, like health and other life circumstances, are fine…
Marin: We are constantly working on new songs…
What are your web sites?
Mustang: Our website is www.mustang-bend.com. Visit it, you can find a lot of really cool stuff out there.
How can people reach you?
Mustang: People can contact us various ways - via band's official Facebook page - Mustang - Rock Band; via personal Facebook accounts, via Twitter - Mustang (Official) (@mustang_bend); via Reverbnation - Mustang (Official); via contact section on our website, or via our manager's e-mail: zlayahm@hotmail.com.
What are your plans for the future?
Boris: We want to keep on rockin', making as much albums as possible, doing as many shows as possible, and we will do everything to make it..
What advices would you give other bands or artists?
Boris: First, have a dream. Then try real hard to become the best you can be. Then figure out what do you exactly want, and what you don't want. Believe in yourself, be really careful whose advices you listen to (these things can ruin your career), and surround yourself by successful people; not only by musicians, but also by managers, lawyers etc.Never give up. Never. If you fail 99 times, try one more time...You might succeed. But if you give up on some things easily, you will not make it for sure, because music business is really hard. Those are my advices...
Marin: Work hard, play what you love instead of what sells, and give it your best…
Josip: You have to be like a unity; work and play as one. Sound like one. Listen to the critics, but don't take them to the heart.
What do you think of my work?
Mustang: We think it's awesome, seriously. You show some kind of enthusiasm that you don't see often. It's amazing how many bands you know, and listen to. It's clear that you are a real fan of music, and please keep that spirit forever…
Do you have something to add?
Boris: Yes. I assure you that our new album will ROCK! The songs sound so good so far, I'm very satisfied, can't wait to record them all! Come to our shows, enjoy pure rock 'n' roll, we'll all have a good time, you'll remember it, we promise!
Josip: Rock 'n' Roll is like a drug. You fall into its arms, get addicted, you can't let go or run away…You're stuck with it for the rest of your life… Be careful, stay safe!!! R'n'R \m/