Interview: Evolucija (Written)

Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life bring you an interview with Dragisa Marinjes, bass player and founder of symphonic hard rock and metal band, Evolucija.

1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to connect with your readers and introduce them to our work. Music has always drawn me in and been a part of my life, even before I actively started pursuing it. I grew up in a family of musicians, so from a very early age, I was surrounded by instruments and music. Music has the power to express emotions and convey messages in a unique and profound way. I started with the violin, then played the guitar, but the bass guitar is my greatest love. I feel immense strength and energy in the bass sound.

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

Our music draws inspiration from various genres, but you can describe it as a fusion of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Symphonic Metal, with some ethnic elements, featuring lyrics that depict society and social issues such as social justice, environmental concerns, and equality from our perspective. To put it metaphorically, “Our music is like a journey through a dark forest full of mysteries and emotions, with rhythms that carry you through different emotional landscapes.”

3. What’s currently going on in your camp? New releases? Tours? Etc.

We are currently in the process of preparing for the release of our new album. We’ve already released the first single “The Earth is Full of Rats”, which received a lot of positive reactions right from the start. After the album release, we should be gearing up for live performances!

4. What has been the most positive experience of making music to date for you?

Positive experiences in creating music come to life through creative collaboration with the other band members. Different ideas and talents coming together to create something unique is an incredible feeling. On an emotional level, it’s a profound experience when I see that our music touches people.

5. Likewise, what has been some of the more challenging aspects and how have you overcome them?

We all go through periods of creative blockage. We wonder what we’re doing and whether it’s worth it. To overcome it, I’ve tried to inspire myself with different things, traveled, or simply gave myself time to relax. Sometimes, the pressures and expectations, both self-imposed and from others, have been challenging. I’ve learned to stay true to my style. The music industry is highly competitive. To draw attention to ourselves, we’ve worked on developing our sound and way of expression.

6. How do you handle the modern expectations of being in a band? Always online, having to put out content constantly, your success measured in likes and follows?

Modern technologies bring the pressure to be constantly available and active on social media. There’s no doubt that having an online presence has become important for promotion and connecting with the audience. However, it’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring success by the number of likes. We strive to remain focused on authenticity. I value a deep connection with the audience and honesty in music more than the quantity of likes.

Sometimes it’s challenging to balance between playing music and managing an online presence. Nevertheless, we are primarily musicians, and we make an effort to keep our focus on creating quality music because that’s the foundation of everything.

7. What’s something that really ‘grinds your gears’ about the industry/business these days and what would you propose is done to combat it?

My personal opinion certainly won’t change anything in the music industry, but when you asked me such a question, I’ll try to say something about it. If there are shortcomings, I would choose the issues of small bands, such as promotion and getting their music out there. It’s very difficult if you don’t belong to the circle of bands signed with major labels; everything mostly revolves around the same names and various in-house projects. Breaking through that barrier is very hard or even impossible. There is a lot of pressure on artists to conform to trends, and that damages authenticity.

8. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support your music?

Follow us on social media; it’s a way to stay up-to-date with our new songs, performances, and events. If you have the chance, come to our shows to experience the energy and emotions we convey through our music firsthand. Because nothing inspires us more than direct contact with the audience. Your opinion matters to us, so feel free to reach out and give us feedback.

9. Outside of the music, what’s do you do to relax?

When I’m not involved in music, I love being in nature; it means a lot to me. We’re engaged in beekeeping, and we have a large orchard and garden surrounded by the forest, where we produce a lot of food for our use. Nature is a significant source of inspiration for us. Observing its perfection, colors, scents, and various sounds influence our creativity. Unfortunately, human activities that disrupt the beauty and harmony of nature also affect our creativity negatively.

10. Where can people find you?

Come visit and chat with us:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube