FAQ
- Why sing in English?
"Because it fits better with our music. For a while we even had parallel lyrics for some songs in Serbo-Croatian and English, and then, one day, we just decided that the English versions sounded better. We consider the language in which our songs are sung to be just another instrument we use. If Cufta uses a Japanese bass guitar, and Ivan uses Canadian cymbals, why shouldn't I sing in English? Pop music is international anyway", says Kica.
- What's the story with The Poptones, Orthodox Celts and Stocari?
When Cufta joined The Poptones, he had already been a member of Orthodox Celts and Stocari. Another member of Orthodox Celts, Vlada, also played the guitar and the mandoline in Stocari, and another member of The Poptones, Ivan, also played the drums in Stocari. Mirko, who was the member of Stocari, where he most often played the dobro, played the pedal-steel guitar on some tracks of The Poptones' debut album Bordello.
- What instruments do The Poptones use?
Kica plays a Boogie electric guitar and opts for Fender amps, Cufta uses a Yamaha 5-string bass guitar and a hand-made amp, while Ivan plays a 1970 Ludwig kit with Tama snare-drum and Zildjian and Sabian cymbals.
- Who's the girl on Bordello's inside cover photo?
"A friend of mine, but before she let me put the photo on the inside cover, she made me promise I would never reveal her identity to any strangers. Sorry. Still, if you're dying to meet her, drop me a note, I'll try to arrange something...", says Ivan, laughing. (Too late for any arrangements now, she got married recently.)
- Why the long period of inactivity?
Due to unfortunate set of circumstances. Kica was forced to move to Banja Luka; when he came back, he could only go to Novi Sad, not Belgrade. Hence the lack of concerts and public appearances, but rest assured that new songs are being written. As soon as one of them is recorded, you'll hear it first right here, at this site!
- Why turning to computers?
First for communication reasons; living apart, The Poptones don't have a lot of time to rehearse. However, they can create music digitally and send it to one another for further work. Another reason is that, without a strong label behind them, they can hardly afford paying for long studio hours. Working at home, with computers, they can use all the time they need, retain full control over the recorded material, and produce songs of high quality, thanks to modern technology.