This is my hobby to which I am very dedicated

Musician Nikola Bošković recently released his first album under the name Groovasheen, published by Croatia records, which is called "Join the Groove".

As he described in the announcement, it is music that is a combination of dance rhythms, funk and pop.

The songs on the album were recorded in Montenegrin and English, and Ivan Ivanović (guitar, keyboards, drums, backing vocals), Stefan Pantović (keyboards, backing vocals, mix & mastering), Dragan Ivanović ( bass guitar), Vukašin Bakić (drums), Bole Martinović (keyboards), Stefan Pavićević (saxophone), Stefan Bjeletić and Tiho Biskupović (trumpet), Enes Zejnilović (solo guitar), Meša Kerović (trombone), Luka Leković - Mr. Lekka (remix producer), Danny Dagan (advisor) and David Delibašić (album graphic design).

Bošković mostly worked with all of them via the Internet, because they are located in Montenegro and Serbia, while he has been living and working in San Francisco since 2014.

Groovasheen talked about what it was like to record the album online, whether he plans to film the songs, and whether those who liked his music can expect concerts in the future, in an interview for "Vijesti".

"Perhaps it will sound strange to someone that someone who does not deal with music professionally releases an album for a renowned publishing house such as Croatia Records. Well, that's exactly the case with this venture, for which I had a lot of help from friends who are also professional musicians and top artists. And it seems to me that we managed to reconcile all those things that make us similar and different and to enter this story unburdened and bring it to the end. This is exactly the main vibe of this album - relief", he said during the release of the album "Join the Groove".

Now, in an interview with "Vijesti", Bošković reveals how he came up with the idea to record an album, even though he himself admits that he does not play music professionally.

"This is my hobby to which I am very dedicated. And at one point I wanted to use my free time in a way that would give me the greatest enjoyment. And that is music," he points out.

"I've been performing with cover bands for almost ten years and it's normal that I've always wanted to have my own stuff. And with the great team from Studio Stevi, supported by professional musicians from our area, I decided to fulfill one of my wishes. And that's it - we succeeded", concludes Bošković.

He says that he has been involved in music "unprofessionally" all his life, due to the fact that before leaving Montenegro he played with bands for ten years, and it was his acquaintances with colleagues that indirectly led him to his debut album, because he recorded "Join the Groove" in the Stiva Music studio of Ivanović and Pantović.

"We knew each other earlier, we met at those club gigs. And I was thrilled when I realized they were going to build a studio. I knew it would be a huge success. In addition to being talented, educated and hardworking, they have also shown that they are persistent and willing to learn. And who wouldn't want to collaborate with such a team?", answers the musician, and then reveals how the collaboration with them went, given that he was in the United States, and the rest of the team that worked on the album was in Montenegro. and Serbia.

"Cooperation had its challenges. Remote work is specific. But even before the corona virus, we were facing these challenges. I practically built a mini studio for recording vocals in my apartment. I recorded part of it in their studio while I was in Montenegro. The sessions were done via FaceTime with Ivan and Stefan, while I recorded the vocal lines at home in America. They practically heard what each part sounded like live. The songs were also recorded at Vukašin Bakić's in Arandjelovac and Dragan Ivanović in Kotor and Belgrade," he recalled.

"The idea to record one song 'Join The Groove' appeared in 2019, and we started working on the album in February 2020 when the global pandemic started. The mix and mastering of all songs was completed in May 2020," he revealed how long he worked on the album.

Bošković has already announced the screening of the songs, and he confirms that they will be published soon in an interview with "Vijesti".

"Two videos are already ready, the third is in the works", he briefly hinted.

Although he is in America, and as he points out, "he has no intention of returning to Montenegro", because he is very satisfied with his professional success on another continent, Groovasheen could still hold promotional concerts, where he will perform songs from the album.

"I think I would be wrong if we don't perform the whole album live at least once. It is not such an easy undertaking, but I believe it is possible. Of course, I need to come to Montenegro first, to find enough time to rehearse with the band. There are challenges, but we will overcome them", he is sure.

It does not pretend to conquer the American market

Given that the songs on the album are in both English and Montenegrin, one gets the impression that Bošković is aiming to conquer the American audience, but he still points out that there are other reasons at stake.

"I have been using English much more than Montenegrin for the last eight years. It seems natural to me to express myself in both Montenegrin and English. I don't pretend to conquer the American market, but I will certainly be glad when my friends here listen to music in both English and Montenegrin," he concluded.