"As soon as I open my eyes in the morning, still hungover from the previous night, I don't look around and I've already started scrolling", you will surely recognize yourself in the lyrics of NeonoeNa's song "Clickbait", which will be presented at Montesong. You are not the only one, because I am the guitarist of the group Ilija Pejović points out for "Vijesti" they do not speak from the position of those who think they are above the problem.
"On the contrary, we put ourselves in the position of someone who is envious and who has been sucked in by the mentioned phenomenon. That is why the poem is written in the first person. To a greater or lesser extent, we are all victims of the information that is served to us every day in quantities that are impossible to adequately process," said Pejović.
When asked about how difficult it is to be a musician in such an environment, the singer of the band Marko Vukcevic however, he believes that if someone deals with the music that they deal with, then there are no excuses or obstacles "because you have a clear attitude regardless of the current environment".
"Compromises do not exist because you must always be honest, both with yourself and with the audience that feels this way. Rock and roll as a direction has endured much more difficult periods and survived, so we hope that this is just one of those phases, and if not, we will remain the same. Unwavering and honest to the end", said Vukčević.
He and Pejović talked to Vijesti about the problems brought by modern media and media phenomena, songs for Montesong, performances, collaborations...
In your song for Montesong, you stand out as rock bards of our time, because you touch on modern problems. How annoyed are you by clickbait, the addiction caused by social networks, frequent advertisements... all this saturation with everything and everyone? How do you deal with it?
Ilija Pejović: We believe that art and culture, even in its popular form, especially in expressions close to rock and roll in the broadest sense, must be engaged. This implies dealing with current topics of various spectrums, asking questions and trying to find the right answers. Clickbait is a current worldwide phenomenon and we are glad to have found an adequate way to deal with it.
You managed to create a very recognizable song, and the exclamation "Clickbait!" stands out in particular. which is the title of the song itself. Why does clickbait take that place?
Ilija Pejović: We love that fan character that we gave to the chorus and the title itself. There is something liberating in that exclamation. It's as if by saying it out loud, we are healing ourselves a little bit and turning the matter in a positive direction. We recommend everyone to raise their voice and sing "CLICKBAIT" with us! Although the song was created independently of this festival, we believe that a wider audience (at Eurovision, for example) would accept the exclamation point, especially since it is a universal language, in the title itself and in certain parts of the text.
What was the process behind the creation of "Clickbait" like?
Ilija Pejović: The song was actually created very quickly, from the initial idea to the complete lyrics and melody. Everything sort of lined up exactly in the spirit of what the text is about: "the titles line up by themselves, as if they know everything that's in my head...". Verses followed each other in one breath. A demo recording was soon made, which more or less shaped what we hear as the final product. Of course, in the end, everything is quality and seriously produced, and we are extra proud of that part.
What do you want people to feel, what to think about while listening to your song?
Marko Vukcevic: Let them try to read between the lines... I know it's not easy because hyperproduction has taken us under its wing and we've become addicted to the fast flow of information, but sometimes you need to take a break and take a break from it. Well, when you're on break, listen to "Clickbait" and I'm sure things will be clearer to you.
How important is it for artists to be socially engaged?
Ilija Pejović: Without even occasional engagement through their creativity, they should not even be called artists.
Do you have any expectations from Montesong and how do you see Eurovision today?
Marko Vukcevic: All of us who are at the competition certainly expect something, so we are not an exception, but as we have already said in our speeches these days, we do not see music as a competitive discipline, nor do our colleagues (regardless of the different fields we pursue) as rivals. We are all here together for a common goal, which is to strengthen the Montenegrin music scene. Let Montessong be our springboard.
I would also add that it is important that we have as many authors as possible, and not that we need help and lobbying from the outside for this as well. Let's bake just a little bit.
How difficult is it to "break through" in Montenegro?
Ilija Pejović: It is extremely difficult. This is one of the paradoxes of our scene, given that we are a small country, a small market in that sense. It may be more difficult to break through here than in some much larger markets, because it takes that one situation for you to actually make a career somewhere else in order for your environment to recognize you. I guess we better acknowledge something that comes from outside and that is confirmed from outside. On the other hand, it's difficult to break into other markets because the first thing they think about is 'where are you in your home', so if yours doesn't want you, I don't know what we will.
Marko Vukcevic: That's right.
Ilija Pejović: Then we are constantly in that vicious circle, which is very interesting, but here something is really happening, and it is precisely the guerilla approach that we have all taken, and now we show it quite clearly and loudly in all the places where we are, in all the statements to the media. Not only individually or as a band, but as a complete scene we started to perform as a guerrilla and to open the door with our feet and say "we are here, we are present, let us do what we do".
Marko Vukcevic: The same thing that we can praise and the results of which can be seen immediately is the continuous cooperation with PAM, our umbrella institution, with the Secretariat for Culture of the Capital City, who always go out of their way to meet. Now there are some bigger financial resources, so that means there is some upward movement in our scene, so I hope that the site will continue to go on an upward trajectory.
How does it feel when the pub turns on while you're performing original music?
Marko Vukcevic: Brilliant. That is essentially the most beautiful thing for a creator, for a band and a performer, that the audience to whom you are presenting feels something, responds to you in that way, because essentially there is nothing more beautiful than when you let them go, and they sing themselves.
Ilija Pejović: Yes, and the attitude of the audience towards this significantly depends on the moment when you are placed in a position where you are completely equal in the performance and placement of your music, then the audience perceives you as such. It is simply some kind of connection that is cause and effect. As far as we're concerned, we really had great moments in that sense, and those are really the kind of moments when a person comes back from all the frustration that he often experiences as a musician and the constant question of whether we should do this more or not. When such a situation happens, yes in any variant - whether it's a big festival stage, some small intimate acoustic circle, when we play some of our stuff, and when we hear the entire club sing a song from A to Z, those are surely moments that stick with you for the rest of your life. You think that's it - I'll never deal with anything but this again.
Marko Vukcevic: You know when little children open your head all day, 23 hours a day, and then one hour comes when you come home tired from work, and they come running to you with a smile and you forget everything that they have squeezed you until then. Well, we can say that it is such a moment.
You also have a song with Ivan Dečak. How was that collaboration and who would you like to collaborate with again?
Marko Vukcevic: It's a great collaboration and we often mention it in interviews and conversations A boy. Top professional, good friend, not only him but the whole team of the band "Vatra". We are in daily contact, we communicate non-stop, understand new songs, agree on some strategies, talk, think... so only the best things about him. Now collaborating with someone... well, there are a lot of people on our stage with whom it would be interesting to collaborate. I'm not just referring to the regional scene, I'm also referring to the Montenegrin one. I wouldn't name names, but in general there are a certain number of people with whom we would be happy to cooperate, which does not mean that it may not happen in the near future.
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