Montenegrin singer-songwriter Anja Zagorac (formerly known as Anja Zett) released her debut album “Pitam dal' si tu” in late 2019, and then almost disappeared. Five years have passed, and during that time she only recorded the joint single “So Long” with Tinom Džankić 2021. Now it seems that the musician has finally found the right rhythm and started to realize her creative potential, sharing with the audience several singles that make up her upcoming album in a short time.
First, in October last year, the song "Zovem te" was released, along with a video he signed. Mladen Ivanovic, a director known to audiences for the award-winning documentary “Kontraadmiral”. “Vagabond” followed in the same month, and then at the end of February, a cover of the original song “Pođosmo li pođosmo”, and both songs were adapted for the screen by Polina AzevaAnd so the winter passed under the sign of the singer-songwriter.
Anja Zagorac spoke to "Vijesti" about why there was such a long wait for her new release, what it brings, where her current singles come from, and what her first steps in music were like.
Five years have passed since the album "I'm Asking You Are There", now you're announcing a new one - why such a long break?
The promotion of the first album was interrupted during the Covid pandemic. I packed my guitar and didn't take it out of my suitcase for almost a year. My colleague Tina Džankić then motivated me to record and release the original duet "So Long", even though extraordinary circumstances were still in force at the time. Perhaps in the euphoria after the promotion of that single, I lost focus on further work. It's also difficult when other things unrelated to music distract a person. That's generally a big challenge for musicians, because there are few who can live exclusively from their original work and concerts. So I spent a period without a clear vision of how to continue my music career.
When can we expect the album, how was the process of working on it and what has changed, if anything, sonically and lyrically compared to the previous ones? Will there be songs in English again?
The promotion of the singles is well underway. Three have already been presented to the public, while we are currently designing a visual concept for the fourth. Genre-wise, “Vagabund” stands out from the guitar sound that usually dominates. In principle, I am still trying to bring stylishly singable, simple lyrics with melodic choruses. I have always looked for inspiration in the groups ABBA or Max Martina, except that they are Swedes who write in English. For me, on the other hand, it was challenging to “sing” in my native language, because for a long time I considered German my “second mother tongue”, while English was the main language in my life during my studies. However, this time there are no lyrics in any foreign language!
Why did you decide to film “Zovem te” and “Vagabund” and release those singles in such a short period of time? What's the next step?
“Zovem te” is the first single, because it was important for me to stand in front of the audience again with this song. I am glad that director Mladen Ivanović felt its charm and made the song into a film with a small Angelom in the lead role. The public competitions of PAM Montenegro and then the Secretariat for Culture of the Capital City came at the right time and I can say that thanks to that support I got started again. I then managed to shoot a video for “Vagabunda” during the hot summer, so I decided not to waste time and surprise the interested audience with a new sound and visual identity. I am currently promoting a rock cover of the original song “Pođosmo li pođosmo”. At the same time, I am preparing for performances, because I already have enough original songs that I could perform live, including new songs that have not yet been released.
Why did you choose her to cover?
A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a TV show with the task of performing traditional songs in addition to my own. I listened to many songs to find the right one for me, because the most famous ones had already been “reserved” and performed. Then I heard “Pođosmo li pođosmo” in the interpretation Branka Šćepanović from 1974 and I didn't look any further. I didn't record the show due to the above-mentioned extraordinary circumstances, but I wanted to finish this mini-project and I would like to thank my colleagues who supported me. We designed the video as a rock performance at KIC "Budo Tomović", where I also recorded my debut video. "Ponton" production was in charge of the video, which continues our successful cooperation. I am also grateful to the KIC management and I am glad that they liked the final product!
Many people probably don't know that you grew up and took your first musical steps in Austria. In your experience, how different is it to make music here compared to there?
At the age of 16, I had my first band and we started playing original songs right away. There were competitions for school bands, and Vienna had a youth office that launched the “Acoustic Club” project for performances by unestablished singer-songwriters, where I performed. They also offered financial incentives for young bands to record in a professional music studio. The biggest challenge was breaking into the media, because radio and TV were reserved for artists who had contracts with record companies. At least that was my experience at the time, because there was no internet in its current form.
An interesting and positive experience is also the renaissance of the Austrian pop-rock and rap scene. Their mainstream media has been broadcasting a dominantly Anglo-American sound for many years, practically since the 1990s. It was unthinkable that a band would sing in German, play modern rock and roll and headline “Rock am Ring” and similar festivals throughout Germany, Switzerland and of course Austria. But it turns out that anything is possible, if there is a strategy and support for talent from institutions, the media and good management.
It is important that culture is accessible to everyone.
You are involved in the project "Museum for All - the path to more accessible museums in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina", tell us more about your role there, how will you contribute?
The project is supported by UNESCO through the regional program “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans”. With partners, the Public Institution Library for the Blind of Montenegro and the Association “Life with Down Syndrome FBiH”, we are currently working on increasing the accessibility of museums to people with disabilities (PWDs). As part of the project team, I hope to make a modest contribution to transforming museums into inclusive spaces that meet the needs of all visitors, thereby raising awareness of the importance of accessible culture for all. I would especially like to highlight the inclusive exhibition “Culture for All” in cooperation with the Ministry of European Affairs, which recently presented adapted exhibits on which young Montenegrin creatives worked at Kuslev House. We are happy about the great response from visitors and are looking forward to a new, similar exhibition in Berane.
Bonus video:
