Crazy Red Balls is a rising, Top Quality Swing Band based in Barcelona. Their musical influences come mainly from jazz, and more specifically from the decades of the 20s-50s. Always being loyal to the modern musical commands, they have taken their music one step forward declaring a band of ElectroSwing. The band of Vladimir Uspenskii (voice, guitar, banjo), Julio Marques Adoglio (saxophone) and Sergio Mesa (voice, double bass) is officially introducing themselves -lterally and discographically- to the general public with their debut song .
“Thank You” is an independent, dancing and aspiring success with which Crazy Red Balls attempt to win us and this is just the beginning!
But who are really Crazy Red Balls? What and when can we expect something new from them discographically in the near future? Which artists have influenced the formation of their music? What difficulties did they have to encounter so far as an emerging musical band and what is the craziest thing that has happened to them during a tour?
These and many more were revelead by their frontman Vladimir, via the interview they gave at SounDarts.gr …
Could you please give us a quick introduction of your band? Who are Crazy Red Balls and how did you come up with this name for your band?
Crazy Red Balls is a new ElectroSwing band based in Barcelona. We are two professional musicians who make the main part of the band: Vladimir Uspenskii (Russia) – songwriting, vocal, guitar, banjo, piano, Julio MarKs (Brazil) – baritone sax, keyboards, electronic stuff, sound producing. We create original songs and use specially recorded old style samples for it.
As for the name: just imagine Quiet Blue Balls. We are totally opposite!
You recently released your debut single “Thank You”. Could you please tell us a few words about his release?
The song is based on a true story: a guy says “I love you” and hears back from a girl “Thank you”.
That was the first release for me and it’s very unusual to see your own song on Spotify or Google/Apple music. It feels really strange.
When you were doing the song from the very beginning, you were there when there was nothing – no music, no lyrics. The song was going through the changes month by month as a baby and a kid.
And then you see the song launched and the numbers – 1 more listener, 10 more listeners, 100 more listeners. One person from Canada, two people o from Germany, one more from New Zealand. That’s not your granny or friends, it’s “real people”, listeners.
Which artists are among your influences and with whom would you like to collaborate with in the future?
There are a lot of influences from swing era: Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Django Reinhardt, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Louis Prima, Washboard Rhythm Kings and many others. In electroswing they’re Caravan Palace and Caro Emerald.
We are happy that one of the main electroswing figures, Wolfgang Lohr, knows about us and likes our music. Would be proud to collaborate with him. Ah, and one more: there’s a groovy swing band we really like and want to collaborate with – «Tuba Skinny».
What do you enjoy most about being a musician and what do you hate most?
To have a possibility to express yourselves in different ways and at the same time to have fun with what you’re doing. These are the most fantastic things in our profession.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Maybe some basic income for musicians is a good idea. Especially for beginners, so they could try to find themselves without pressure. I’ll think about it when I become a billionaire.
If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing right now?
Then I’d become a story writer or a space engineer.
What’s the craziest thing that’s happened while on tour?
This story is more stupid than funny. We were playing on stage, a couple was dancing, the girl hung on the guy and leaned back. The guy was not a superman and the girl was not so thin. He started to step forward and then to run forward so as not to fall.
Now imagine: you are singing “I can’t give you anything but love, baby” – a slow jazz ballad and in front of you the guy is running with a girl atilt as a knight with a spear faster and faster. And you know for sure that in the end there would be anything but not love.
Cognitive dissonance.
When are you planning the release of your debut album? What should people expect from this release?
We are going to release two more singles in 2019 and the first album in 2020. The second single «Bom Bom» is almost ready. It’s about one of the actual sexual problems of nowadays. And it’s the real groovy one!
What are your professional plans for the near future?
We are going to create and to record new songs. We want to collaborate with more musicians. Next year we are going to start touring and to join the big festivals such as Sziget. Then we hope to play on the same stage with Caro Emerald and Caravan Palace.
Where do you want to go from here, with your career?
As for me personally – one of my dreams is to work with Tarantino. Hope he will take one of my songs to his last movie. Also would be great to get Grammy.
What’s your motto in life?
Do what you love and love what you do.
Interview: Elektra Limnios
