The Balkun Brothers Bring Innovation to Rock ’n’ Roll

When you hear The Balkun Brothers, Nick and Steve, play live, you might think that they’re playing to a loop. How can two musicians create so much depth in their songs with just a guitar and a drum kit?

The answer is innovative engineering. Steve, a designer of custom guitars, runs two amps at the same time on stage. He’s designed unique guitars so that he can play bass and lead guitar at the same time. Both Steve and Nick are always looking for new ways to expand their sound through instrument enhancements and modifications. The brothers both chime in, almost in unison, “We write and arrange our music for what we have available. We even arrange covers to fit our instruments. We make them our own.”

Just two years apart, The Balkun Brothers, who are real brothers and bandmates, grew up playing together. Their first inspirations came from their two artistic parents. Their mother is a visual artist and art teacher. Their father is a sculptor who always played guitar. Steve reminisces, “There was a lot of creativity in our house growing up. We were doing art before we were playing instruments.”

That creativity goes beyond instrument engineering. It’s also evident in the band’s eclectic musical style that ranges from Rock ‘n’ Roll, to Punk Rock, Metal, and even the Blues. “If we feel something, we’re going to make sounds about it,” says Steve. “We’re about crossing over niches,” he adds. “We’ll play whatever the crowd wants,” Nick continues. “We go off the feeling of the fans.”

Balkun Brothers’ fans are as eclectic as they are. Their fans seem to genuinely appreciate the variety that the band has to offer. The brothers have traveled all over Europe. One European fan even brought them to play a famous beach festival in Belgium. With up to 250 shows a year, the brothers have come to rely on their fans to book many of their shows, to find them places to stay, and to introduce them to good food, especially great pizza.

Since their debut Devil on TV album (available on red vinyl), The Balkun Brothers have attracted the attention of several top producers. Their album, The Sun Studio Sessions, was recorded at the renowned Sun Studios in Memphis. The band’s soon to be released, Here Comes the End of the World album will feature a bit heavier style. The hope is that the new record will open doors for The Balkun Brothers to play in front of larger audiences, to open for a bigger rock band, and, very importantly, to allow them to buy a lot of pizza.

Article by VOR Series Producer, Dara Padwo-Audick.