EXISTER

VUKOVI HAVE NAVIGATED WATERS THAT WOULD HAVE SUNK MOST BANDS. HERE, JANINE AND HAMISH EXPLAIN WHY ON NEW ALBUM 'NULA' THEY AREN'T JUST STILL STANDING, THEY'RE BETTER THAN EVER.

- MADDY HOWELL

In 2020, VUKOVI were ready for a fresh start. Releasing their second album, 'Fall. Better', at the break of the year, the band were looking to establish themselves as a two-piece after the departure of bassist Jason Trotter and drummer Colin Irving in 2018.

A defiant statement of intent, through 12 unrelenting songs vocalist Janine Shilstone and guitarist Hamish Reilly fought to prove that even at half its former size, their band was capable of making rock songs that towered above many of their peers. And - as they looked towards a year of career-defining shows they were set to ensure no one could doubt that.

Heading home after a week of eruptive launch shows in intimate venues around the UK, the duo buzzed at the thought of what lay ahead, but just a few weeks later they found themselves marking crosses on their calendars as the whole world stood still. "When you play live, that's when you see the impact of an album. You see the body language and how it resonates. We never really got that on 'Fall Better'," Hamish starts.