SAME BABE was formed in the spring of 2003 for a literary event dedicated to a popular Slovenian poet Janez Menart. Since then, the group has performed at all major ethno/folk music and similar festivals in Slovenia in released three albums: a compilation of Janez Menart's poems set to music 'Za ljubi kruhek in njene črne črne lase' (Sanje, 2007), Terezijanske (ZKP RTV Slovenija / Sanje, 2011) featuring original songs, interpretations of folk poems and musicalized poems by renowned Slovenian poets (e.g. Kajetan Kovič, Frane Milčinski – Ježek) and, finally, fully original album ‘Dobri možje’ (Pivec, 2013) titled after the prize-winning song presented at the  Slovenian Chanson Festival, which showed the ensemble in an even bolder light. 

 

According to reviews, the album is an example of alternative chanson both on the musical and textual levels (author of lyrics Viki Baba). And if Same babe had never been one for genre labels, but were nevertheless characterised by their 'skiffle' sound of a four-member acoustic band, the band has recently grown into a six-member ensemble, which enables it to expand on its sound image, stretching from intimate a capella and acoustically-minimalist songs to full-bodied rock, often blended with jazz and funk. The collective clearly demonstrated this on its new album ‘Vražji bend’ (2018), which is the band’s first electrical album. 

When Same babe made their second appearance on the Unplugged show on Val 202, the band decided to put together a special program in which the band would 'lay itself bare' to the audience. Since Same babe were originally a acoustic band, which has in recent years made a rising number of performances in electrified form, neither the first nor the second arrangement would have posed any challenge for the musicians or the listeners. Therefore, the band decided to explore the idea of 'unplugged' in the sense of intimate sensations and emotions by laying out the story of the band and each of its members. Paradoxically, the musicians did not revisit their own past through proven 'concert hits' but rather through new songs – original music, certain 'sensational' poems set to music and even a few adaptations that are for a number of reasons connected with the history of the 'Vražji bend' album. After making a detour via the Kramasonik recording studio in Zagreb, these songs are now featured on the band's fourth CD. 

The album features extraordinary vocalist Maja Pedatoria, a common guest vocalist at the band's concerts, as well as the renowned poet Ervin Fritz, for whom the appearance on the album was a vocal debut despite the extensive legacy of evergreen lyrics he had contributed to the treasure trove of the Slovenian chanson.

- Miha Nemanič: voice, harmonica, tambourine, shaker; 

- Marko Voljč: voice, trumpet, tambourine, shaker; 

- Marko Jelovšek: voice, doubnle bass, guitar; 

- Matjaž Ugovšek – Ugo: voice, guitars; 

- Viki Baba: voice, guitar, lyrics.

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Where devil dares not tread, he sends Same babe …

Radio Študent

Same babe is a jewel that will, in the antology of Slovenian popular music, be placed somewhere between [Frane Milčinski] Ježek, [Mojmir] Sepe, Marko Brecelj, Buldožer, Ana Pupedan and the Slovenian punk music. A band that simply sounds right. A band whose music does not make you wonder what it is and what it is not. Because you are enjoying it so much. And you know that it is Same babe. Because no other band sounds like that. So amazing! 

Jure Longyka, Val 202

The album is a classic example of alternative chanson. /…/Same babe is also one of the few bands that can spice up their lyrics with a fair amount of wit and humour. 

Zdenko Matoz, Delo

What an album! 'Dobri možje', an album released by a couple of wisecrackers that call themselves Same babe, ranks side by side with those of Buldožer, Zmelkoow, Ana Pupedan and Iztok Mlakar. 

Jaša Lorenčič, Večer  

The fingers of one hand would suffice if we wanted to count the truly witty, shrewd and compelling music collectives in the Slovenian musical arena; among those, Same babe would definitely take up the middle finger. In many ways, this charismatic hand gesture portrays the band's attitude to the widely accepted rules in the music circus, preferred behaviour and allowed words. /…/Same babe boasts indestructible energy. The music that gets under your skin and refuses to let you go until the last note is played. 

Andrej Predin, Slovenske novice

Same babe has created its own musical and poetic language which is probably best compared to the artistic climaxes of the Croatian band Haustor and Slovenian band Buldožer.…

Katarina Juvančič, Muska

It is difficult to think of any other band that would be able and daring enough to put so many different musical styles and themes on one album and connect them into a coherent whole. In this respect, Same babe is a peculiarity on the Slovenian scene both in terms of the genre collage they keep creating, taking apart and pasting back together, as well as because of their shocking intertwining of sarcastic and sharp-witted comments with 'ordinary' love topics.

Mario Batelić, Radio Študent

With their new album titled 'Dobri možje' (Good Men), the members of Same babe take social sarcasm to the point when laughter turns into a bitter smile. The product has all the attributes of a serious and well-reasoned study of the existential reality of our environment, although it occasionally pushes beyond, into a universal critique of the western civilisation. It may sound pathetic and (overly) serous, but nevertheless, Same babe are breathing down our necks with a poetry that pokes and prods the wound of our conformism.

Jože Štucin, Odzven

Well, it is no exaggeration to say that the new album of Same babe is exactly what the country has been missing desperately: an album of amazing arrangements, clever lyrics and ingenious compositions, delivered first and foremost through the awareness of the nation's history and roots and then by translating these roots and history into original music that uses an intertextual approach to portray the phoniness of everything that is 'ours', of everything that we believe to possess …

Matej Krajnc, Nova Muska

More: 

www.samebabe.org

https://www.facebook.com/samebabeband/