Lithuanian rockers "ba." who have an extremely loyal fanbase decided to make a Christmas present and deliver a new single “Pažadai” (“Promises”) from their latest album “NAUTO.” The single came out with a video directed by AboveGround, a London-based experimental artist, photographer, and director.
Frontman and song author of “ba.” Benas Aleksandravičius says:
The song mocks pseudo-artists who talk more than work, have little experience but want everything here and now. It also speaks to those who like to publicly praise their own work.
The idea of making the video for the single was cherished in a bar in Vilnius. The director of Aboveground, who lives and works in London, gave his word to make one by the end of the year. He kept his word to ensure that these promises were not just empty words, as sung in the new single.
The director whose creative style originated in New York, briefly explains:
We associate empty promises with rubbish, so the main video location was on the landfills.
The video for “Pažadai” starts with a quote: “The walls were shaking, the dogs were barking, the children were crying.” This is an excerpt from a news report that aired on Lithuanian television in the summer of this year, just after the end of “ba.” concert in Vingis park in Vilnius, Lithuania.
When asked about the experience of filming, “ba.” frontman said he would remember it for a long time:
Being there broke any smell record. It was definitely the most challenging part of the filming.
2022 was busy for “ba.” In addition to performing the biggest rock concert in Vingis park for a local band since the 90s and signing with Sony Music, releasing 2 videos, the band released their most complex and aggressive album to date — “NAUTO.”
The start of 2023 will be no less active for Lithuanian rockers — the new album tour starts in early January.
“NAUTO” is our most musically challenging and most complex record. That's why we didn't rush to do an album tour earlier. We gave our fans time to get to know new songs on their own.
Clearly, fans' patience has been tested, and the album tour starts January 6th in Vilnius at the Compensa Concert Hall, January 14th in Kaunas at Daina cinema, and January 28th in Klaipėda at Hofas. Watch them perform live:
Benas Aleksandravičius, a singer, songwriter and driving force behind “ba.” is one of those jaw-dropping success stories — he broke through in 2013, a couple of months later, he was getting hundreds of thousands of YouTube views — all at the tender age of 16 and without any record label backing or conventional promotion. Somehow, this indie rock singer managed to capture the hearts and minds of the young generation. The band has celebrated its tenth anniversary this year.
