We are the Do-Goodrs

In the heart of Seattle,

A city already teeming with musical diversity and innovation, a new chapter is being written by an ensemble as eclectic and seasoned as the genre they embrace. The Do-Goodrs aren't just a band; they're a dynamic convergence of cultural narratives, intense personal journeys, and a shared love for the deep, resonant sounds of Balkan Sevdah music. With their debut album RIDICULOUS THINGS -- the second release from a new label, Old Age Recording Company -- they offer a fresh but deeply rooted take on a venerable genre that speaks to their souls.

The band's history

is one of flux and convergence, of paths changing and fortuitously crossing, and past collaborations evolving into new voicings. Hadjia and Gino Jevdjevic launched their musical partnership in Yugoslavia with their Balkan rock band Gino Banana, and were on the verge of success when war reshaped their destinies. The two landed in Seattle as refugees, eventually performing again in the group Kultur Shock.

Award-winning-multi-instrumentalist/composer/singer:

 Amy Denio and Darek Mazzone -- himself an immigrant from Poland, respected as an influential radio host on Seattle powerhouse KEXP and curator/host of the SAMA Music & Art project* -- first shared rhythms in La Movida, an ensemble that brought Cuban sounds to the city's nightlife in the 1990s. John Goodfellow, Mazzone's longtime friend, collaborator, and co-founder of SAMA and Old Age Recording Company and the owner of the renowned Banya 5 Wellness Center, has for years penned songs that begged for a framework within the Sevdah tradition. With their formation during the pandemic, the Do-Goodrs realized a collective recognition of the unique experiences, talents, and visions that each of them brought to the table, coupled with their shared desire to delve deeper into the Sevdah genre, to experiment with it and express the complexities of life through its poignant, stirring melodies -- but with an innovative sound that melds tradition and wit.

The name Sevdah

comes from the Turkish sevda, alluding to being in love -- or, more specifically, to the forlorn angst associated with lovesickness and unrequited passion -- and rooted in the Persian word (سودازده), meaning both "melancholic" and "enamored." Brought to Bosnia during the Ottoman Empire, it is a richly evocative word denoting a sense of longing -- for a loved one, a place, or a past -- with a sense of simultaneous joy and pain, both essential to the emotional heart of Sevdah music. It is a blues-like idiom, and in fact saudade, the core feeling of fado music -- "the blues of Portugal" -- shares the same origin.

In their songs, The Do-Goodrs skillfully weave their diverse musical backgrounds with English lyrics and Sevdah's traditional instrumentation -- oud, accordion, bouzouki, tapan drum, and dora tambourine. Their unique blend pays homage to tradition while infusing it with a contemporary edge; their approach to Sevdah is less a revival than a re-imagining, bringing the genre into a new era with a sound that bridges cultures.

RIDICULOUS THINGS

was recorded at Avast Studios, a legendary room where many of Seattle's grunge icons created their albums. Mazzone says, "At Avast, we not only laid down tracks but laid down a foundation for a new understanding of Sevdah. The studio, resonant with the history of grunge, became a crucible for a fusion of Balkan and Middle Eastern harmonies, redefining the landscape of Sevdah for a modern audience."