Balkun Brothers
Internationally touring rock n’ roll band, Balkun Brothers, is made up of older brother, Steve, on guitar, vocals and thumb-bone bass, alongside younger brother, Nick ‘The Hammer’ on drums and vocals. The band, formed in 2010, is reinventing the term “power duo” with their heavy hitting, new-age brand of psychedelic rock n’ roll.
Brewed in a caldron of face-melting guitar riffs that are met with a wall of earth quaking bass drum hits, their ferocious flaming meteor of a duo, breeds a ruthless rebellion of rock n’ roll. Known for their explosive live shows that go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye, the brothers grew up studying the likes of Son House, Johnny Winter, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, then smashing those together with Motorhead, Primus, Rage Against the Machine, The Doors, Motley Crue and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In a day and age where the world is in dire need of true rock n’ roll, the Balkun Brothers are bringing the people what they want: hard-nosed, dirty, mammoth sounds that have been invading the ear-holes of fans from coast to coast across the globe and changing lives one head bang at a time.
Following in the footsteps of their delta-blues, rock and metal forefathers, Steve and Nick have been crushing stages since their early teens. Known for marathon concerts that can last up to 5 hours, the two brothers have been developing a sound that few can compare to or even attempt to comprehend.
Steve’s self-built, custom baritone and resonator guitars are on full throttle from the first note he plays each night on stage through BOTH his guitar and bass amps simultaneously, while Nick’s thunderous drum beats meet his brother at center stage for one colossal monster truck of a band. Their shattering low end has been catching the eyes of many who can’t seem to understand how a duo can make so much noise. With a musical range that spans into hip hop and funk fusion without missing a beat, audiences are left speechless at live shows that serve up smashed guitars, dinosaur-like power and lyrical content that is more relevant in today’s society than ever before.
After being voted ‘Best Blues Band in Connecticut’ at the Connecticut Music Awards 4 years in a row (from 2013-2016), the band was also awarded ‘Best Rock Band in New England’ at the 2017 New England Music Awards. Steve Balkun was also hand selected by Joe Bonamassa to join him on stage in Los Angeles, CA as part of the Guitar Center Blues Masters competition in 2013 after being voted a grand finalist at the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.
The Balkun Brothers have shared the stage with acts such as Gary Clark Jr., Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, George Lynch, Chris Robinson, James Cotton, Gogol Bordello, Devon Allman, Melvin Seals and JGB, The Mike Dillon Band, Dub Trio, Dopapod and many more. The duo has also been featured on major festival line-ups alongside The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Linkin Park, Motley Crüe, Alice Cooper, Slayer, Iggy Pop and Elvin Bishop.
Brothers Nick and Steve, independently produced and released their debut album in 2015 entilted, ‘ReDrova’, which was well received and rose to #1 on the Roots Music Report Blues-Rock album charts and was #5 on the Roots Music Report overall Blues charts.
Balkun Brothers signed with European label Dixiefrog Records in 2015 and released their much-anticipated second album, ‘Devil On TV’, with Dixiefrog in May of 2017.
On their mission to spread rock n’ roll across the universe, the brothers have toured extensively throughout the United States from coast to coast. The band has also completed six European tours since 2015, performing in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France.
After releasing two albums on French record label, Dixiefrog Records, The Balkun Brothers returned to their rock and blues roots on the power duo’s 2019 album, ‘The Sun Studio Sessions’, which was recorded in Memphis, TN at Sun Studios. The brothers paid tribute to their musical forefathers with songs ranging from fast, up-tempo rock anthems to dirty, sweat-covered, backwoods delta blues.
After Completing a full United States tour in early 2020 and playing at famed venues such as The Whiskey A Go-Go and The Viper Room in Los Angeles, CA, the power duo from Hartford, CT returned to the studio alongside legendary producer, Steve Albini, to channel g
