VIDEO: Zaprešić Boys unveil emotional side in powerful new single

(Photo: Zaprešić Boys)

When you hear the name Zaprešić Boys, the first, and perhaps the only thing that comes to mind are their football supporter or patriotic songs. 

After the hit single “Jutrom kad se budim” (When I Wake Up in the Morning), which served as a perfect backdrop for the Croatian national football team’s bronze success at last year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the guys have surprised the audience once again with an extremely emotional song titled “Kada otac zavoli” (When Father Loves).

“Kada otac zavoli” has no connection to the recognizable themes typically associated with this group, but the new single once again exudes powerful emotion, particularly the purest form of it between parents and children. 

The idea to take a little break from the football and patriotic songs has been burning within them for a while, and the songwriter of Zaprešić Boys, Marko Novosel, decided to present a song dedicated to his late father to their loyal audience.

(Photo: Zaprešić Boys)

“When I came up with the idea for a song dedicated to my father, I immediately realized that none of the five band members, unfortunately, have a living male parent. The same story applies to the music composer, Natko Smoljan, who also lost his father at a very young age. That’s how the whole story around the theme of the song gained meaning for the entire band, and we presented it in a very emotional way, at least for us.”

With this, the guys showed that their initially recognizable rough football supporter vocals can sound tender and sensitive, filled with nostalgia and memories. The band emphasizes that such themes centered around fathers, as a central parental figure, are lacking in the Croatian music scene, and their goal is to showcase a softer side of themselves.

(Photo: Zaprešić Boys)

“The song is, in a way, an ode to a father, expressed by his child, where during the father’s final moments, a sense of melancholy and sadness arises from not having enough time to say the things that couldn’t be said during his lifetime. The lyrics also incorporate a metaphor about the transience of the lives of our loved ones and ourselves.”

Great care was taken to ensure that through the emotions of the child and father, daughters and sons who have lost their parents can identify with the song. Zaprešić Boys are aware that everyone has their own unique life story connected to their parents and they convey the message that parents are the ones who have given life to each one of us, and for that, we should be infinitely grateful.

(Photo: Zaprešić Boys)

Alongside Natko Smoljan as the music composer and Marko Novosel as the author of the touching lyrics, the song was produced and arranged by Bojan Šalamon Shalla at Rubikon Sound Factory. 

(Photo: Zaprešić Boys)

The music video, shot in multiple locations in Zaprešić, features Saša Pleše from Zaprešić Boys with his son Marin and the son of the songwriter Marko Novosel, Ivan Novosel, adding an additional emotional touch to the video under the direction of Nevio Smajić and Mario Borščak.

(Photo: Zaprešić Boys)

Listen to the new single below.