The discography so far

I’ve always believed that we shouldn’t record and release anything until we have something very good that we can record and give it our best.

It takes the right people who have been together for a long time, the right moment, the right material, and of course the right financial situation because recording an album, if you do it properly, costs money. Such moments have only happened twice in these 20 years.

That's How We Do It

In 2008 when we had the idea to record 15 cover songs and take the 3 best just to have something recorded. Then we turned the Sax!' club into a big studio. I'd like to use this opportunity and say a big thank you to Bojan and all the Sax! crew for the huge support and trust and for being great friends to us all those years.

We threw out all the chairs and tables, the drum was in the middle, guitar amps in booths, piano, Rhodes and Hammond at the backstage, and vocals at the sled of course. We were all separated by big plexiglass that my great friend Dino Bahtijarevic Baba lent me for the occasion. A friend and the greatest rock'n'roll preacher of our time, the one and only Jura Havidic and his son Ivan Havidic recorded the session, and the album was then produced by Dragutin Smokrović Smokva. The album took 4 years to complete and at the end we named it "That's How We Do It".

It took that long because we recorded it as an info recording and in the end, it turned out better than we expected. But in each song, something was missing or there were mistakes. I was sorry that we didn't use it now and make an album, and then a lot of things were recorded again, re-recorded and at the end of the story the effort paid off. The album was released in 2012 for Croatia Records. I'm not sure, but I think it was the only cover album in English at the time, released in Croatia by our biggest record company.

Original is always best

The second moment happened 3 years ago when we started working on the original album. It was recorded again by Jura Havidic, this time in his studio, where I feel at home. I recorded all the info material and everything else in his studio. Unfortunately, Jura got sick and left us at the time of making the album and that’s why that whole story, and that album, has a deeper meaning and one dimension more to me.

We recorded on two occasions, 5 songs each time. The vocals, acoustic guitars, and the song „Porch“, which is completely acoustic, were recorded by Dragutin Smokrović Smokva at his studio. The band recorded and played live and then everyone fixed or added or after listening re-recorded something if needed, and this album was produced by Smokva. From the first rehearsal to the release it took 3 years.

The album was published by Nota Bene Records in April 2020 and we are very proud of that and happy because they have done a lot for us so far. We have a great collaboration and I hope it will continue.

"Based on a True Story"

Our new album is called "Based on a True Story". It contains 11 songs, 11 true stories, special moments or situations, images, and snapshots from my life described through the lyrics.

Each song is a story in itself and has a message which I hope listeners can identify with and recognize themselves in. The songs were created in the last 15 years as these stories happened. Emotional situations, which were strong and important enough to make me mark and describe them and give them wings.

The arrangements were made by the whole band. We tried to work in such a way that it follows the emotion of the story being told, because in my opinion, only in that way, a true, meaningful song can be created.

The album is currently only available in digital form on all music services worldwide, and soon it will be on CD and Vinyl available!

The only expectation from this album is to reach the ears and hearts of as many people in the world as possible - the people who love and understand this kind of music - and then let them decide if it is good enough and honest enough for them or not.

To be continued...

The Name, and The People

The first complete line-up of the band consisted of 4 members: Andrej God and Željko Batinić Žac on guitars, Frenky on bass, and me on the drums. We knew the basics and simply started playing but we were missing the vocals. Žac knew a really great guy from his neighborhood who sings amazingly and actually sang in the National Theatre Choir, so Tomislav Cavor joined the band. It was great, but I was missing the sound of a piano, a Hammond, and backing vocals which came along soon after.

A lot of people came through this band and it would take a whole new article just to introduce all of them. I would really like to do that so you can expect to read about them in the future. Every single one of them left their mark with the notes they played or sang, their enthusiasm, leaving their heart on the stage and pushing the band forward to what it is today. They came in and moved on, each in their own time and in their own way, but most of them are still somewhere near the band because… once you’ve been part of The SHB family you can never really leave.

Exactly who came up with the band’s name is still debatable but I think it was Frenky. Since we wanted to be the best cover band around, thus playing the existing non-original music, the name came naturally. I insisted on the word “band” because all of my music role models, these great southern rock bands like The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, all had that word in their names. And that’s how The Second Hand Band was created. 

Like I said, through the years band members came and went. Whether it was because life happened or their priorities changed or it led them in other directions, but they were replaced with others who wanted to give something new to SHB or had their own reasons to stay. The SHB has had its phases. We’ve been sort of Sax!’s home band for all of these years and in that period there were times when our shows were packed with people and more waiting outside in Palmotićeva street to enter. But then again, sometimes there were only 15 people standing in front of the band which was hard and I have to admit, made me sad. Those times made me think about whether we are doing something wrong. The truth is, those 15 are exactly the ones that need to be there and I deeply appreciated every single one of them because I felt they understood and enjoyed my every word and note.

There’s a difference between being the background noise in a bar, where people aren't paying attention to you while they talk and drink and hang out, and when someone willingly attends a show to listen to you play. It’s a HUGE difference. In those moments of crisis, there’s always someone leaving the band and that requires a new band member.

The band is constantly growing and becoming more serious so it gets harder to find a suitable person who plays/sings well, has the required instruments and gear; loves, understands and has a passion for this kind of music, and is also a good person. These terms might sound impossible, but we always somehow manage to find one and the story continues.

At one moment we were playing in Sax! every other Saturday, and at the rehearsal between the shows, the singer Cavor decides to leave the band for personal reasons. Zvonimir Ćosić Ćos (Cosque), singer of the band Stop, also known as the Croatian Joe Cocker decided to step in and played that show with us but didn’t join the band. With Cavor gone, we had lost our lead singer and part of the band’s identity. Then Frenky said I should start singing. I was against it up until the first concert when I eternally fell in love with the amazing, adrenaline-fueled feeling of being the frontman on stage in front of an 8 piece band that's killing it. With my big friend Marin Zaninović Zana replacing me on drums and Danko Krznarić on Hammond organ and piano the band played together for a very long time. I can say it was one of the great periods of the band.

Another change happens with Frenky and a couple of others leaving the band and leaving me as the only one from the initial line-up. I took over the band and continued pushing it in the direction I saw it and heard it in my mind and in my dreams.

For the last 5 years, the band more or less remained the same. We got tired of playing cover songs and wanted to make our own, to tell our own stories. For the last 10-15 years I’ve been writing my own music, recording demos on drums, guitars, and bass, with Ivan Pasković Pale recording the piano. The ideas, melodies, and the overall frame of the songs were ready and waiting for the right moment. I felt the band was ready and willing to work on the material and it finally resulted in our first album.

A new problem arose concerning the name of the band with around 8-10 existing “Second Hand Bands” in the world. Even “The Second Hand band” from China. So the marketing team insisted on changing our name. I could not agree to this because this name has a history that is very important to me. A lot of my friends left their time, love, heart, tunes, under that name and pushed together with me to where we are today. For me, it is not just a name it's all those 20 years of an unforgettable journey.

The compromise was to name it “Bosak & The Second Hand Band” and the current line-up is:

• Ivan Pasković - Pale: keyboards, Rhodes, Hammond, Wurlitzer clavinet
• Lovro Šicel: guitars
• Saša Matej Munjas: guitar (in place of Ivan Tikvicki Lennon who recorded "Based on a True Story")
• Matko Benčić Mac: bass guitar
• Renato Palatinuš: drums (in place of Dario Horvat who recorded "Based on a True Story")  
• Monika Jakuš Jeršek: vocals
• Petra Batelja Majić: vocals
• Tajana Belina: vocals

An additional and extremely valuable member of the band is our roadie, Ivan Šolc who makes everything on and off stage run smoothly. 

And last but not least, myself (Marko Bosak) on vocals and guitars.

You can see all these beautiful people on our Who We Are Page

Day job vs night job? What it's like leading such a big band?

Being a bandleader in my case is the same as running a company of 11 people, but with one difference - these people do not work for money.
They thrive on enthusiasm, the love for the music they create from the heart, and always giving their best.

It's the same as in all teams of people. To get everyone on the same page, you have to have a different approach with each band member because all people are different. Let these people be musicians, artists. Let them express themselves and give them their freedom, and still play their part in the band and be happy with it.

Yes, that's quite a challenge.

The band always has to have work to do, and a goal to work towards and prepare for. That keeps us together and motivates us to move forward. The band has rehearsals at least once a week. When we were younger, in the beginning, we had them 3 times a week because we needed a lot more practice.

Today, members of BSHB are musicians who need one band rehearsal a week to make everything work. Each rehearsal is recorded, during the week everyone listens to themselves, and things that are wrong are analyzed and fixed at the next rehearsal. The vocalists have separate rehearsals and then 2-3 rehearsals before the concert we do with the full band. I try to respect everyone's time to the maximum. I love and respect these people very much, and I try to make the most of the rehearsals so that we don't waste precious time.

Rehearsals are planned depending on the concerts, recordings, studio sessions, or whatever awaits us next. Everyone knows this in advance, they receive an email with the repertoire and instructions so that they can prepare. When they come to rehearsal, all of that is waiting for them printed out, together with a description of what we need to do for the day on which song. My idea is for the people in the band to focus on playing and not to bother with the organization. To have a good time at each rehearsal and, of course, do what we agreed to do for the day. The most important thing is that we grow from rehearsal to rehearsal and that the story goes on. It doesn't matter how fast.

I've always been a person who did several things at once, so over time, I narrowed the range of activities to my day job as a physio and a musician on my way to fame. Over time it became my routine. You work in the morning, you play in the evening, and you work in the morning again. In between, you take your kid to kindergarten and pick him up and you are a dad, a husband, a friend. I have to admit that it gets harder with age but I am not giving up yet.

How do you balance requirements, needs, expectations, and musical reality?

Like I said, through all these years we've found our own way of functioning. It takes a lot of understanding, sacrifice, and adapting to each other. That's why not everyone can do that. When talking to any new potential new band member, begging them to join and/or doing my best to charm them to come and feel the BSHB story, (then it is much easier) the first sentence I tell them is that if they are in it for the money they are in the wrong place!

If they love the music, love playing it, enjoy the creation process… If they want to be part of a family, a story that is being written and created out of something honest, which may one day become something great or maybe it won't… then they are in the right place. And if after that they tell me that it's ok with them, then they are probably the right people for the band and it makes sense to talk further.

Basically, they are all adults, experienced musicians. They know how things work in the band, where the band is going, and what it wants to achieve one day. They know what and when to expect, so there are no problems with expectations and reality.

Before I wrap this post up, I have a treat for you!

We're fortunate enough to have a recording of our performance on the big stage at the Harley Davidson Festival on the picturesque lakeside village of Faaker See in Austria, in 2014.
It was really an amazing experience and I'm proud to have been part of it.

It marked the high point of the band's line-up at the time so we were all pumped, as you could probably tell from the video

There's the whole show, and even a behind the scenes look backstage in this YouTube playlist: The Second Hand Band - Harley Davidson Festival Austria, 2014

To be continued...

Once upon a time...

I was born in 1977 in Zagreb. I grew up in my neighborhood and like most of the kids in those days, spending time with my friends outdoors, just hanging and doing the usual things. We were always very close and having them in my life was very important to me. Back then we were a team. We grew up together, and most of them are still part of my life. Some of them on a regular basis and some less frequently but we're always there for each other, no matter what.

I recall going out behind my apartment building with the older guys when I was supposed to be at home. My mother was looking for me while I was sitting with the guys on the park benches. They would play guitars, impressing the girls who would look at them like they were gods. I would stick to the sidelines, happy just to be able to hang with them… I think that was the first time I saw the true power of that instrument.

Then for a period of time, my mother and I went to live in Germany, literally in pursuit of happiness. It was a big deal for me because we were going there with almost nothing and starting from zero. I admire that woman for so many reasons. Today, when I am a parent myself, I know the weight of that story and how hard and big this decision was.

When we got to Germany, I was never really able to understand it. I couldn't see myself living there, and I hated that overall coldness between people. It’s just wasn't me, and I guess it’s not for everybody.
However, I see now how much I learned from that experience. The language, the respect and consideration for human differences and finally familiarizing with them. Also, I gained a work ethic.

There I finished high school and coach school to become a sports and gymnastics teacher while playing professional volleyball and naturally, continued to play music.

I came back to Zagreb when I was 21 with the intention to study medicine but, luckily, didn't get to enroll… I doubt I would’ve finished it anyway, so finally, I got into physiotherapy and together with old friends from the neighborhood, called Sopot, formed a band called – The Second Hand Band.

The rock’n’roll and the band’s enthusiasm did their part and my studies extended to 9 years, but I can say I lived the happiest and craziest student’s life you could imagine. Since I was playing everywhere, college kind of fell to second place, especially since my dream was to make it big with my band.

At one moment I realized that following my dreams would cost a lot of money and that I needed to get a day job to finance my night job.

So I finished college and, somehow by chance, started my career as a soccer physio. Suddenly, really good things started to happen and I got a ton of opportunities. I got my first job in NK HAŠK, two years later in GNK Dinamo where I stayed for 11 years. After that, I moved to work with basketball players in KK Cedevita Zagreb. I really love my job and think I'll always be doing both – physiotherapy and music.

I just can’t imagine doing one without the other. Since 2000, I’ve been building my career alongside doing what I love the most (the most important thing) which is playing music and writing the story of BSHB.

Where did the inspiration come from?

I've always loved music, ever since I can remember. My dad would listen to a huge variety of music - from The Rolling Stones to Pink Floyd, from classic rock to country music… so even at an early age, I was listening to the music that is „meant to be listened to“, especially vinyl.

Soon I became infected by the cult of listening to good music. I'm talking about the thing when you search for, focus on, and admire those particular great moments in a song. The arrangements, the groove, the sound of the drums and guitars, and finally, the story and the message behind it.

That’s how I listen to music today and that’s what I expect to receive from it after giving it my full attention, and half an hour or one hour of my life. 

When I was 7 or 8, I recall there was this one guy across the street who looked like Elvis and had the same guitar, at least it looked that to me back then. One day he was sitting on that bench in the park and playing “Stand by Me”, which was my mother's favorite song, and I begged him to teach me to play it. It was just the bass line but to me, it was a huge thing at that time. I tried to play it while he was talking to his friends and I asked if I could borrow the guitar for the afternoon.

He agreed, so I practiced while I was waiting for my mom to come home from work, and then I played it for her. She started to cry and the next day a new guitar was on my bed when I came home from school. That’s how my journey started.

In one way, my dad was responsible for me playing exactly the kind of music I play today, but my mother is the one to blame for my love for the guitar and my playing since the day I found it on my bed. My wife had it restored and repaired and together with my friends presented it to me for my 40th birthday. You can imagine how that felt…

That guitar is the first thing I pick up in the morning – you know, when you get up, walk barefoot through your house and just fingerpick something that’s in your head. It’s my way of starting the day and saying good morning to her.

When I was 15, Andrej God (my friend from the building, the founder of The SHB, and my future bandmate) introduced me to the band Lynyrd Skynyrd and I was instantly infected by southern rock. Soon I discovered The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, and many more bands through which I nurtured my love for that kind of music and ignited the desire to be involved in a similar story.

That's how it all started, and that's how it still goes on. Today I mostly listen to those four bands and some similar to them, but for me, that's it. After 25 years of exploring and experimenting with various types of music, I've happily returned to the basics where it all started.

THE FIRST GIG

Actually, we started to practice with the goal to someday play in Sax!. The club with the reputation of being the best in town and playing there meant that you were really good. One year later, one of our backing vocals, Dunja, booked our first gig there. That’s right! Our first live gig was set up in Sax!, but – on a Monday when it’s usually closed.

We were hanging out with some friends at the Apollo, telling them our band stories and they were eager to finally hear what we sound like. So everyone came. The club was on fire and crowded with our friends.

I was on the drums, my legs and arms were shaking and I was giving my 150 percent. I remember feeling - that strong energy intertwined between us on the stage and the audience in front of us, the power you gain by performing on the stage and it was truly an addictive experience.

Since then I’ve known I want to do that for the rest of my life, just to have that amazing feeling over and over again.

There isn't a lot of audio or video material from those first years, but some fans and former members of the band made it possible for us to look back in time and see how young we were...

You can take a look for yourself at our YouTube playlist: The Second Hand Band - Through the years

To be continued...