Luka Nikolić
by Randy Radic
Back in 2024, in Niš, Serbia’s Bitter Blue dropped Levity, a tight indiepop/rock EP that wears a sly grin from start to finish — especially on standout track “Someone Better.” It’s the kind of release that feels light on its feet while still having substance.
Now they’re working on their first full-length, Blueberry Eyes, Raspberry Tears, due out September 2026: an album that embarks on expanding their sound without losing the flair that made the EP such an easy listen.
Bitter Blue blends indie rock, indie pop, and alt edge into a sound that echoes with hints of the wiry drive of The Strokes, the restless push-pull of Foals, the melodic ache of The Smiths, the nocturnal gloss of The Neighbourhood, and the kinetic punch of Bloc Party. Their songs exploit friction, then resolve it into choruses that hit hard, feel human, and invite you right in.
Ink 19 caught up with Luka Nikolić, Bitter Blue’s primary songwriter and guitarist, to discuss what’s coming on the new album, the current band lineup, and why the story around a song can matter as much as the song itself.
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Randy Radic: Bitter Blue’s debut full-length album, Blueberry Eyes, Raspberry Tears, is due for release this September. What can you share about the album?
Luka Nikolić: It definitely feels like the first time in my life I’ve been involved in creating actual art, not just music. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last 20 years of writing and performing, it’s that there is beauty to be found in creating art even when the world is going mad, and life seems too complex to grasp. Making this record felt like meditating on the top floor of a burning skyscraper — in the best possible way. Or like emerging from the bottom of the ocean and basking in the sunlight on the surface after being submerged for an extended period of time, gasping for air. It’s a colorful album filled with a whole lot of life, a little bit of death, and everything else sprinkled in-between for good measure. Above all, it’s extremely intentional; every word, note, and aesthetic choice is there for a reason. Each conveys a meaning larger than the sum of the constituent parts, which make up the release as a whole, and that’s probably what I’m most proud of.
How, where, and when did Bitter Blue get together?
If memory serves, the recording of our debut EP, Levity, began around September of 2021. COVID was still a very real threat even though it was by far the least of my concerns at the time. Writing and recording Levity was what kept me sane during that period, and I owe no small debt of gratitude to my bandmates for that. I’d had those five songs living in my head rent-free for a while, and I just knew I had to get them out of my system regardless of whether anyone else would ever hear them or not. I also had a group of amazing friends by my side with whom I had never committed anything to tape before; all I had to do was put two and two together, and thus the first EP was born.
Who is in Bitter Blue, and which instruments do they play?
Luka Nikolić, i.e., yours truly. I write all the music, play all the guitars, and write a sizable chunk of the lyrics. Milan Mirić is one of my oldest friends and the voice of Bitter Blue, as well as our chief lyricist. Miloš Dabetić holds down the low end; his bass playing is the glue that keeps our tunes together. Last but definitely not least, Stefan Milojković is the drummer and producer genius behind the BB moniker and will remain so for as long as this outfit exists. Finally, a big shoutout to our friend and label manager Nenad Tasić!
What’s the weirdest sound you’ve ever recorded and included in a track?
Funny you should ask! We recently recorded one of our new LP tracks called “Rainbow Soul,” which features a toy cymbal from Temu I got as a gift from my wife. It started out as a joke and eventually made its way onto the record, just like these things tend to happen. It’s probably not as esoteric as some of the other sounds people have included on albums over the years, but hey, you’ve got to start somewhere!
Describe your most chaotic studio session ever.
It really depends on how you define chaotic. Being that we’re all in our thirties, the sessions are definitely tamer and more focused than was the case in some of our previous bands. Then again, once you factor in that a few of us are at least bordering on ADHD, every session is a trainwreck waiting to happen, despite our age, ha-ha! The “chaos” mostly means going off on random tangents and spewing out references from niche TV shows we find hilarious (Peep Show is one of our collective favorites). I guess that’s what prolonged periods of being in a 3 x 3 control room with several humans and little-to-no sunlight will occasionally do to you.
Analog vs. digital — pick a side and tell us why.
I guess digital, if I only had to pick one, purely for the fact that it’s what I’ve known since the very first time I entered a studio environment. I’ve never been a purist in either direction, so a mix of both is what I like to use when recording, as and when each of them is called for. All else being equal, digital allows for more precision, so let’s go with that.
What’s one studio trick or secret you’ve never revealed before?
Listen to things in context! You might be tempted to bring the best equipment to a session, the freshest guitar strings, and record everything to a grid, but if you listen to all the elements together and not in isolation, what you will repeatedly find is that imperfections are what give a mix its liveliness. I know I’m not saying anything revolutionary here, but it’s a lesson worth repeating: more often than not, it’ll be the old acoustic with years-old strings or a slightly-out-of-sync backing vocal that makes a song feel like a song and not a collection of perfectly assembled waveforms. I’m still learning to let go of the perfectionism bug as much as anyone, mind you!
If budget wasn’t a factor, what would your dream studio look like?
I’m not really fussed about the equipment side of things, as gear-obsessed as I am. The song and the performance matter most — plugins can take care of everything else. Of course, I’m oversimplifying, but as long as you can get a decent drum sound from a room and its acoustics, everything else can be compensated for one way or another. I do love a good Fender tube amp, though, so that and a Roland Jazz Chorus are a must.
What’s your opinion on AutoTune and pitch correction software?
It can be used as a crutch or an artistic tool. I wouldn’t recommend the former, and I haven’t experimented much with the latter, although I’m a huge fan of some artists who have (Julian Casablancas and the band Chalk being among the more notable examples). Never say never, but it’s not a direction I see us taking in the near future. Like I said, I’m not a purist and definitely not in the banish-it-from-existence camp; whatever helps the artistic vision come to fruition is a tool in the arsenal I’m happy to use. So long as it doesn’t imply compensating for something else — like a lack of actual singing talent, for example — it’s all fair game as far as I’m concerned.
What common mistakes do artists make when first recording?
Over-indexing on gear choices and under-indexing on composition and arrangement solutions. Leaving too many options open is another big one; creativity comes from constraint, so leave your gargantuan pedalboard at home and bring only what you truly need to get the job done. This also goes for songwriting — once you’re done with a track, remain done with it. Endlessly rewriting parts is a soul-sucking endeavor that can rob a song of its essence unless you put a stop to it at some meaningful point. Trust your gut, just make sure you put in a few decades of practicing your craft beforehand.
Who is the most underrated producer or engineer, in your opinion?
I’ll go with our very own Stefan Milojković, whose Buzz Box studio is our spiritual home. It’s very rare that you meet someone who understands you as a friend, as a musician, and as an engineer. When you do happen to find them, cherish the workflow you’ve built up, because magic happens when you trust and (just as importantly) enjoy the process. It also helps if they’re a world-class drummer with impeccable taste and a work ethic to boot… I’m starting to worry I might find myself without a producer following this amount of praise! It’s all more than well-deserved, though, and I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else at the helm as far as production is concerned.
What’s a popular song you wish you’d produced?
There’s far too many to name, but one of the first that jumps to mind is “Come Undone” by Duran Duran. It’s just the perfect pop song without ever sounding cheesy in the slightest. Quite the opposite, actually; it’s probably one of the most tasteful-sounding pieces of contemporary music I’ve heard. “Chills, is it something real or the magic I’m feeding off your fingers?” has got to be one of the most delicious lines ever written, and Simon Le Bon certainly has no shortage of those in his back pocket. An absolutely outstanding moment in popular culture, and to think it almost never made that album… Chills, indeed.
How do you feel about artificial intelligence in music production?
I don’t. Quite simply, I don’t have a stance on it because I don’t believe it’s consequential enough for me to give it the time of day. As with most innovations of any kind, AutoTune included, it can help separate the wheat from the chaff. If there are people listening to my band who prefer AI music over mine, I don’t really need or want them as fans (as pretentious as that might sound). Maybe one day when robots start paying for tickets for live shows, I’ll change my mind. Until then, I trust humanity’s collective better judgement as far as what they choose to listen to — at least the part of humanity that perceives music and art as the core part of our humanness instead of just background noise.
How important is studio ambiance, and how do you create yours?
This isn’t really something I think about too much, mainly because I’m blessed to work with such incredible people. That’s really what ambiance is all about, not lighting and lava lamps. Although I will say having a few different lighting options helps, lest you end up feeling like you’re in an office space and not a creative environment. Mascots are cool too — our Kurt Cobain cardboard cutout sends his best regards! ◼
