“We Did Something Valuable”: How the “Brothers Grim” Live Today

In the early 2000s, the Grim brothers were adored by millions. The twins of Samara Konstantin and Boris Burdaev were powerful hit makers, showing real style in their videos and gathering halls full of mesmerized fans. In 2009, Boris left the group, and for 14 years Konstantin was the soloist and leader.

PopCornNews spoke to Konstantin personally. The musician left some questions about their relationship with Boris without comment, but happily answered others. We learned how the Grim Brothers are doing today, how work on their music is progressing, what difficult times they’ve been through and what the plans are for the future.

Many believe that the Brothers Grim group started its long journey with the song Eyelashes. In fact, in 1998 you called yourself “Magelan” and performed in Samara at local concerts. Was it difficult then? Did you do any other work besides music, or did she start bringing in money right away?

In our school years we were called “Magelan” when we organized our first group “in a cupboard behind the auditorium”. But even then we distinguished ourselves from many school bands by the fact that we mainly played songs of our own composition, and some even became local hits at the Medical and Technical Lyceum, where we studied and rehearsed. A year later, having entered the institute in the music department of the Samara Pedagogical University, we called our group “Brothers Grim”. At the beginning of the 2000s, they started performing on local venues in Samara and Togliatti, recording demos. Rather, it was an occupation for the soul and did not bring much money. It should be noted that everything I did in my life was somehow related to music. In the early 2000s I was working on the radio, reading the news, making musical requests, and sometimes playing bass in another of our bands, the Bossa Nova Band, and making arrangements to order. In general, I didn’t have to do anything but music.

In the early 2000s, everyone knew your songs, there were large-scale concerts, tours. How are the performances now? How many fans have accompanied you through time?

Now there are bigger tours. For example, in March I had 21 events. I can’t remember anything like that even in the 2000s. Some 2000s fans I personally know still come to our shows. Added, of course, and new faces. For example, at a recent concert in Sochi, I asked the audience if they remember their 2005. Half of the front ones said they were very young then. And a girl generally answered that she was not even born then.

Who is in the group now? Tell us about the boys.

I am the only one who has remained in the group unchanged since the late 20th century. Well, this is probably true: I, as a music author, the founder of the team, should be some kind of constant in the group. In general, I am currently the core of this group, around which the musicians are united, it just happened, it happened … Now there are four people in the team, including me. Behind the drum kit – Mikhail Mazurok, he has been playing in the group for almost seven years, since 2015. On the bass guitar – Dmitry Kondrev since 2013 already ten. And Maxim Slukhay came to us relatively recently to play solo guitar, he was brought by our previous guitarist, who played with us for more than ten years.

Thanks to the Brothers Grim

Have you had times of stagnation, when things were tight, with no doubts when concerts weren’t going the way you’d like?

There were no half-empty halls during the pandemic. And also empty. In general, there was no audience for almost four months – from April to July 2020. During this time, we managed to play two online concerts – and that’s it. We were all locked up, not alone “The Brothers Grim”, but also all showbiz figures. In the month of September and the end of August it was a bit disappointing and the crowd exploded: in September more than ten concerts were given in one fell swoop. And then pause again. And such a swing was until early 2022. This is for concert activities. And in terms of creativity, such breaks have been beneficial: I wrote and arranged most of the album I expect to release this year, right during the pandemic.

Which of your new songs is the most popular right now? Do you perform the old ones at concerts or are you tired of them already?

We have, according to my observations, at least three folk hits that everyone knows and picks up at the same time, regardless of place and audience: Eyelashes (2005), Kusturica (2005) and Favorite Music (2013). And a dozen well-known songs that are in circulation and are actively listened to on the web. All of these songs are from our seven albums that came out in the ’00s and ’10s. Of the most recent, the song “Fly High”, sank in many, it went well on the web, got on federal FM radio stations, in the rotation of music channels: the video for it was in the top 20 of MUZ-TV for quite some time and reached fourth place. There we were able to compete with many young hype performers. After almost 20 years, this is a good result.

Who now writes the words and music in the band?

I do the songwriting, arranging, vocals, acoustic guitar and keyboards, of course. All group members The Grim Brothers in 2023 are professional musicians with a higher vocational education.

What creative plans does the team have?

This year we are releasing an album. “Fly High”, which will contain at least 11 songs, including the song of the same name. This will be the band’s first record in the synthpop style, or to be more precise, stark synth, which will differ from the classics of stark rock with a fresher, lighter and more modern sound, where analog and FM synthesis alternate, retro will be added to clear guitars and my vocals – wave and clear rhythm of vintage drum machines. And of course, none of this is without the hearty, life-affirming “Grimov’s” melody and lyrics.

Do you attend some social events, awards, under the stars of show business, or try to avoid it?

I sometimes go to social events, but very rarely. I have a lot of tours, studio work and go to parties, I don’t have much time to show my face, and it’s not interesting I have things to do, believe me. In addition, you need to find time in your tight schedule to be with your family. That’s why I’d rather be with close, dear people than at a party among characters I don’t know.

Thanks to the Brothers Grim

Photo source: Courtesy of The Brothers Grim

Author: Alexandra Ponomarenko Olga Sobko