Just before tearing up the stage at Slam Dunk Festival, I caught up with my favourite accent in the world and met one of the best Scottish people ever! I spoke with Scottish alt-rock duo Vukovi to talk all things festival related, chaotic pre-show rituals and the songs that have taken on a life of their own over the years. Between circle pits, vodka Red Bulls and an unexpectedly recurring “shite” theme, Janine and Hamish proved exactly why Vukovi’s live shows have become such a force on the festival circuit.
So the first question is… what’s your favourite thing about playing headline shows compared to to festivals?
Janine: “Do you know, I think festival shows it’s a different crowd because they’re not just there to see you. They’ve got so many options. So the fact that they come to see you at a festival, it is a privilege. And you kind of need to work it a bit harder because there’s some folk, they’ll be like I’m not going to buy a ticket to their show but I’m going to go and see them at a festival so you get a bit more… I think there’s a lot more folk that come to your set to sort of be like, right, let’s see what this is about. You’re not safe.”
Hamish: “This sounds really weird but there’s a competitive element to festivals if you’re clashing with people and it’s like, who’s going to come to yours? And that’s kind of fun actually. I don’t know, it’s kind of cool.”
Janine: “Whereas when it’s your show everyone’s there to see you. They want to fucking have a good time. But it’s a bit more of a challenge.”
What song of yours has recently gone down the best, that’s maybe surprised you?
Janine: “Bladed.”
Hamish: “Yup 100%”
Janine: “Because we started playing that live before it was a single and it just always kicked off. And I was like, if that’s doing that before we’ve even technically released it it really surprised me. I wasn’t sure what to expect with that.”
Hamish: “It’s got a big breakdown in the middle of it and it’s just perfect circle pit opportunity and its long -And it’s a five minute long song as well. And it wasn’t really a focus single until later on in the record as well. But like you say, we played it live already so we knew people liked it. It’s clicking.”
Have any songs evolved in energy or meaning for you personally since you first released them?
Janine: “I mean, ‘La Di Da’. We wrote that song a while long ago…2016, and it is just it gets even more mental like the more we usually end the set on that and folks still want it. Like they’re still hungry for it and they still want to go fucking mental for it. And we never wrote that w didn’t think when we wrote that this is what this song is going to be. I guess that’s what most songs are like.”
Hamish: “Especially ones that do well as well. We used to open with ‘La Di Da’. We opened with it for the first eight months or something that it came out. We have done for like eight years now.”
Janine: “I can’t imagine ending with something else.”
Hamish: “I can’t imagine swapping that out for anything else yet. And if we do, we’ve done something pretty good.“
What is the dynamic like in the band right before you go on stage?
Janine: “Martin always needs a big shite.”
Hamish: “I was like you don’t need to say it, you don’t need to say it. Martin’s the most nervous.”
And talking of big shites… it was at precisely this moment my phone overheated in the blazing Slam Dunk sun and completely shut itself off — honestly, fitting timing for the conversation.
So as technology was betraying me, we continued chatting about the band’s pre-show rituals and how they prepare for the chaos of a festival set. For Vukovi, getting into the zone means getting the tunes blasting backstage and building the energy together before they walk out in front of a crowd. Naturally, Janine also confessed her love for a vodka Red Bull when it comes to getting festival-ready.
When I asked what they hoped a brand-new fan would take away from seeing Vukovi live for the first time, Janine’s answer came instantly: “Empowered.”
She reflected on wanting people to leave a Vukovi set feeling stronger within themselves — like whatever they want to do in life, they absolutely can do it. It’s a message that sits at the heart of the band’s energy: unapologetic, fearless and completely yourself.
Of course, the conversation quickly descended back into festival madness when I asked about the weirdest thing they’d ever witnessed at an event. In perfect sync, both Janine and Hamish immediately recalled seeing a girl pooing in a fence at T in the Park. As we all dissolved into laughter at the recurring “shite” theme of the interview, we joked that, honestly, there was something strangely “empowering” about it and how bold a move it was but – when you need to go, you need to go!
Keeping with the festival essentials, I asked the important question: what’s the go-to post-set food or drink?
“Sleep,” Janine answered instantly. “Drinks,” Hamish countered with equal confidence.
To close the interview, I asked the question I ask everyone — what would their “sunshine” be? What lifts people up?
For Hamish, it was positivity. He spoke about the importance of trying to look for the brighter side of things, but also being that positive force for other people when they need it most.
Janine’s answer also felt like the perfect note to end on.
“It’s okay to be you. It’s okay to do what you need to do. It’s okay.”
And honestly, that sentiment feels like the perfect summary of Vukovi themselves.
Header image by Luke Shadrick
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