Vanja Sky is Croatia's answer to Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones. An artistic career can hardly develop more rapidly. Five years after learning to play the guitar, Vanja recorded her debut album „Bad Penny“ with well known artists from the international blues scene. With „Woman Named Trouble“ the follow up was released fast after. Now it’s about time for her brand new album release „reborn“ on the label Kick The Flame and distributed by Broken Silence.
The blues was originally the initial spark for the young pastry chef from Umag at the beautiful Croatian coast. After attending a concert by guitar hero Denis Makin and his band „The Screaming Wheels“, Vanja, who was barely of legal age, was obsessed with the idea of having found her true calling in the blues and rock roots. She first moved to Zagreb to step deeply into the local music scene. There she meet Laurence Jones when he played a concert in Zagreb. Shortly after that Vanja started an acoustic duo with guitarist Eduard "Jimmy" Matesic, one of the most prominent artists in Croatia. Together they played concerts all over the country.
Vanja became the discovery and most successfull newcomer of the scene and is now no longer an insider tip. The highlights of her blitz career include working closely with greats like Bernard Allison and Mike Zito, both appear on her debut album „Bad Penny", recorded at the Bessie Blues Studios in Stantonville, Tennessee, under the hands of Grammy-award-winning producer Jim Gaines. The followed album „Woman Named Trouble“ is much more rocking and was instantly chosen from ROCKS MAGAZIN among AC/DC, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen as one of the best records released in 2020!
In 2022, Vanja Sky released with „Müha – See You Again“ a duet with singer Carl Sentance, who is currently on the microphone for probably the most successful Scottish hard rock band, Nazareth, and also for the solo band of Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey. . The title „Müha – See You Again“ refers to the transience of life and the appreciation that we should develop for what we have in the here and now. The impulse for the new song gave Vanja the surprising death of a friend from the Croatian music scene who was very close to her.
In 2023 Vanja released her new album „reborn”, it features Gerry McAvoy (Rory Gallagher) and Ric Lee (Ten Years After) as very special guests. For the album and all upcoming tours Vanja joined forces with the very well known German guitarist Guenter Haas, who played and toured worldwide with Schiller, Gergorian, Sarah Brightman, Udo Lindenberg, Cindy Lauper, Scotty Moore and many more. With „reborn“ Vanja arrived in rock szene without losing her roots in the blues. The album is a clear evolution of her own musical personality. The title „reborn" stands for a new start, a rebirth, a new beginning. The album cover has two pictures of Vanja Sky, one from her childhood and another current picture.
In addition to eight newly written songs, the album include two cover versions of legendary titles from the rock history, in which members of the original bands took part as special guests. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the track "I'd Love To Change The World", Vanja invited Ric Lee, drummer, Woodstock legend and founding member of Ten Years After, to the studio to re-record the track with him. Meanwhile, Vanja continues her homage to Rory Gallagher on „reborn“. So far there has been a song by Rory on each of her albums. On the re-recording of „I Take What I Want“ none other than Gerry McAvoy took over the bass part. He played with Rory Gallagher for over 20 years.
Vanja Sky is influenced by Rory Gallagher, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. From that she built a bridge from the old giants of the traditional blues to a youthful audience. She convinces with her own compositions, which are reaching the level with the hits of the current genre greats. Vanja Sky is the real deal. With a vintage eighties sound reminiscent of Joan Jett, Vanja sings the songs with the same sharpness and dedication as Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders would do.
Vanja has the musical presence to make it big on every stage. From her world tour in the „Ruf Blues Caravan“ with Bernard Allison and Mike Zito, the result of this tour is impressively published on a live CD/DVD, sessions with Humble Pie guitarist Clem Clempson, Colosseum singer Chris Farlowe, The God of Hellfire Arthur Brown and supports of rock legends like Suzi Quatro, UFO and Woodstock icons Canned Heat, to her own headline tours, she developed her live performance. The producers of the legendary German TV show ROCKPALAST from WDR also became aware of her talent and broadcast a whole live concert in which the exceptional Britisch talent Krissy Matthews was a special guest on guitar.
Vanja Sky is a frequently booked act in front of thousands of visitors at major international festivals such as the Rother Blues Days, Vallemaggia Magic Blues Festival, Fehmarn Festival, Moulin Blues Festival, Megève Blues Festival, Cittanova Blues Festival, New Assen Blues Festival, Le Buis Festival and the Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival. Vanja Sky is also one of the most booked bands at international biker festivals such as Hell's Week or the Canta'l Rock Festival in France. An absolute top act that you shouldn't miss!
More about Vanja Skye here: https://www.vanjasky.rocks/index.php/about
