Balkun Brothers is an American rock n’ roll power-duo hailing from Hartford, CT. Formed by blood brothers Nick and Steve Balkun, the duo has been described by TheDay.com as, “Spectacular torch-bearers for rockin’ American blues. The band brings a raw, soulful and energetic personality that is a fresh sound for blues and rock ’n roll.” The Hartford Courant also characterizes their sound as, “Weaponized biker-bar blues rock, big on riffage but with a touch of soul and psychedelic freakouts”.
Mixing heavy rock and funk grooves with traditional styles of delta and electric blues, Balkun Brothers are crafting a unique sound and style all their own. Defying the common logic of a duo act, Steve and Nick create a massive wall of sonic energy that draws from a vast range of influences including Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Johnny Winter, The Doors, Rage Against The Machine, Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Motörhead and many more. The band’s live shows and in-studio recordings seamlessly transition between rock, blues, funk, jam, punk, psychedelia and everything in-between. Known for their explosive live shows, Balkun Brothers are quickly evolving into one of the USA’s premier duo acts and they are rapidly gaining followers across the world with their gritty hard-rockin’ attitude.
After being voted ‘Best Blues Band in Connecticut’ at the Connecticut Music Awards for the last 4 years in a row (from 2013-2016), the band was most recently awarded ‘Best Rock Band in New England’ at the 2017 New England Music Awards.
Balkun Brothers has shared the stage with acts such as Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Hoey, James Cotton, Gogol Bordello, Devon Allman, Melvin Seals and JGB, Eric Sardinas, Albert Castiglia, The Mike Dillon Band, Dopapod, Vapors of Morphine, Selwyn Birchwood and Chris Duarte. The duo has also been featured on major festival line-ups alongside The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Motley Crüe, Alice Cooper, Slayer, Iggy Pop, Gary Clark Jr. and Elvin Bishop.
Brothers Nick and Steve, independently produced and released their debut album in 2015 entilted, ‘ReDrova’, which was well received and rose to #1 on the Roots Music Report Blues-Rock album charts and was #5 on the Roots Music Report overall Blues charts.
Balkun Brothers signed with European label Dixiefrog Records in 2015 and released their much anticipated second album, ‘Devil On TV’, with Dixiefrog in May of 2017.
On their mission to spread rock n’ roll across the universe, the brothers have toured extensively throughout the United States from coast to coast. The band has also completed five European tours since 2015, performing in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France.