Pocket Palma
{{short description|Croatian synthwave duo}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Pocket Palma
| image =
| image_size =
| landscape = yes
| alt =
| caption =
| alias = Side Project
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| years_active = {{Start date|2012}}–present
| label = {{flatlist|
}}
| associated_acts =
| website =
| current_members = * Anja Papa
- Luka Vidović
| past_members =
}}
Pocket Palma (sometimes stylized in all lowercase or sentence case) is a Croatian synthwave duo formed in Zagreb in 2012 by Anja Papa and Luka Vidović.{{cite news|url=http://www.urbanbug.net/mobile/magazin/vest/zagrebacki-synthwave-duo-pocket-palma-obradio-je-pesmu-minuta-ide-prester|title=Zagrebački synthwave duo pocket palma, obradio je pesmu "Minuta" Ide Prester|date=25 March 2020|accessdate=7 April 2020|website=urbanbug.net|language=hr}}{{cite web|author=K. V.|date=24 February 2020|url=https://www.zgportal.com/zgdogadanja/synthwave-duo-pocket-palma-u-tvornici-kulture-promovira-debitantski-album/|title=Synthwave duo Pocket palma u Tvornici kulture promovira debitantski album|website=zgportal.com|accessdate=7 April 2020|language=hr}}{{cite web|url=https://super1.telegram.hr/snaga/upoznajte-anju-i-luku-glazbeni-duo-koji-zvukom-80-ih-osvaja-mlade-generacije-i-mi-ih-stalno-slusamo/|title=Upoznajte Anju i Luku, glazbeni duo koji zvukom 80-ih osvaja mlađe generacije. I mi ih stalno slušamo|website=Super1|last=Glavina|first=Ema|date=20 January 2020|accessdate=7 April 2020|language=hr}} Until 2019, they were known under the name Side Project. As Side Project, they have released two albums, Things Which No One Else Should Know About (2015) and Lonely Boys (2017).{{cite web|url=https://rifmagazin.novilist.hr/things-which-no-one-else-should-know-about-side-project-predstavljaju-sjajan-debi-album/|title='Things Which No One Else Should Know About': Side Project predstavljaju sjajan debi album|website=RIF magazin|date=23 November 2015|accessdate=7 April 2020|language=hr}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rockomotiva.com/fresh/albumi/side-project-objavili-dugoocekivani-album-lonely-boys/|title=Side Project objavili dugoočekivani album 'Lonely Boys'|website=Rockomotiva|date=6 December 2017|accessdate=7 April 2020|language=hr}}
In 2018, Papa and Vidović decided to rebrand, replacing dark pop sound with nostalgic synthwave sound of the '80s and starting to make music in their native Croatian.{{cite web|url=https://www.buro247.hr/kultura/glazba/pocket-palma-dzepna-doza-zvuka-80-ih-i-opustene-ljetne-energije.html|title=Pocket palma: Džepna doza zvuka 80-ih i opuštene ljetne energije|website=buro247.hr|language=hr|last=Lončarić|first=Lidija|date=19 July 2019|accessdate=7 April 2020}} Under the new name Pocket Palma, they released an EP Godišnji in summer 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.fashion.hr/kultura/glazba/upoznajte-bend-koji-nas-je-osvojio-svojim-ljetnim-albumom-139619.aspx|title=Upoznajte bend koji nas je osvojio svojim ljetnim albumom|date=16 September 2019|accessdate=7 April 2020|website=fashion.hr|language=hr}} During the same year, they signed a contract with Croatian label Aquarius Records and released their self-titled debut album in Croatian.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B3pdE80BwUN |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/B3pdE80BwUN |archive-date=26 December 2021 |url-access=registration|title=@pocketpalma on Instagram|website=Instagram|date=15 October 2019|accessdate=7 April 2020}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|date=19 December 2019|accessdate=7 April 2020|url=https://novosti.hr/pocket-palma-u-tvornici-kulture-promovira-debitantski-album/|title=Pocket palma u Tvornici kulture promovira debitantski album|website=novosti.hr|language=hr|last=Čelig|first=Goran}}
Early beginnings
Papa and Vidović met in high school in 2012 and, started making covers of songs by Arctic Monkeys and Guns N' Roses "for fun".{{cite web|url=https://mixer.hr/side-project-usputni-projekt-koji-je-postao-glavna-prica-na-domacoj-alternativnoj-sceni/|title=Side Project – Usputni projekt koji je postao glavna priča na domaćoj alternativnoj sceni|last=Tomino|first=Emanuela|website=mixer.hr|language=hr|accessdate=7 April 2020}} They both attended elementary music school, where Papa played the flute and Vidović played the piano. Following their graduation from high school, they enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Zagreb.{{cite web|url=https://magazin.hrt.hr/336773/bend-side-project|title=Bend 'Side Project'|website=HRT magazin|date=27 May 2016|accessdate=7 April 2020|language=hr|last=Kapetanović|first=Ivana|author2=M. Š.}}
In 2013, they released their debut single "Things Which No One Else Should Know About" under the name Side Project, after which they began working on their debut album. In March 2015, they released a music video for their new single "Glitter", directed by Filip "Philatz" Filković. On 4 September the same year, they released their debut studio album Things Which No One Else Should Know About.{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Side-Project-Things-Which-No-One-Else-Should-Know-About/release/14203461|title=Side Project (2) – Things Which No One Else Should Know About|website=Discogs|accessdate=7 April 2020}} They promoted the album by holding a concert in Tvornica Kulture, Zagreb on 5 December.
In 2016, they released singles "Guns" and "Giving Souls Away". In June 2017, they released their new single "Second Skin", inspired by Zagreb Pride 2017. In September the same year, they released the lead single off their sophomore album of the same name, "Lonely Boys". During the same year, they recorded official soundtrack for Filip Filković's short dystopian film The Last Well, which was released in November.{{cite web|url=https://www.ziher.hr/anja-papa-side-project/|title=ANJA PAPA (SIDE PROJECT): "AKO NEKOME MOŽEMO PROMIJENITI SAMO 0,1% ŽIVOTA, NAŠA ZADAĆA JE ZAVRŠENA"|last=Sertić|first=Valentina|website=ziher.hr|language=hr|date=23 March 2018|accessdate=7 April 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://thelastwellfilm.com/|title=The Last Well {{!}} Posljednji bunar|website=thelastwellfilm.com|accessdate=7 April 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://sideprojecthr.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-well-ost|title=The Last Well OST {{!}} Side Project|website=Bandcamp|date=16 November 2017|accessdate=7 April 2020}} In December, Lonely Boys was released.{{cite web|url=https://sideprojecthr.bandcamp.com/album/lonely-boys|title=Lonely Boys {{!}} Side Project|website=Bandcamp|date=1 December 2017|accessdate=7 April 2017}}
Career
Papa and Vidović stated that they had spent most of 2018 separated, consequently not knowing how to make music for Side Project together as they both had headed in different directions. They simply "were not inspired to make new Side Project material". During one of their sessions, they decided to translate one of the songs they had written to Croatian and thought it "sounded cool". In spring 2018, they composed new music and wrote lyrics about going to the seaside, going out of the city, and summer love in English to it. They said they had decided to try themselves out in synth pop "after Vidović had wandered to Yugoslav synth pop playlists on YouTube". In the beginning of 2019, they decided to write about the same topics, but in Croatian instead. They released their debut single in Croatian, titled "Godišnji", under the new name Pocket Palma. In May 2019, they released a mini-album of the same name. Until the autumn, they scored a radio hit "Ono što nam inače nedostaje".{{cite news |last1=Čulić |first1=Ilko |title=Top 10 hrvatskih albuma godine |url=https://express.24sata.hr/kultura/top-10-hrvatskih-albuma-godine-23944 |accessdate=7 April 2020 |work=Express |date=20 December 2019 |language=Croatian |quote=Nostalgija za electro '80-ima opisana iz perspektive autorskog para rođenog sredinom '90-ih, pretočena u najprivlačniju hrvatsku dream pop liriku, do jeseni im je donijela pravi radijski hit "Ono što nam inače nedostaje"...}}
After Pocket Palma's music had been taken down from online platforms, Papa and Vidović announced in October they had signed a contract with Croatian label Aquarius Records. In December, they released their debut self-titled album in Croatian for Aquarius. It consisted of all songs from Godišnji, as well as four new songs. The album was met with universal acclaim by the critics, who compared it with Croatian bands Nipplepeople and Denis & Denis.{{cite news |last1=Jagatić |first1=Dubravko |title=Pocket Palma "Pocket Palma" (Aquarius Records): Vrlo ugodno iznenađenje |url=https://www.nacional.hr/glazbene-recenzije-buc-kesidi-pocket-palma-the-lesser-men/ |accessdate=7 April 2020 |work=Nacional |language=Croatian}}{{cite web |last1=Čelig |first1=Goran |title=Džepna doza palmi koja liječi nostalgiju za ljetom i prošlosti u bilo koje doba godine |url=https://novosti.hr/dzepna-doza-palmi-koja-lijeci-nostalgiju-za-ljetom-i-proslosti-u-bilo-koje-doba-godine/ |website=novosti.hr |accessdate=7 April 2020 |language=Croatian |date=6 December 2019}}{{cite web |author1=I. B. |title=Za njih govore da su novi 'Denis i Denis': 'Kod starijih generacija naša glazba izaziva veliku nostalgiju, a dovoljno je moderna da bude privlačna mlađima' |url=https://www.tportal.hr/showtime/clanak/za-njih-govore-da-su-novi-denis-i-denis-kod-starijih-generacija-nasa-glazba-izaziva-veliku-nostalgiju-a-dovoljno-je-moderna-da-bude-privlacna-mladima-foto-20200209 |website=tportal.hr |accessdate=7 April 2020 |language=Croatian |date=9 February 2020}}
On 31 January 2020, Aquarius Records rereleased the duo's Side Project works. On 29 February, they held a concert in Tvornica Kulture, Zagreb.{{cite web |author1=Promo |title=Pocket Palma - predgrupa Cubies i novi singl 'Kako izgleda kraj' |url=https://www.tportal.hr/showtime/clanak/pocket-palma-predgrupa-cubies-i-novi-singl-kako-izgleda-kraj-20200224 |website=tportal.hr |accessdate=7 April 2020 |language=Croatian |date=24 February 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Grizbaher |first1=Vedran |title=POCKET PALMA: "POHVALA INOZEMNIH GLAZBENIKA BOLJA JE OD BILO KAKVIH PORINA" |url=https://www.ziher.hr/pocket-palma-intervju/ |website=ziher.hr |accessdate=7 April 2020 |language=Croatian |date=28 February 2020}} In March, they released two collaborations, "Voli me" with ManGroove and "Minuta (PP Version)" with Ida Prester.
On 2 June 2023, Pocket Palma have released their latest song - "Ne mogu biti kao oni" as an announcement of their upcoming, third album.{{Citation |title=pocket palma - ne mogu biti kao oni |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq2o0UHbjU0 |access-date=2023-06-03 |language=en}} The musical group released their third studio album, "III", on 22 September 2023.{{cite web |author1=Edo Plovanić |title=Pocket palma objavili svoj treći album "III", kao povratak u mračniji zvuk |url=https://www.muzika.hr/pocket-palma-objavili-svoj-treci-album-iii-kao-povratak-u-mracniji-zvuk/ |website=muzika.hr|accessdate=5 October 2023 |language=Croatian |date=22 September 2023}} This album achieved a significant milestone by securing the number one spot on the Croatian Albums Chart, marking the band's inaugural chart-topping album in their career.{{cite web |title=pocket palma ima najprodavaniji album u Hrvatskoj |url=https://www.top-lista.hr/www/2023/10/04/pocket-palma-ima-najprodavaniji-album-u-hrvatskoj/ |website=top-lista|accessdate=5 October 2023 |language=Croatian |date=4 October 2023}}
Discography
=Albums=
;As Side Project
- Things Which No One Else Should Know About (2015)
- Lonely Boys (2017)
;As Pocket Palma
=EPs=
- Godišnji (2019)