“Persona Non Grata” - Bones in Butter
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
Every once in a while, a band drops a track that doesn’t just nod to its influences—it reanimates them, giving the past a pulse in the present. That’s exactly what Bones in Butter, the Belgrade-based alt-rock collective, has done with “Persona Non Grata.” Released May 24, 2024, via Swedish indie powerhouse Rexius Records, the single is lifted from their conceptual album COSMOPOLIS, and it plays like a slice of post-punk theatre set against the raw realities of modern Serbia.
The story of Bones in Butter is already worth a novel. What started in 2019 as the bedroom project of Milutin Krasevic (vocals, synths) morphed during lockdown into a full-band force, pulling in some of Belgrade’s sharpest musicians from the indie and jazz corners of the scene: Luna Skopelja (vocals), Todor Zivkovic (guitars), Dejan Skopelja (bass), and Tom Fedja Franklin (drums). Together, they’ve brewed a sound that’s equal parts angular and atmospheric—post-punk grit with avant-garde shadows.
“Persona Non Grata” channels that late ’70s/early ’80s post-punk energy—think Magazine, Bauhaus, The Stranglers, Wall of Voodoo—but doesn’t just wallow in nostalgia. You can hear the Lou Reed storytelling DNA, the sweeping textures of Electric Light Orchestra, even flashes of Franco Battiato’s eccentric brilliance woven into the sonic fabric.
Thematically, the track fits snugly into the architecture of COSMOPOLIS, a record built around real events and real people in Serbia. It’s not escapism; it’s confrontation dressed in distortion and mood. Bones in Butter are less interested in polishing a shiny export-ready sound and more invested in creating a mirror—sometimes cracked, sometimes harsh—of the world they live in.
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
What makes “Persona Non Grata” stand out is its duality: it’s at once rooted in a specific Serbian cultural context and entirely universal in mood. You don’t need to understand Belgrade’s politics or history to feel the unease, the alienation, the sense of being marked as an outsider. That’s the genius of Bones in Butter—they’ve turned local tension into global resonance.
It’s not a flashy single designed for playlists—it’s a statement piece. A warning shot. A sign that Bones in Butter aren’t playing the short game; they’re carving out their own lane in the alternative rock canon, one haunted groove at a time.
This release feels less like a one-off and more like a transition, as the band preps a fresh cycle of songs for 2025. If this is the bridge, expect the other side to be even darker, sharper, and harder to ignore.
Bones in Butter aren’t just a band. They’re an atmosphere—and “Persona Non Grata” is the smoke before the fire.
“Persona Non Grata” is available now on all major streaming platforms
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Listen to Bones in Butter and other similar artists on our Spotify Playlist ‘New Music Spotlight - Indie & Alternative’
