Djordje Stijepovic has been called ‘The World’s Best Slap Bass Player’ more than once, and while we all have our favourite bassists, there’s no denying that the Serbian-American superstar has to be ranked among the greats. He’s already been nominated for a Latin Grammy, and he’s in the running again this year for the video for his single ‘Ready To Go’ under the name BULLFIDDLECAT…and that’s just the attention he’s attracting from his solo work. Stijepovic was also an integral part of Tiger Amy ’s sound for their last two albums, toured with HeadCat, and has been honoured for his contributions to World Music. Today, he’s not only premiering his latest video with us, but also answering our burning questions!

 The video for ‘Ready To Go’ is awesome! Can you tell me a bit more about your experience creating and filming the video? What was your process for writing the song itself? 

Aw, thank you! That video was a real blast to make. We shot it at The Cedars — my dear friend Sue Wong’s iconic estate — and that place has this incredible old Hollywood energy. Everyone partied there back in the day, from Bela Lugosi, Marilyn Monroe, Howard Hughes, and Norma Talmadge to Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. Easy Rider was shot there. You walk in and it already feels like a movie set, so it instantly pushes the vibe of the song to another level. We filmed it fast — one long, hot, sweaty day — and that made it real. The concept was a wild rockabilly pool party which featured nine poolside pinups and two more on drums and guitar. They are the Bullfiddlekitties! The energy these girls brought made the shoot unforgettable. It felt like a turbo-charged joyride all revved up and definitely ready to go! Creating the song came together pretty naturally. The chorus came first — I liked the idea of kicking things off right away with that “Oh-ho, I’m ready to go” hook, right after Paul Pigat’s killer guitar lick. It gave it that instant jolt, almost like early Beatles, where you’re in the middle of the rock ’n’ roll party from the very first second. 

 You’re under consideration for a Grammy for ‘Ready To Go’… how does that feel?

It’s wild! I had a Grammy nomination from my time recording with Molotov, but this one hits different — it’s my song, my project, and that makes it extra special. I’m so thrilled people are diggin’ it. The Best Music Video category seems an impossible one going up against artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. But that’s rock ’n’ roll, always the underdog. Am I nervous? Nah, not really. I’m more fired up than anything. I just wanna keep the crowds clappin’ and the bass slappin’! 

 ‘Rockabilly A-Bomb’ has a totally different energy! Are the lyrics autobiographical? How involved were you with the animation? 

Oh yeah, “Rockabilly A-Bomb” is my DNA turned up all the way into the red. The lyrics are a statement: this is who I am and what I do. Slap bass has been my heartbeat ever since I was a kid. The animation was done by Pantera Acosta from Jenny and the Mexicats, who’s a great friend of mine and a seriously talented artist. I’d been blown away by his work before, so I’d wanted to collaborate with him for a while. When “Rockabilly A-Bomb” came along, it just clicked — his visual style matched the chaos and color of the song perfectly. I gave him a few ideas, but then I let him run wild with it. What he came back with was pure dynamite. Organic, hand drawn, no AI! 

How is the experience of working on your solo music different from your experience in your bands? How do you balance your musical passions across so many genres? 

Every band I’ve been in has had its own world. Tiger Army, Molotov, Drake Bell, Fishtank Ensemble, HeadCat — they all demanded something different from me, and that’s part of the fun. In some, it’s about tight chemistry and pushing a shared vision. In others, it’s about bringing your own fire while fitting into someone else’s groove. Solo work is a whole different beast. There’s no deadline, no outside direction — sometimes, too much freedom. It can feel like driving a hot rod with no brakes: thrilling, but also a little terrifying. I almost gave up on this album — honestly — until René de la Muerte from the Brains stepped in. He heard it, believed in it, and engineered the whole thing. Paul Pigat on guitar and  Aleksandar Petrovic on drums are the backbone, and I got help from friends like Deke Dickerson on baritone guitar, Ursula Knudsen on musical saw, Emi Vernizzi on saxophones, Milos Nikolic on trumpet, and Eyesburn’s Hornsman Coyote on vocals and trombone. Each of them added a spark that was needed. As for balancing genres, I don’t overthink it. I see all music as one. My life’s always been a mix — rockabilly, punk, jazz, Balkan, classical, whatever grabs me in the moment 

Do you think your music is evolving naturally over time, or do you prefer to make musical jumps into different directions? 

I’d say my music evolves pretty naturally. I don’t force surprises just for the sake of it. Rockabilly will always be my first true love, but I’m not going to pretend I haven’t heard anything that’s been played since the 1950s. I went to conservatory for classical and jazz, and I’ve played all kinds of world music — especially Romani, Balkan, and Middle Eastern. I’ve also soaked up punk, metal, surf… all those sounds leave their mark on me in one way or another. At the same time, I’m not afraid to take big leaps if a song asks for it. Some people might think I’m jumping into the unknown just to surprise someone, but that’s not it. I’m giving the song what it needs. I’m not scared to try something that hasn’t been done before, but there’s always a musical reason behind it. I’m not trying to fit in or copy anyone — and that’s also one of the beauties of being your own boss. 

Was there a moment in your life when you realised the music you wanted to make, and the instrument you wanted to master? Or was it something that you realised gradually? 

It was a lightning-strike kind of moment, not something that happened gradually. I was ten when I first heard Elvis Presley’s SUN Sessions and the Stray Cats — that twang and slap bass grabbed me immediately. A few years later, when I saw Veljko from the Serbian rockabilly band Vera Kvark play upright bass on the streets of Belgrade, I realized that was my calling. There was no turning back from that moment. Rockabilly and the upright bass basically picked me. I feel I didn’t have much of a choice. From that time on, my life became a full-throttle ride — touring all over the world, hitting stages, and living the music. I’ve been riding that fire ever since. 

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get into playing the upright bass? 

Grab any upright bass you can get. You can’t go anywhere without an instrument. Don’t worry about being good, looking cool, or having something expensive — I’ve played on plenty of records with a really cheap Chinese upright bass, before Jason Burns made my Great White custom Blast Cult. Don’t be afraid to hit the strings hard, slap it, thump it, make it growl. That’s how you learn its language. Be patient, because upright bass is a beast at first. It’ll test you — your fingers, your arms, your mind — but if you stick with it, it rewards you in ways no other instrument can. Listen to everything: rockabilly, psychobilly, classical, jazz, blues, punk, world music — the more sounds you soak up, the more your own voice will emerge. I highly recommend taking lessons from a classical music teacher and learning to play with a bow. That’s pretty much the best way to develop proper technique and good intonation. Teaching is also my passion. Play with heart. Play with people. Play on stage, in a garage, on a street corner — wherever you can, just go out and play. 

What have been the highlights of your career so far? 

It’s hard to pick just a few — every project has its own fireworks. Recording my first album with Havana Whisper was a milestone — bringing neo-swing to that part of the world and recording an upright slap bass for a major label in Serbia for the first time. Nothing like it had been done before. Playing with rockabilly legends like the Scotty Moore Band, DJ Fontana, Sonny Burgess, Wanda Jackson, Dale Hawkins, and Joe Clay — and alongside childhood heroes Lemmy and Slim Jim Phantom in HeadCat — those moments were straight out of my teenage dreams. Collaborating with artists like Elvis Costello, Fito Paez, Donovan and Tommy Emmanuel was also something very special. Touring has been a nonstop thrill: Deke Dickerson across the US, Fishtank Ensemble across Europe and the US, Tiger Army across the US, Europe, Canada, South America, and Australia, selling out the Palladium, and hitting Riot Fest on the same stage as Misfits, Bad Religion, and Deftones. And playing with Drake Bell in front of 65,000 people at Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City was pure adrenaline. Seeing my clothes and gear on display at the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, receiving the Vojin Draskoci annual award for developing Balkan music, and even something non–music related — getting an Emmy honorary plaque for contributions to the Emmy-winning achievement in engineering, science and technology with stYpe — each of these moments reminds me that truly there are no limits. 

What’s coming up next for you? 

I was recently contacted by RTS, Serbian National TV, to shoot a documentary about my career. They’d like to do a story on me, so they can inspire young musicians. They already came to the 

US, followed me on some shows and interviewed people I’ve worked with, like Tina Guo, Money Mark (Beastie Boys), Eugene Hutz (Gogol Bordello), Bernie Dresel (Brian Setzer), James Intveld etc. It’s been fun to hear the memories my friends recalled, talking about our collaborations and going through the materials I’ve saved over time to share in this movie, like the interview I did when I started playing with Lemmy Kilmister I hadn’t seen before. I didn’t know at the start how much this documentary would mean to me — it has truly made me so proud of how far I’ve come and so grateful for every opportunity I’ve had. I can’t wait to see it. I’m always flowing with ideas. Right now, I’m diving deeper into my solo material, exploring new sounds, and pushing the boundaries of what my upright bass can do. I’ve got more music and videos coming up — you can catch everything on my social media @bullfiddlecat. I’m also kicking off a new band, Voodoo Tones, with CM Wolf (ex–Delta Bombers), Danny B Harvey, and Slim Jim Phantom, and we’ve got an upcoming show at the Rockin’ Race Jamboree in Malaga, Spain. On the personal side, I hope to spend more time with my daughters — those girls are the most important part of my life. That’s my absolute priority. They inspire me more than they know. For the past couple of years, I’ve also been really into jiujitsu. I plan to keep training and improving — it’s challenging, rewarding, and keeps me sharp in every way. 

[I’d like to give a] big thank you to everyone who’s been part of this crazy ride — family, friends, collaborators, mentors, fans and sponsors (Blast Cult, Thomastik-Infeld, Codabow, Orange, Mogami, Mojave). Every note, every show, every recording session makes me realize I’m living my dream. I’m grateful, I’m having fun, and the best is still ahead. I’m only getting started. And don’t forget — never fret! Slide it in smooth and keep it in the groove. 

We are honoured to be sharing Djordje’s latest video, ‘Knockout!’, for the first time right here!

Tell me more about your new video, ‘Knockout!’ 

I just released that one — even though we shot it a while ago — and honestly, it might be my best video yet. I wanted to pay homage to Irving Klaw and his legendary Teaserama, so we really leaned into that vintage pinup aesthetic. Seattle Paige and Terra Jackson absolutely crushed it, stepping into roles inspired by Tempest Storm and Bettie Page with pure old-school fire. Henry Lipatov handled the cameras and editing, and he took the whole thing to another level. Henry’s worked with major artists — Jennifer Lopez, Eminem, Linkin Park, and tons more — so having him bring his magic to my world was unreal. I also love choosing meaningful dates for releasing my singles. I released “Knockout” on December 11th as a nod to Bettie Page — that’s the day she passed away. She was the queen of pinup and fetish culture, and Terra did an unbelievable job channeling her spirit throughout the video. We shot it at Sue Wong’s Cedars again, and you can really see the estate in all its old Hollywood glory. That place just breathes glamour, and it gave the video that timeless, knockout punch. 

Kate Allvey

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