Say Something Bad

Year of foundation – 2022
City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
Language – Ukrainian, English
Genre – indie, post-punk, grunge

Lineup:

Arthur – bass, vocals;
Margo – drums.

History of the band

Say Something Bad is a Ukrainian musical duo that plays high-quality indie rock with blues motifs. The band appeared in 2022 and in an extremely short time became a noticeable phenomenon in the modern music industry. The band confidently declared itself as a lively, emotional group with bright charisma and a recognizable style that sounds equally organic both on the live stage and in streaming services, where the band's tracks consistently find their audience and fans.

The band Say Something Bad consists of only two artists: guitarist and vocalist Artur Sitnikov and drummer Margarita Gontarenko. Artur is originally from Berdychiv, Margo is from Kherson, where she spent the first five months of full-scale occupation before moving to Kyiv. The musicians were united not only by their creativity, but also by their common life experience and love for punk rock culture.

Artur studied at the P. Chubynsky Academy at the Faculty of Pop and Instrumental Arts, and before the war he worked as an operator in the field of Apple equipment sales. The passion for the guitar began at the age of 11 – then the instrument became not just a hobby for the young man, but a way of thinking and self-expression. The name of the group arose spontaneously – as a Ukrainian translation of Arthur’s nickname – Saysmthbad.

Creative path

The first serious steps towards popularity of Say Something Bad were made thanks to the track “Loh”, which went viral on TikTok and collected over a million plays on Spotify. The successful debut opened the way for the group to wider recognition and festival scenes. During the first two years of its existence, the group released three mini-albums – “Legit”, “Legit 2” and “Causes and consequences of self-being”, gradually forming its own style and expanding its creative palette. An important stage was the collaboration with indie-pop artist mercurikill – the joint album “Avoidant Type of Attachment” became an example of successful creative interaction of different genre worlds.

The full-length album "Reflection", released in March 2025, attracted special attention. The record topped several authoritative playlists at once, including the indie selection from Spotify and "New Music" from Bezodnya.music, and also received recognition from the editorial staff of SLUKH. This release solidified the band's status as one of the most interesting young bands on the scene, whose work resonates with the moods of the modern audience.

The band's style and creative development

The music of Skaji sos pogane is based on bizarre bass riffs, clear drum parts and a minimalist garage sound. Because of this presentation, the group is often compared to The White Stripes, but the leader of the band fundamentally avoids genre frameworks. In his approaches, Artur Sitnikov relies on experimentation – from jazz ideas to post-punk and alternative rock, turning each composition into a separate creative search. It is this freedom that makes the band lively and unpredictable.

In a relatively short time, Say Something Bad managed to hold a large-scale tour of Ukrainian cities, and on May 17, 2025, they gave their first major solo concert at the Kyiv club Atlas. This live performance became the presentation of the new mini-album "Ghosts" – an emotional journey through memories, internal conflicts and states that are difficult to let go of. The release was conceived as a musical stream of night thoughts that accompany a walk through a dark city, and at the same time as an attempt to look one's own fears in the eye.

The mini-album "Ghosts" consists of tracks about the forbidden and the desired, about passion and addictions that imperceptibly grow into life. The focus song of the release was “Harmful Habit” – a track that accurately conveys the inner struggle and emotional tension familiar to many fans of the band. It is this honesty and sincerity that makes Say Something Bad the voice of a generation that is looking for itself in music.