Music, inspiration and new horizons: Ersin Mustafov from "Jeremy?"

Ersin Mustafov is known to the Bulgarian public as the vocalist and frontman of "Jeremy?" A Bulgarian band with a distinctive sound and style, and a strong presence, "Jeremy?" has changed Bulgarian rock music while achieving something few bands manage: maintaining their own style while creating original music of an international standard.

"Jeremy?" is the first Bulgarian band to win the prestigious international People’s Voice Award. In 2024, the band won two first prizes in the BNR Top 20 chart – for the song that spent the longest at number one and for the song with the most listener votes. They have shared the stage with global music legends such as Queen and Adam Lambert. Ersin Mustafov gave an interview to the youth programme of Radio Bulgaria’s Turkish section.

From Kavarna to the big stage

Born in Varna, Ersin grew up in Kavarna – a town known as Bulgaria’s rock capital. In his youth, he used to paint, but his passion for music prevailed and he decided to dedicate himself entirely to it:

“When I graduated from university, I stopped painting and focused entirely on music. For about 15 years, I focused on that and nothing else. Fate has been very kind to me and my band.”

In recent years, "Jeremy?" has attracted considerable interest, taking part in various music events and organising its own tours:

“Over the last 15 years, we’ve managed to cross half of Europe. We’ve done several major tours. In 2016, we had the good fortune to be the support act at three European concerts by the legendary Queen and Adam Lambert in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria,” Ersin recalls.

The sound of childhood and the magic of the guitar

The artist’s earliest musical memories are linked to national television and, more specifically, to the classical orchestral music played before the children’s cartoons. He says this shaped his musical ear, despite his lack of formal musical education. However, what really drew him to rock music was hearing an acoustic guitar being played on a street in Kavarna. His love for the instrument remains to this day:

“When I hear the sound of a guitar, any kind of guitar, something happens inside me that I can’t put into words. I just get so excited. I feel an incredible surge of inspiration, and euphoria takes over.”

Work and inspiration

Reflecting on how art is born, Ersin says that at first he underestimated the role of inspiration, thinking it wasn’t the most important thing. With experience, however, he realised that this wasn’t the case and that it is vital for inspiration to find you working:

“I do everything I can to work as much as possible. And when that moment of inspiration comes, it always comes from above. For me, at least. And it’s good to have a guitar close at hand when it happens.

The truth in art and the power to stand the test of time

Marking the tenth anniversary of the debut album by ‘Jeremy?’, Ersin shares his philosophy on how a song can stand the test of time and remain relevant over the years:

“People want to hear the truth because it resonates with their lives, their experiences and the things happening to them. When an artist is honest and tells their story sincerely and openly, it doesn’t matter how old the work is. If it wasn’t created simply to please the current generation, it can be listened to, read, watched and appreciated even centuries later.”

The solo project and new horizons in Bulgarian

A few years ago, alongside his work in Jeremy?, Ersin Mustafov started his own solo music project. The pandemic in 2020 gave him the time and space to bring to life dozens of ideas he had accumulated over the years. His first solo release was It Cannot Rain Forever – a metaphor for hope during the pandemic – followed by the personal story Love Mornings. By the end of the year, the musician also plans to release his first mini-album.

An interesting aspect of his solo journey is his choice to sing in Bulgarian, whereas Jeremy?’s songs are in English:

“Singing in English is technically much easier than singing in Bulgarian […] Over time, I’ve learned to write lyrics in a way that makes them easier to sing. There’s nothing hidden or mystical about our choice of language. The point is for people to understand us and for us to be able to say what we want.”

Working alone on his solo project, he records most of the instruments himself, although he misses the team dynamics and the different perspectives of his bandmates. Despite the challenges, Ersin Mustafov looks forward with excitement to new projects, Jeremy?’s upcoming album and collaborations with other artists:

“With a bit of luck, we’ll stay fit and well and keep doing what we love – as long as life, time and circumstances are kind to us.”

Editor: E. Karkalanova

Translated by Yoana Avramova

English editing: E. Radkova