From Sadho re, And Shaam Tanha, to Aahatein, And Keh Lene Do, Indian rock band Agni’s melodious tune Have been on our playlist for over 15 years. But, ask the Pune-based group about their journey they usually say it is solely been “a short time” since they began. But this journey for Mohan Kannan and Kaustubh Dhawale (Coco), which started on a “lucky” notice, has had its share of ups and downs – however there is no such thing as a stopping them as they firmly imagine that “Sweet music finds his way.”
In an unique electronic mail dialog with indianexpress.com, the 2 talked about their music careers, equivalent to singing for movies. Laal Singh ChaddhaWorking with Aamir Khan, Challenges of an Indie Band in India, Live Shows, Future Plans and extra. Edited excerpt beneath:
How would you describe this musical journey of 15 years from 2007 to 2022?
It appears too small to be trustworthy. All of us within the band had been speaking about it after we had been rehearsing for the fifteenth anniversary present – after which we realized we made sufficient songs for at the least a 6 hour setlist! We’ve all been fortunate sufficient to have one another within the band in the meanwhile, and it appears like we’d like to consider a thirtieth anniversary quickly!
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Over all these years, how do you assume India’s music trade has developed, particularly the indie scene?
When we launched our first album in 2007, we had been fortunate sufficient to be among the many final couple of Non-film actors will get large releases, TV and radio nonetheless performed non-film music, however that stopped in 2008. At the time, the releases had been nonetheless on CD and on-line streaming had not began, besides maybe with LimeWire, which was a file-sharing type of factor.
Then, we noticed the way it grew to become tough to launch non-film music as not one of the labels had been prepared to launch them. But instantly issues modified once more with the appearance of a number of (audio and video) streaming platforms beginning with YouTube. Now, slowly we’re as soon as once more discovering ears and eyes to non-film music and hopefully, quickly, we’ll once more see many non-film artists rising to fame and recognition by their music. Will do
Once rising up in India, do you ever really feel that Bollywood has taken over indie music/artists prominently; With many musicians inclined in the direction of singing in movies?
Movies have at all times been an enormous platform music in india, and we predict it is a good factor that motion pictures these days discover so many several types of music as a part of their storytelling. This merely means that there’s room for lots extra musicians and in addition that the viewers will get to hearken to many alternative kinds of music. The proven fact that movie music is promoted greater than others can be an enormous plus. Being part of movies is a matter of alternative for each musician and from this perspective, it could not be right to say that Bollywood will take his place. It is what a musician chooses to do and the way they select to do it. If they’re proud of the form of music they’re part of, then it is going to be helpful for them to be part of movies.
How difficult is it to develop as simply an indie band/musician in India immediately?
We, as Agni, have been in a position to achieve success for over 15 years with out truly doing any form of movies. There is little doubt good luck, and plenty of goodwill from fantastic people who we will now proudly name mates within the trade. Both Coco and I’ve at all times been extraordinarily desperate to launch our sound simply the best way we like it, and that is most likely why we have tried our music. stored trustworthy. Rishi (on drums) and Viva (on bass) additionally imagine the identical factor.
There are many different artists who’ve achieved large success within the subject of non-film music, equivalent to Local Train, Prateek Kuhad, many Punjabi singers, and others… and we hope that this quantity will solely develop with high quality music. The format for unbiased music is totally different as there’s little quantity to advertise the songs or for everybody to hearken to, however ultimately, good music finds its means, and that is evidenced within the many viral hits we get. Heard that these days movie is out of music.
Mohan, you may have sung in lots of movies – how totally different is the method/method of working as an indie artist and playback singer?
For me, as a singer, the method is essentially the identical: I attempt to convey the lyrics and that means of the tune as finest I can. With Agni, Coco and I each compose, so there’s at all times a composer’s contact to my means of singing and I really feel that flows by within the movie songs I sing, even when they’re composed by another person. be. In movie music, an vital factor to notice is the visible context. Every tune in a movie is supposed to justify the scene and improve the story.
Known as a perfectionist, Aamir Khan might be difficult to work with. What was your expertise like? how concerned was he within the making of Kahani from his film Lal Singh Chaddha,
From pronunciation to singing fashion and presentation, he was extraordinarily concerned. Kahani The complete movie needed to be wrapped up, and Amitabh (Bhattacharya) and Pritam had already executed their bit to justify T of their writing and composition, so for me, it was a matter of attempting my finest to do nothing. The tune will take off. The tune wanted to be as actual as potential, nearly like an interior voice, and this was my fundamental problem in singing the tune: being fact-resolving and non-intentional about each phrase and line. It was plenty of enjoyable and took plenty of time, however I’m very blissful that I obtained an opportunity to sing it and am very blissful and happy with the best way the tune has lastly turned out.
You will carry out dwell on the NCPA as a part of the ‘One World Many Music’ collection; How would you charge dwell reveals compared to e-shows which had change into the brand new regular till lately?
dwell present Honestly, can by no means get replaced by the rest. We simply did one digital present in lockdown (in truth, we’ll be doing one other one quickly) and it was much more enjoyable than we anticipated… it is just about unbeatable to understand the little additional bits that occur on stage. As Coco at all times says, “Ask me to play on stage 365 days a year and I’m happy”. We are undoubtedly wanting ahead to performing on the NCPA Tata Theater (October 8 at 7 PM). It’s an iconic venue and it is our first time, so we’re altering up our set record lots – we wish to shock everybody who involves the present! There can be one thing for the classical music lovers, for the sit-down listeners, for absolutely the rockers, for the music lovers… and naturally, for everybody who loves our music. We cannot wait!
Agni has had a profitable tour, what are your future plans – the place do you wish to take your band?
We are delighted to proceed to supply music and performances all over the world. We’ve been very lucky to have individuals who will pay attention to each single one among our songs and maintain us to very excessive requirements with the songs we recorded in addition to on stage, and we hope to for the following 15-20 years.
How would you charge the Indian unbiased music scene compared to the West? What do you assume we did proper and flawed and what must be executed?
India is the one nation the place we discuss with non-film music as “independent” music. Everywhere, unbiased music refers to music that’s supported non-label. The major cause is that the movie music trade is the first and largest platform for releasing music right here, and it has been so for many years. We have wonderful actors like Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar and lots of different stalwarts who’ve sung for movies however not made right into a model by any label.
As a music trade, we have not actually invested in creating the following Michael Jackson or Beyoncé Or Coldplay, as a result of we’re higher at making the following Shah Rukh (Khan) and Salman (Khan). While this will likely work for the movie trade, it is probably not the perfect transfer for the music trade. Movies are transferring an increasing number of from lip-sync songs, the place an actor asks to assemble phrases, the place the tune performs within the background, it would solely be a matter of time earlier than the music trade should make its stars of movie actors. No extra piggy financial institution on fame and face. In reality, a transparent indication of that is that now the most well-liked songs from motion pictures are dance numbers, the place the songs are undoubtedly mouthed by the actors, and these are the one songs we get to see as large hits. are. We actually need to spend money on musical expertise and make them a bundle and take the chance of constructing some artists large on their very own.
What will occur subsequent?
We have 25 songs popping out within the subsequent few months, so we’re actually enthusiastic about it. We now have our personal YouTube channel, and we’re lastly on all audio streaming platforms as nicely. We look ahead to many extra reveals, we’re already touring Kolkata, Bengaluru and Delhi within the coming month.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
