It’s not often that the frontman of a leading Rock N’ Roll
band from India spares an hour to chat with you. The band we’re talking about
here is Zedde, which was formed in around 2009 but is already
creating typhoons (f**k ripples or waves) in the Indian music scene. The
band comprises of seasoned musicians; all of them – 2Blue on vocals, Deepu on bass, Claver on guitars and Trevor on drums.
Zedde (L-R Trevor, 2Blue, Claver, and Akashdeep) |
I’ve known 2Blue since he was the frontman of his previous
band, Vayu (another kick ass rock band). The sheer talent and stage presence
of the band would enthrall spectators. Zedde (with 5000+ fans on Facebook) has
taken things a couple of notches higher. I got to speak to 2Blue about
a lot of stuff, which is quite interesting. I have to share them with you! So
here goes:
Q: What is music according to you?
2Blue (lead vocalist) the Trooper |
2Blue: Music, according to me, is a religion. It’s
the one thing that makes waking up every morning so exciting… the one thing
that makes life worth living.
Q: So what do you think of the current music scenario?
2Blue: The scene is a lot better than what it used
to be, say 5 years back. Audiences are a lot more receptive to original music
now than ever before. There are many more venues to play and doors to knock…
but yet, making a career out of rock music alone could still be a hardship. As
a bass player who’s been in the local rock circuit, I’m sure you would agree.
But living off music alone isn’t impossible. You could write about it, give
lessons, and record advertising jingles amongst other things that interest you.
There are also a number of platforms that have begun to extend support for
independent artists. Just that you’ll need to be careful enough to read
everything they ask you to put your signature on. *Winks*
Q: What does Zedde (the band) stand for? How
does Zedde stand out?
Claver (with the guitar and DRILLER) & 2Blue |
2Blue: We are very passionate about our live
performances. Every gig is played like it’s our last. As you have seen at our
gigs, we always try and give the audience something to write home about.
There’s the electric drill machine guitar solo in ‘Blame It On Her Youth’, the
megaphone, the whole skull mask act during ‘Mr. Horny’… there’s something that
will warrant a reaction. Love us, hate us, but you can’t ignore us. So I guess
Zedde stands for the unbridled rock n’ roll energy that the young-hearted would
love to embrace.
Q: What are you future ventures and plans? Fill us in on what we should be excited about.
2Blue: A full length album, a music video… and what
else? You tell me. *Smiles*
Q: Any advice for youngsters starting up?
2Blue: We all need to get out of our comfort zones
if we really want to chase our dreams seriously. No great band was formed by
people working 5 days a week as white collared slaves or by people whose
parents had all the money in the world. We need to go against the grain to do
what we truly believe in. We need to have the courage to follow the heart.
Zedde (in their 140 charactered avatar) continues to push the envelope with their brand of
hard hitting rock music. With multiple awards under their belt, and
countless headlining performances at college festivals and Hard Rock
Cafés across India, the band has become quite the force to be reckoned
with. What makes them even more praiseworthy is the
way they’re still grounded. 2Blue and I have been friends for more than 7
years. While our hectic schedules don't let us talk very often, when we
do, it always feels like the good old times when our bands shared more
than just stage space, bottles of booze, and a dozen dirty jokes.
Don't
just go by what I'm saying. Listen to their music here (http://www.facebook.com/ ZeddeLIVE/app_2405167945) to know for yourself. Also check out their official site www.ZeddeLIVE.in. You can always thank me later.
Zedde frontman 2Blue performing at Rider Mania, Goa |