Ashwin Johnson, Balu, Gouri Ranjit, Preeth P.S. and Subin P., members of a band called ‘Neon’, are making waves with their music
What do you get when five youngsters join hands to pursue their common passion? No points for guessing, a vibrant music band, quirkily called ‘Neon’! The young band, which has been featured in TV channels such as Kairali TV, Jaihind TV and Rosebowl, has a large fan following, thanks to its electrifying performances around the city.
Neon was founded in 2010 when Ashwin Johnson, Balu, Gouri Ranjit, Preeth P.S. and Subin P. grouped together to create a new wave in music. “Balu, Preeth, Subin and I were briefly working together for another band. Then Gouri joined us as a guest singer. All of us shared a good rapport. Eventually, we bonded together and decided to venture out as a band,” says Ashwin.
When most music bands come up with hard-to-pronounce names, what made them choose a name as simple as Neon? “Neon was Ashwin’s idea,” says Preeth. “ He named the band after neon lights,” he says. “If you are a keen observer of different kinds of lighting, you will notice that neon lights are special. They are used to create light effects in stage shows. By christening ourselves Neon, we are trying to highlight our uniqueness,” adds Balu.
The highlight of Neon is its vocalist, Gouri, who is also the youngest member of the band. A trained Carnatic singer, Gouri has sung at the Chembai music festival in Guruvayoor. “Despite my background in Carnatic, I always had a liking for Western music,” she says. Other members of the band are also capable artistes in their own right. Ashwin, keyboardist of the band, doubles up as a music composer and has set the tunes for many advertisement jingles and short films. Balu (bassist), who has done several live shows and recordings, has performed live at the Hard Rock Café and the Kingfisher October Fest. Preeth (lead guitarist) and Subin (drummer) also have years of experience working with artistes like Balabhaskar.
Even though Neon is primarily a rock band, they do perform a variety of genres including, pop and blues. “What makes us special is that we add our own mark to the cover versions of the songs we perform,” adds Gouri. “Our version of ‘Melle melle’ from the movie Sagar Alias Jacky is perhaps the most popular track among our covers,” she says. The band has also released their single, titled ‘Song Of Betrayal’, which has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike.
The band has had several interesting experiences while performing on stage. “The most exciting of them was running into ace singer Benny Dayal during a concert at the Trivandrum Club,” says Ashwin. “He was amongst the audience and joined us on stage when he heard us singing. We received accolades from him and it has been one of our greatest compliments,” he remembers. Members of Neon have big plans for the future. “We have an album and a music video in the pipeline. We plan to release them sometime next year,” says Gouri.
To know more about the band , you can visit their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TheBandNeon
Keywords: Neon, Kingfisher October Fest
