One can’t get more ethnic than naming a band Avial to promote music that emanates from their roots. The 15-year-old Thiruvananthapuram-based band finds the dish an integral element of a Malayali’s idea of food. That they extensively traverse the length and breadth of the country through the year for their gigs helps them channelise their inner foodie and explore a variety of cuisines. Food contributes to their music, yes, but what they wish for is more time to explore cultures, their gig diaries are packed amid hotel check-ins, sound-checks, concerts and wee morning hour return trips. Not that they have much to complain about either! Now, they perform in the city after a considerable gap.
The Avial members are friends first and a band only later, their fondness for each other, ability to see life in a lighter vein invariably helps their musical flow. They're not a really outgoing lot , they keep to themselves and enjoy their personal space better. The recent years have witnessed the indie-circuit increasingly buzzing with a folk and native flavour, the guitarist Rex Vijayan says that they were a little ahead of time when they started, people are finding their music fresh only now. “People are now getting used to the indie flavour, we’ve a new set of audiences. Bands like Thaikkudam Bridge and Masala Coffee have helped making it a part of mainstream music,” he mentions.
A key element behind Avial’s reach is its appeal across non-Malayali crowds since their inception. As we speak, their concert schedule features more performances at locations beyond Kerala. “We are lucky to have good crowd-turnouts even today. The 15-year journey hasn’t been tough, our loyal listeners have kept us going.”
On films and music
Avial likes to take things at its own pace, with a preference to perform more than record, which is one reason they've cut down on their film assignments. “Movie music is more synthesiser-oriented and computerised. We’re naturally lazy people, so the deadlines don’t fit in easily. Yet I feel music coming out of bands is more original than those of films. There are no heroes or heroines in our music, that’s why we need more time to work on them too,” Rex and Tony John, their vocalist admit.
Won’t films still aid their reach? “Those who listen to film music may not lookout for indie stuff. Maybe, we'll work for projects where we can add our flavour to films, the reach is something we can't ignore too.”
Political issues form a large chunk of the band's conversations, more often than not their lyrics are socially charged. Rex mentions Avial as one among the most ‘detached bands’ you could find, “It's important to enjoy life too and not eat, talk, breathe music always. We don't consider music a job or worry about schedules.”
While their first album happened a decade ago, next on their cards is a single. They’re rather happy with the album-single transition, vocalist Tony mentions, “Our first album took us almost four years, that’s a lot of time. YouTube wasn’t really popular then. Now, a video is significant to reach the masses, just an audio release wouldn’t be effective.”
Ahead of their Hyderabad concert, they feel the city is yet to really a have a band culture of sorts. That this is only their fourth gig over these years explains it all. “The crowd turnouts could do better.” Will they have enough time to explore the city? “Not sure,” Tony says. “Earlier, concerts were conveniently spaced. We need to be on the move these days, there are pros and cons to it,” they sign off.
( Avial performs at Hard Rock Cafe,9 pm today )
