‘Theeratha Thaagam Theeyanathe, Theevisum Theaegam Poraduthy,’ sings Ved, the vocalist of the city-based thrash metal/rock ‘n’roll band OCTL (Old City Traffic Lights).
In no time, the other members — Kishan (drummer), John Israel (rhythm guitarist and vocalist), Hari Shankar (lead guitarist and vocalist), Charan (lead Guitarist) and Garghi (bassist) — join him with their guitars and drums. This is the track from their first video song called ‘Thengum Neer’, which was released recently.
Six-year-old OCTL began their journey with covers of popular Tamil and English songs. “We always wanted to make original songs on subjects that everyone can relate to. This track will give an idea rock culture in our language,” says Shankar.
The video, directed by Sherry Bosco, shows a girl single handedly fighting off a number of men who block her path at night.
The lyrics are influenced by their experiences in life. “It speaks of how a person’s talent cannot be curtailed, no matter what the surrounding or the situation,” they explain.
The video is the result of two years of work. They performed at weddings, music festivals and in colleges to raise money. “It was hard. We were not paid often. We started the shoot with another director, but he dropped out due to shortage of funds. Later we found Sherry and he understood us. We finally made it!”
Shankar and Charan began the band when they were still in school. “Charan and I had the same guitar tutor. He introduced us to this genre and made us listen to artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and AC/DC. We called ourselves UFO then. There were two others who are no longer part of the band,” says Shankar.
They changed the band’s name to OCTL after a performance in Bengaluru in 2014. “After the show, we met a foreign lady at the bus stop. She requested us to sing and she gave us good feedback. After that, we decided to be more professional. The name came from a song that I wrote then.”
Slowly, as they found other members, everything fell into place. “The others are friends or friends of friends. My mother teaches classical music and Ved was her student. We found Garghi through social media”, says Shankar. The song lyrics and composition are a group effort.
“Since some of us do not even live in the city, we come together every weekend or whenever possible and jam,” explains Kishan.
Of course they’ve not been without ups and downs. Two years ago, they even thought of dissolving the band. “We lost a number of music competitions. It was not easy to accept. We decided to give it one last try and we won at Karpagam University and then other competitions after that.” They have performed over 40 shows in Coimbatore, Chennai and Bengaluru. “The best feeling is to see the crowd head banging and enjoying our original music.”
OCTL plans to make seven more video songs and release them as an album in the future. “We have to find funds. If this video becomes a hit, we will also buy a bus and travel all around India learning about the different cultures and delivering our music.”
More on OCTL
Favourite genres Rock, Thrash Metal and Blues
Favourite songs For Whom the Bells Toll by Metallica; Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard; Primal Concrete Sledge by Pantera; Patience & Coma by Guns ‘N’ Roses; Am I Evil? by Diamond Head
Favourite bands Pantera, Slayer, Motorhead, Metallica, Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen and Pink Floyd
The music video of ‘Thengum Neer’ will be released on YouTube today
For more about the band visit www.facebook.com/octltheband or follow them on their Instagram handle @octltheband
