Indian Ocean, one of the first bands in the country that made fusion their second name, has undergone a lot of transition over their two decades since inception. From venturing into films to overcoming bad patches, they’ve continued to be a strong force in the independent music arena. The five-member band spoke to MetroPlus while in Hyderabad to perform at the NH7 Weekender last weekend. Excerpts:
Did films get you a wider reach?
Definitely, from the popularity that we earned till 2004, to our days post our song in Black Friday , we were surprised by the reach. The non-film circles had always appreciated our music, but the advertising of films won us a big crowd. We shall always be thankful for that.
How has travel contributed to the music you make?
Absorbing different cultures and music tastes are always at the back of the mind. We don’t focus on it intentionally, but it does contribute to our music. For instance, our tour to Egypt earlier this year was significant on that front.
What got you back every time there was a setback, like the death of a member or someone moving out?
Music, obviously (laughs). I think, despite all of them, we had a liking for each other. There was a bad patch where we could have gone our own ways. Especially, Sushmit’s exit wasn’t the most pleasant of ones.
But all of these got us together like never before. A lot of bands collapse when there are ego issues, you need to go beyond that.
Despite the evolution of singles , you’ve produced only albums. Any reason?
We don’t connect to singles as much. Singles, as a concept is a weird combination of marketing, the money that goes into it and the likes on social networking sites.
Have you been able to strike good friendships with other bands?
Yes, we do have strong relationships with many bands. We don’t believe we are in a competitive zone. We respect our creative sides as much.
On the changes in the way you perform on stage...
Experience has indeed made a difference. We no more do things to show off, there’s more silence between our beats, nothing is more important than the song. Our pitches tend to drop often now.
On the crowds for your performances in Hyderabad.
People have always showed up in good numbers whenever we played here, this is one aspect that hasn’t changed. NH7 Weekender is something we’re fond of, the vibe is fantastic sans the chaos when several bands unite to perform.
