Music is a collective experience for band Pepper. When one of the members hums a tune, the other picks it up on the guitar. Drums follow and what ensues is a joyous musical interaction. Jamming sessions that sometimes run into hours are spontaneous experimentations with ideas. “For us, it not about music alone. It is about bonhomie,” says Vishnu Mohan, founder and lead vocalist of the Kochi-based band. “Our music isn’t planned, it just flows,” Nevin Alex, rhythm guitarist and vocalist, adds.
Pepper is by now a familiar presence in the city, as popular cafes and restaurants see the musicians jamming on weekends. “Initially, we would attract a few stares, but people have been very appreciative,” says Nevin. Formed in August 2012, Pepper calls itself an alternative/punk/folk/rock band. “We do not shy off any kind of music, because music can never be confined to a genre, right?” Vishnu asks. Variety, indeed, seems to be its USP, as Pepper is putting together a Malayalam album with songs on different themes. Of the six tracks planned, three have been filmed and uploaded on YouTube.
‘Kallan Chekkan,’ the first, is a bouncy, folksy number, which is steadily garnering hits on YouTube. ‘Karimukile…’, featuring Vishnu, is a simple, heart-warming love track and the number titled, ‘Black’, explores the idea of suicide. “Every song of ours has a story. There is a starting point from where each song is born,” Nevin says. The fourth track, ‘Nathoone…’ goes back to folk with simple lyrics and a hooking tune. The fifth will be a “chill out” number and the sixth, ‘Njangalum Unde…,’ a “motivational” one, Vishnu says. Rock band Avial, say Vishnu and Nevin in one voice, has always been the inspiration. “They are brilliant. But we are here, too, playing music in our own way. ‘Njangalum Unde’ is about inspiring people to pursue their passions,” Vishnu explains. Work on the album is expected to be completed by April.
While friends help them with lyrics, music is born out of their sessions. Pepper includes Gopee Krishnan (on drums), Ajith Mannalath (guitar) and Gokul Kumar (lead guitar), too.
Earlier, as students of engineering at the Toc H Institute of Science and Technology, Vishnu, Gopee, Nevin and Ajith pursued their individual passions for music. Vishnu and Gopee started a band, ‘String Theory’, which was later discontinued. But the idea of a “proper band” was rekindled after Vishnu quit a job with a radio station in Kuwait and came back to Kerala. “Though we are all engineers, (except Gokul, who is a student of music), we have all dreamed of a career in music,” Nevin says. Gokul is the latest addition to the band.
Their first tryst with popularity came at the recently-concluded International Film Festival of Kerala, at Thiruvananthapuram. A casual singing session attracted a large crowd. “People cheered us on. It was truly the best feeling,” Vishnu says.
Apart from originals, Pepper also does covers—mostly electronic and acoustic versions of popular numbers. Armed already with a repertoire of around 50 songs in English, Malayalam and Hindi, they say the playlist is constantly expanding. Some of the usual suspects in their jamming sessions are ‘Dil Se Re…’, ‘Anjaane’, ‘Dil Chahta Hai…’, ‘I’m Yours’ (Jason Mraz) and ‘You’re Mine’ (Mute Math).
Pepper is hoping to do live shows, too. Vishnu sums up: “As long as we make the music we love, people tend to love it too.”
