With a new EP and a music video out, alt rock band RushLed say in a scene where everyone’s looking for approval, music is a great way to express themselves. Formed by vocalist Rajiv Dey and guitarist-producer Arjun Nedungadi in 2013, the band has released their debut EP In Love and Out of Time and promoted it with a video for the opening song off EP, ‘Things Are Gonna Change’, but they are yet to perform live.
The story behind the band
Dey mentions there was a girl involved in his beginnings as a songwriter. “I had a song that I wanted to record and add a few instruments to. You know, make it an actual song than just an acoustic poem. This March 2, 2013. Arjun and I worked in the same place and I knew he was into music production – arrangements, recording, engineering and that kind of stuff – stuff that I wouldn’t ever hope to understand. So I asked him if he could add some guitars and a simple drum pattern to the song. And he didn’t just get back with a yes, he got back with stuff that almost convinced me that making music is an actual possibility,” says Dey.
You guys play music because
Says Dey, “I’d be a model if I wanted people to come and see me. It’s just fun creating (music). For instance, I’d say that I write songs and record them with Arjun simply because I want to hear these songs play on my headphones.”
You still remember the time when
Although RushLed hasn’t played any live shows so far, Dey and Nedungadi have been meeting to write songs and record them in Arjun’s bedroom over weekends, whenever they could find time off from work. But Dey says he wouldn’t dare call it a struggle, as most independent musicians are wont to do. “Calling your little art ‘career’ a ‘struggle’ is cliché by now, I feel. There’s no point in going on about this, because if you like doing it, then I don’t see how it’s a struggle. We’ve just been two lads inside a house, making music. So the odds of having vivid memories are fairly low,” says Dey.
The toughest part about being a young band
Dey feels the focus of alternative music in India has often leaned on crowd-pleasing tactics, especially playing covers over original music. “Everyone’s looking for approval, so they end up entertaining along with playing music which works out for them. I’m not an entertainer. Music isn’t entertainment to me. It is an exclusive expression vent. Yes, but I want the songs heard and pushing it through the one million avenues to get people to hear it is a task. People are unpredictable and that’s the beauty of it. If I wrote one song that made me millions, I’d never write another one. So it’s necessary that this whole thing be a little testing,” says Dey.
The story behind the name
Using the past tense of the word ‘lead’, Dey says, “It means led by rush because the band was literally a decision made in a rush. There’s another parallel story, though. Coldplay’s A Rush of Blood to the Head is my favourite album and the reason I got into songwriting.”
Musicians that inspire you
Dey says there isn’t very much that distinguishes them as a rock band from India. “We are singing something you can connect with. We write English music and it sounds best when spoken in a certain way.” He adds that Nedungadi considers former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante as his top influence. “I think Thom Yorke is God and Gary Lightbody and Ben Gibbard are the best song writers in the world but Coldplay are more than a band to me. Coldplay are also one of mine and Arjun’s converging points.”
Compositions over covers
A RushLed set, “when it happens,” Dey reminds, would have songs from their debut EP and a few more originals that might be singles, but certainly won’t include any covers. Says Dey, “Yes, there could be tributes. For instance, we could get on stage and after we’re done with our gig, we could say stuff like, ‘Hey, our gig is now over but there’s this one song that we really love from so and so band and we’d want to play it out loud. Stick around if you want to have a listen.’”
I don’t see why you would get into any art form if finding yourself wasn’t your motive. So we’re here to find our sound and define it. And besides, if I’m trying to get the crowd’s attention through covers, it’s stupid because I’m not really offering them anything. So I don’t deserve that attention. It’s a kind of a lie.”
Follow RushLed on Facebook.com/RushledBangalore
