As with most things nowadays, I stumbled upon the music of Mumbai-based Lawntuba on Facebook when a friend gushed about their ‘vibe,’ ‘atmospherics’, and ‘lush sound’. In the more-than-recent flood of electronic-heavy instrumentation and electronic music that dominates live performances, Lawntuba’s music is impressive, albeit slightly derivative.
Krishna Purohit and Siddhant Vernekar met via a common ‘scene’ friend, and those hazy summer afternoons turned into strumming guitars and sketching out a musical project. What took a few years and plenty of re-recording is now a five-song, moody and immersive EP titled On Silver Clouds .
Purohit, on electronics and production, handles rhythm guitars, ‘beats’ and samples, whereas plenty of the initial songs were written by Vernekar as acoustic guitar songs. With a clever use of samples from older Bollywood movies the band aims to create a consistently indulgent mood through their EP. “We used to jam in my empty apartment a lot, and that kind of added a lot to our sound overall,” says Vernekar. “And we began enjoying that lo-fi aesthetic so much that we even recorded one of the songs on tape to capture that emotion.”
Though only half-a-dozen gigs old, Lawntuba in its live avatar has evolved into a four-piece band, with Shalom Benjamin (Purohit’s college-mate, and 1/3 of Mumbai pop-punk act Lightyears Explode) and Aarifah Rebello (up-and-coming singer-songwriter) making up the rhythm section, on bass and drums respectively.
Vernekar recalls playing together as a four-piece for the first time. “Krishna went up to Shalom and Aarifah after we had jammed a little bit for the first time, and shook their hands and folded his [own] in front of them.” It was a moment where the duo felt overwhelmed with the music they created.
The resultant two-faced concept album itself weaves a beautiful story, presenting listeners to the duo’s larger musical ideas. The opening song, ‘Running Away’, is instrumental, almost as if setting up a mood for the rest of the EP to follow. It harks back to a nostalgic groove, evoking images of folklore set in a dense forest. Trailing off with Bollywood dialogue samples, ‘Running Away’ effortlessly leads into ‘Fields Are Breathing’. The dreamy, almost cinematic tune is quick to transport the listener to a surreal world. Between the intricate production, and that definitive baseline, ‘Fields Are Breathing’ is a real winner on the record, and nails down the musicality of Purohit and Vernekar, who clearly take to their influences, but only to derive from, never imitate.
In keeping ‘The Vibe’ purely instrumental, Purohit showcases his productions chops. Next up, ‘Niah Tells Me’ is almost entirely reminiscent of Hedy West’s greatly celebrated American folk-classic ‘500 Miles’ during the chorus. The ambient soundscapes are noteworthy, as the song quickly moves back and forth between a classic acoustic guitar crooner and a coronation of produced soundscapes, all interweaving smoothly. On the final entry, ‘Sunlight Surprise’, the duo returns to simplicity, as if to remind us of their roots: heady afternoons spent exploring the guitar sketching out what Lawntuba could become.
Vernekar and Purohit bonded over their love for Radiohead, Tool, The Beatles and their aesthetics. “But going for plenty of gigs around the late noughties also helped us come together,” says the former. “I remember this run-down place called B69 in Andheri (East) that hosted all kinds of gigs. And that really made us believe we could be onto something. Eventually, watching bands such as Medusa (now Sky Rabbit), Pentagram, Scribe and Peter Cat Recording Co is really what kept us going,” says Vernekar.
Lawntuba find themselves in an interesting spot in the Indian indie landscape at this point. While considerable fewer spaces host live music, fans are willing to come and hear newer sounds, something that Lawntuba should look to capitalise on, while retaining the buzz they’ve currently created. Perhaps a music video, and newer material, sooner rather than later, will help their cause.
Lawntuba will play at the Control Alt Del today at the Roaring Farm in Malad. Check controlaltdelete.in for details. Listen to the band at lawntuba.bandcamp.com/releases
