The words ‘music runs in their blood’ are apt for Hyderabad’s E-Cube Musical, where brothers Ernest, Emrald and Emil complement their strengths to string together heart-warming melodies. Having someone from one’s family to compose music works great, they say, given there’s enthusiasm to experiment with a new genre always. Their latest music video ‘Guzrey Lamhe’ with vocals by Emil and Ernest is proof enough, serving as a unique tribute to love, longing and more. In a chat, the trio gives us a peek into their unique music-making process.
How did ‘E Cube’ evolve?
We named our band E-Cube Musical because all three of us have names starting with the alphabet E. We belong to the same family and have been into music since childhood. We did have our fair share of struggle and it continues even now, but it’s worth it.
A scene from Guzrey Lamhe
When did the idea for the music video Guzrey Lamhe sprout?
Guzrey Lamhe was the brain child of Emrald. It was written by his classmate (Huzefa Lehri), but it took us five years to release because we had to keep working towards making the track different from our earlier songs. This song is special because of Ernest’s classical elements and Emil’s vocals(melody). Rohit Babu Arabelli (who arranged the track and worked on Sarkar 3 earlier), Sanjay Das at Tapeloop (mixing and mastering of the song) were instrumental with their support. The entire video was shot in Hyderabad in locations like Ivy League academy and Eclaire. The actors Jay Jha and Shailja Chaturvedi were absolute professionals.
How does music bloom in your jamming sessions?
We do not schedule our sessions; it just comes by the moment one of has a tune in us. We do have our share of shouting but all with the right spirit to get the best outcome and we enjoy it every single time. We have multiple sittings with ourselves and then Rohit Babu Arabelli over the call helps us decide upon what kind of instruments do we use, we discuss on setting the rhythm, studio and singer choice. Tanvi Pasumarthy (our publicity manager) gives her opinion too; she has been a trained vocalist since her childhood.
How different are you three from each other?
Ernest is very much into melody and is very clear on why a tune was composed and how to implement in any track composed. He is a vocalist as well, but prefers to make others sing for tracks he composes. Emrald is the most silent among us and plays the guitar with ease. Emil picks up the scale well and brings his rugged vocals to a song. When we all come together, there’s definitely going to be magic around.
Any plans for an album in the coming years?
The era of releasing albums is gone. Artists now concentrate on singles. We have about 7 songs in the pipeline and they will all be done as singles within a years’ time .
With music going digital, do you expect music to give you returns in the longer run?
Yes, with the right amount of marketing and support from our fans, we are sure to make a mark. It is difficult for anyone to expect any returns on the very first release. If we chase money and a film opportunity comes by, we will head straight to mint money and give less importance to music. Now that music has gone entirely digital we have a check and a count, it helps us in venturing out on different marketing methods for future tracks.
How significant is your day job to sustain your music ?
Emil and I (Ernest) are working in MNCs whereas Emrald is pursuing his certification as a Data Scientist. We invest our time in music during the weekends. It’s actually a stress buster. Our jobs help us save up money for our next song’s production. We have to continue to do this until a producer knocks our door to help us produce our next track.
