It was while randomly sketching out ideas, that friends and bandmates Manish Das and Swayam Majumder happened to draw a duck wearing thug-life glasses. That was the moment the Kolkata-based EDM-pop duo’s name, HelloDuck, was born. “It’s a unique name, kind of cartoonish. That’s why we took it,” laughs Swayam.
The indie band’s journey began in 2018 but prior to that, Manish and Swayam, who incidentally studied in the same school, both performed solo. After deciding to collaborate, they started experimenting. “It takes time to get habituated to each other’s music and have a connection,” says Swayam.
The duo then put out two remixes, including one of Post Malone’s ‘Goodbyes’. HelloDuck’s first original song, ‘Sirf Tere Liye’, was released towards the end of last year. While Manish produces the tracks, Swayam writes and sings. They also create their own artwork. The duo is now gearing up for the release of its first EP, Yaadein.
“It’s a four-track EP and should be out by February. The first song off the EP, ‘Jeene De’, released on January 5,” says Manish. Swayam adds, “Two songs are about heartbreak and two are about falling and being in love. It’s about memories hence the name Yaadein. ” Swayam says that one of his sources of inspiration is listening to his friends’ stories. “I draw from my personal experiences as well,” he says, “I give vent to my feelings by writing songs and if Manish approves and likes it, we make it a track.”
While all their releases so far have been in Hindi, the duo doesn’t rule out releasing English music as well. “Everyone thinks of EDM as music you dance to in the club,” says Swayam. “But that’s where we come in. When you listen to our songs, you can vibe and dance to them, but they can also make you feel certain emotions. We like to break the barrier of stereotypical EDM songs.”
‘Jeene De’ is available on major streaming platforms.
