Musicians-singer-songwriters Uddipan Sarmah and Malavika Manoj aka Mali create distinct beats but have come together for their Monsoon Tour across the country. They performed last weekend at the Moonshine Project in Hyderabad. Their journeys are as different as their music choices though they complement each other’s style pleasantly. On being asked how they came together for this tour the two artistes say, “Two is always better than one when it comes to performances. The timing was aligned. This is the first time we’re going on the road together.” Adds Uddipan, “I asked Mali if she wanted to do this together as she has released her new single recently and she agreed; and so, this happened.”
Mali has strong south Indian roots. Whatever she learned about music in her formative years was in her hometown, Chennai. “There was always music at home. My father told me to respect music and never listen to it on low volume.” Malavika shares that her grandfather introduced her to jazz, old-school rock while her parents introduced her to 80s dance, early electronic music, and other genres.
Tracing her journey, Malavika says, “In the beginning, I used to be a part of an underground band and we used to call ourselves a Funk-Jazz-Pop band because we wanted to do everything at once. But later, she realised the importance of finding her voice, Malavika says. She went on to study in Chennai and France and later on moved to Mumbai for good to pursue her career. He music is many things at once. With a flair of melody and a tinge of groove, Malavika claims to find her narrative through her music. “There is limitlessness in constraints. I have narrowed it down now. Though it’s not set in stone, I know my direction. I still don't know my genre but it’s a mix of a lot of things. I can’t write within a single vibe,” she explains.
Malavika’s latest song ‘Mango Showers’ is something she’s looking forward to playing on the tour.She talks about how the anticipation of rain is brewed through these dark and gloomy clouds. It’s messy and beautiful at the same time, she says.
Uddipan’s musical journey started when he was quite young. He remembers his father and sister always singing or being very musically inclined. “It just happened organically. All my life, I watched my dad and sister sing. My dad sings better than me. Music was always there because dad kept it alive. He doesn’t do it professionally but it’s a hobby,” he shares.
Hailing from the northeast, Uddipan currently works in Pune alongside his band members. He has been a part of the band ‘aswekeepsearching’ for some time now. The post-rock band has published some listener-favourites in the past like ‘Zia’ and ‘Khwaab’. “Shubham and I started the band, then Bob and Gautam came along in 2014. We did everything we could at that time. Now we are more focused,” he says remembering how the band came together. “We connect our music to nature. If there is a song where I’m talking about love or affection, it’s for nature. All our travels influenced that thought process. We would any day be in the mountains rather than the cities,” says Udippan, who’s turned a full time musician since last year.
Uddipan shares his experience on how he got the idea of changing his old band songs and giving them a new flavour. “I started restructuring the songs, especially with Rooh (the band’s forthcoming album), we were very prepared as a band so I had some time on my hands. I’m not looking at this as a solo-set yet. As a band too, we want to reach places where we aren’t established yet.”
Though he doesn’t pay too much attention to the technicality of sounds, Uddipan makes sure he is constantly experimenting with where his passion lies. “It’s all about time and how much effort you’re ready to put in. Our music is sub-genre of rock. The character is definitely keeping it as minimal as possible. I like to play just one note throughout the song. When I was composing initially, I was very theoretical but eventually, I stopped learning the guitar and did what comes naturally to me which worked out well,” he says.
Apart from the live performances that are set to take place, Uddippan says he indulges in listening sessions which let him pick a closed space and get an audience that wants to talk about music.
