They say three is crowd. But for Gnarl, the city-based rock band, three is company.
Meet Tamar Chatterjee — vocalist and lead guitarist, Taj Khan — drummer and Ram Reddy — bass guitarist of Gnarl. Years back the band made news when they got an opportunity to cut a music album with Sony Music Company. A dream come true for any band. A long lull after that, and soon when they were about to fade from public memory, the three-self taught musicians have decided to announce their existence in the world of rock and roll. Gnarl's first video, titled When , was released nationally on VH1 making it the first metal band in India to air a video on national television. This was followed by the release of their second video titled Path on the same channel.
The trio defines Gnarl thus, “We are three-piece powerhouse. High vocal ranges replete with throat thrashing, subtle melodies, heavy bass lines and mind-numbing double-bass drum sequences constitute our sound.”
They couldn't have been happier when they decided to announce their second album when another opportunity came knocking at their doors. They got an opportunity to perform at the Hard Rock Café, Hyderabad last Thursday. “Non-stop for three hours. That's our style,” says Tamar.
Was it hard to make a comeback after so many years? “Come back? No, we were very much here. It is not that we were silent. Tamar's work took him to Mumbai, I was finishing my studies and Ram our newest member was doing his animation course in Bangalore. But we did a south India tour in between. And whenever Tamar found time he would come to Hyderabad to practice. This however was working out to be quite expensive for us. Now that we have sorted out those hiccups, our plans on the second album are on,” explains Taj.
“And moreover music is passion for us. We formed the group so that we could create music and play when we get the time and opportunity,” adds Ram, the quietest of the trio.
Tamar's house is where the three usually get together to jam, practice and discuss music professionally.
The Chatterjee household on the other hand is abuzz with activity. Tamar's granny and aunt are visiting them from Chennai and the lad is visibly pleased and is more than willing to share his space with his granny. After a little ragging and lots of laughter on the state of Tamar's bedroom the ladies retire for some rest. “The room is in a mess, because we practice there,” Tamar further explains as Taj nods in agreement.
How did Gnarl happen? “It all happened way back in school. We knew each other and since we played in school we formed our school band. Things took a serious turn when I was sitting for my Board exams. My parents saw my attention towards music was more than on the board exam schedule,” giggles Tamar.
After his board exams they formed a band called Onslaught. They performed with the name for sometime and then the old members split and later formed Gnarl with Taj and Ram.
The three however are very clear about not making the band their source of living. Tamar, a computer engineer, who works as a 3D FX artist with the animation industry explains why: “Music, which is anything away from film music, as a career opportunity is not a great idea here. It will take some time when one can decide on making a career by forming a rock band. We don't want to veer into film music because that's not what we planned and neither will we enjoy doing that.”
Ram is an illustrator by profession and is happy managing the dual role. Taj, who manages his family-owned restaurant business, recently completed his pharmacy course and taking his business genes forward, he says he wants to start his own business.
As moments before the sound check arrives, the three are seen running about lining their instruments and doing the minute checks. What about accessorising? “Oh yes, we will. Taj and Ram will completely transform. They are nowhere close to what they appear on stage now,” says Tamar.
The group has already thought of 40 compositions and working on the release of an album. “We are yet to decide on who we would sign our contract with, the album will take some time,” says Tamar. Influenced by bands like Metallica, Gnarl's genre is heavy metal but the themes of their compositions are with a social message or personal thought on various issues. Gnarl's first album had a few compositions on the Godhra riots.
Tips to youngsters. “It is important to respect and understand each other's choice in the best interest of the band. Over the years we have understood each other's approach to music too well. This helps us in keeping our differences away,” says Ram.
How about handling female fans? Has that been a task or ever strained personal relations? “Girlfriends? That's no task at all,” laughs Tamar. Taj and Ram come forward with an explanation, “We disagree. That's a bigger task than composing.”
They love pulling each other's leg and the incident Tamar and Taj relish and keep reminding Ram about is, “This was before Ram joined us as a band member. He came all the way to Bangalore to see us perform. We were quite moved by the gesture. After sound check, Ram said he would rest for a while and asked us to carry on. As we left we called on him and he shook his head. We performed that night and returned only to discover Ram still sleeping,” laughs Tamar. Ram quickly adds, “I still kick myself remembering that day and these two wouldn't let me forget.”
