The wandering musician

City’s Shubhank prefers to trek to cooler climes in search of heart-warming musical notes

One step is a marathon; one drop,a sea and one strum,a song,that’s music for me,” says Shubhank,a musician,solo artist and part of city’s band Seraphim,which bagged the second spot on Rock Idols. In town to perform at Black Magic on Wednesday night,Shubhank rewinds to school days,to the eighties and popular Bollywood numbers of that era. “Sung Kishore Kumar when I was 8,Lucky Ali in my teens and now,it’s a whole lot of Rock ‘n’ Roll on stage which sorta compliments my look too,” he laughs,pointing to his unruly hair and beard. Looks apart,it’s the versatility of his music that reflects it all. “Music is the literature of the heart,it commences where speech ends,” feels Shubhank who graduated from being a bathroom singer to a rocker with guitar. “When you’re from the mountains,music flows in your system,it just comes naturally to you,” he says. No wonder,every time he searches for inspiration,he packs his rucksack and treks up,to cooler climes for heart-warming musical notes. “The higher you go,the better it gets,” says this wandering musician.

A traveller at heart,journeys and its influences and memories form part of Shubhank’s music and lyrics. “In fact,one of the two songs I’ve written and composed for ICan Records album,Khoj,has a bit of travel feel to it.” But tomorrow night,it will be ‘70s rock and blues,a lot of Pearl Jam,Hindi folk,Silk Route and Lynyrd Skynyrd on the guitar and harmonica. “It’s been a long journey…and I’m glad I chose music as a profession. It was difficult,but hard work pays,” he signs off.