Indie Cool

The band was in the run up to open for Metallica’s disastrous concert in Gurgaon last year,and is now all set to launch its maiden EP,Random Sheep,at High Spirits in Koregaon Park on Sunday,April 8.

In the band’s second trip to the city for the ‘High Easter Special’ event,the group will present its punk-tinged indie songs to the listeners. The curiously-titled Random Sheep features four songs that represent the band members’ varied musical influences,and their combined song-writing efforts. The first song is titled ‘Arnie’,after actor Arnold Schwarzenegger,but Das insists it’s not a gag song.

“It is an inspirational song,it talks about fighting for one’s rights,but without making you want to cry. We are all huge fans of Arnie,and the songs reminded us of what he would do,” he jokes. The record changes gears musically with every track – Whokay comes from the band’s initial days when pop ruled the members’ play lists; Daylight is a “special song,because it is a lovey-dovey song about how one enjoys spending time with someone,” says Das. The instrumental FX or Nothing is the band’s shot at churning out a more mature,more introspective sound.

For the band,Random Sheep is the meeting point of their four-year journey together,from friends trying to mix their musical styles,to a band that is attempting to be in music full-time and break even. “Usually in an EP,bands put in what they are currently playing,but for us it had to be more personal,” says Das.

“We don’t know how it’s going to work.” Indie rock music may be making inroads into most Indian cities’ live performance scenes,but Das admits it is still a niche market. “But it sure is easier than what it was five years ago,” he says. At the Sunday gig,the EP will be up for sale on a ‘pay what you like’ basis.

(Modern Mafia will perform at High Spirits,starting 9 pm)