MUMBAI: With a plan in mind Avijit Misra, who is known in the Indie music fraternity for his band ‘Avi & The Uprising’, is moving to Australia. But before that he hopes to release a single to showcase his upcoming untitled album.
It was recently that the band launched a CD of their debut album ‘Eyes on the Radio’. Misra said, “It took five years for me to come up with the album.” He always was a solo performer and songwriter. He said, “I did a lot of solo gigs and then for one gig I played with the band, and suddenly we all got connected and become ‘Avi & The Uprising’.” The eight track album was more folk-fusion oriented. The tracks of the album are currently being played on Hit FM and Radio One. Their videos for ‘Wahe Guru’ and ‘Boom Boom Shiva’ have aired on MTV and Vh1.
Talking about nearly ten minute long title track ‘Eyes on the Radio’, he said, “It is in a different direction from my other songs that are more structured and message oriented while this song is like a painting rather than a song. It is a painted soundscape. There are word associations and pictures with the song or to the song. There was something that happened and I would write it down. All the songs that I did were done five to six years ago. Things that I wrote are in different directions.”
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The debut album comprises of Misra (Vocals, Guitar), Rigden Yolmo (Guitar), Karthikeya Vashist (Flute, Morchang), Arshad Khan (Esraj), Akshat Pradhan (Bass), and Joshua Grant (Drums). All the songs of band are written, composed, arranged and produced by Misra. Others involved with the band are Chaitanya Bhalla (Recording Engineer) and Anupam Roy (Mixing and Mastering Engineer).
Talking about his upcoming project, Misra said, “We jammed with some amazing folk musicians from the Manganiyar and Bheel musician communities in Jaisalmer and decided to record some of the new songs with them and the chemistry was just right, folk is folk.” He is working with music producer Chaitanya Bhalla for a single from the album which he reveals might take a more folktronic dancey form around the words. “We are moving away from an all organic sound and trying to use elements of electronic without taking away from the folksy vibe,” he said.
He also plans to collaborate with electronica musicians. He is working on a few jingles and documentaries, like the Hero Campaign and WWF, respectively. Even though, Misra is trained in Hindustani classical music, he loves to play music instruments like drums, guitars and keyboards.
He has sung at opera productions and is a vocal Instructor at Delhi School of Music.
Avi also plans to go back to one man band roots and release a Avi & The Uprising solo set album which will just have him recorded live with a guitar and mike.
