MUMBAI: Hailing from a major city Jorhat, in the north-eastern state of Assam, FilharmoniX is a four-piece band that has been gaining gradual popularity in the country’s independent music scene. Frontman and vocalist Purab Baruah talks to Radioandmusic.com about their recently released singles and upcoming album.
The band comprises members like Anurag Saikia (guitars), Kandarpa Kalita aka KK (guitars), Bedanga Ved Sarma (bass), Samiur Rahman aka Sami (drums) and Baruah. They are known for their fresh tunes and energetic performances due to the members’ eccentric and frivolous personalities.
FilharmoniX produces music in the hard rock, heavy/glam metal genre. The vocalist says, “We take influences from different kinds of music, sort of like a crossover of Judas Priest, Motley & Crue, Poison and a few death metal bands.” He adds, “We are all about glam life, fun and positive things. We believe in the motto ‘Live life king size’.
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The group revealed that they are launching a new album with a tentative title for now, that is, ‘Rocket to the 80’s’. This album will be released by the month of October and include singles like U.S.A and Devil’s Girl which were released recently through Reverbnation.
The album will contain eight tracks like their previous album ‘Hot n High’. The first song ‘U.S.A’, is not in any way related to the country but is an acronym for Under Skirt Adventure. The name hence titled refers to a need for an adventure different from the done to death thrills like biking, gaming and racing. Their second single, ‘Devil’s Girl’ was composed after a female fan requested them to make music about women unlike their usual ‘playboy-ish’ themes. Baruah says, “This time, we composed this song for the dominant woman being as frivolous as a man. It kind of talks about the superiority of women and their will to take over whatever they want.” Apart from the two singles, the album will also include tracks like ‘Bed Toy’ and ‘Beast and the Beauty’.
The band’s debut album, out of a thousand copies, ‘Hot n High’ sold 800 copies in a span of four and a half months of its release with their most popular track being ‘Love Machine’. The rest were set aside by the band for free ‘throw-aways’ at gigs. Now, the album is available for online purchase and they are hoping that the upcoming album will also see fair success.
Besides concentrating on music and performing gigs, the members also have side jobs such as working in studios, online shopping store and software engineering.
He states that among the Indian heavy rock/metal bands, Purab really likes Girish and the Chronicles from Sikkim. His biggest influences are Judas Priest, Megadeth, Aerosmith, KISS, Guns N’ Roses, Poison, Motley Crue and others.
Talking about coming from one of the seven sisters, a region known for its love for music and welcoming legendary bands, Baruah says, “Many bands like Scorpions and Firehouse have performed in this region of the country and not any other state or city. We have an amazing crowd. People over here love all kinds of music and every good show is always a full-house.”
The band had played for Harley Davidson Rock Riders event in Mumbai last year. Besides, they have also performed in Goa and a few other eastern states. Baruah confesses, “We have always wanted to perform at the Great Indian Rock Show and now that dream will not come true because it has been shut down. Plus, it would be a dream-come-true to play live at the Ozzfest and Download festival.”
They had to once pass on an offer to perform in Bangalore due to a clash in the guitarist Anurag’s exam dates and the gig. So, Baruah says, “We really want to perform in Bangalore soon and of course, Mumbai.”
The band is currently in talks to perform at a metal festival in Nepal but nothing is concrete yet. Baruah says, “We love to play live in open air spaces. We want open spaces to shout out loud and make sure our sound reaches the last guy on the ground.”
Before releasing the album, the group will also release a music video to promote the album. They have a few pub gigs lined-up and one or two open area gigs that are set after the launch of the album.
