‘Our fan base has remained loyal to us for over 19 years’

Q. How was your experience of performing in Delhi this time for Bollywood Music Project? 

A. Whenever we are on stage it is pure and unadulterated Euphoria. Each time we get on stage in Delhi, the people make sure that the experience for us and them is magical. It is our home, and it is an absolute honour to be the torchbearers of non-film music at Asia’s biggest Bollywood music festival.

Q.What are your thoughts on the growing following of Bollywood music? 

A. Well, with the money muscle and the star power, Bollywood has been able to achieve phenomenal reach. It doesn’t surprise me actually. With the number of Indians now spread globally, this was bound to happen.

Q. Who are your all-time favourite Bollywood singers and composers? And if there is any contemporary Hindi film song that has touched you deeply?

A. I am a huge R.D. Burman and Kishore Kumar fan. The music from that era always stayed true to the art and heart. Most contemporary Hindi songs are remakes. The new rehashed versions do not move me at all. Always been a fan of the originals.

Q. Most music lovers and experts point out that our indie-pop music culture started losing ground owing to the commercialisation of music. What are your thoughts on that? 

A. Well, I disagree. Indie music didn’t lose ground. It just lost mainstream avenues like TV and radio. Doesn’t mean there is no audience. Doesn’t mean there is no movement. They may have the money, but trust me we got the love and the respect.

Q. Also, is it due to this rampant commercialistion that some musicians are compromising on originality and creativity? 

A. I think it’s got more to do with an individual’s desire to see his song being enacted on screen by a Bollywood star. That dream and fantasy has killed the desire to come out with fresher, newer ideas and has forced composers to conform to all the existing market norms. Good or bad.

Q. It has been slightly difficult for non-film songs to make their mark on the listeners. Euphoria has been fortunate in this regard since the very beginning. What do you think worked for you and whom would the band like to credit their success to? 

A. Without a doubt, the people. Once non-film music stopped getting airtime in mainstream media, people sought us out on YouTube and Facebook. They refused to give up on us. We are blessed with a fan base that has stayed loyal to us over years and years. And they have always encouraged us to experiment with newer ideas. We are, because they are.

Q. In one your interviews to a publication last year, you had said that “times have always been anti-band”. What do you suggest needs to be done to make things favourable for bands, since a lot of young bands are also trying to make it big?

A. I think as an industry, or on an individual level, we need to genuinely be open to accepting young and upcoming bands and welcome their ideas and celebrate their music. We should go out and buy tickets to their shows. Buy their music. And make them into the heroes they deserve to be.  I feel if we all take this simple step, we would have already started building a better future for our bands.

Q. Euphoria has also done music for Hindi films. How was the experience?

A. We have done music for films like Shootout at Lokhandwala, Kuku Mathur Ki Jhand Ho Gayi and Aisa Yeh Jahaan. It was a different experience for us as the directors and producers of these films came to us for our kind of music. We didn’t need to conform to any market trend to be a part of these films. If any such opportunity comes our way in the future, we would be happy to explore it.

Q. What was the turning point for Euphoria, and what remains the band’s biggest achievement to date?

A. I think our turning point was the day our first song “Dhoom Pichuck” aired on TV. We used to be a straight ahead English hardrock band before that and this changed the entire game for us. Our biggest achievement till date is the fact that we have been able to sustain this for over 19 years now. 19 years since our first song came out, and Asia’s biggest Bollywood music festival chooses Euphoria to represent the non-film music category. Can’t get any better.

Q. Music has become a serious profession these days. Young boys and girls spend years learning it. What do you have to say about this changing of attitudes? 

A. I think it’s amazing. Music is all about your heart and expression. It has nothing to do with somebody’s pocket or socio-economic standing. It’s high time that we had a mass revolution of artists, poets, rappers, painters, and songwriters coming out of the shadows and embracing the light. It’s all for the greater good. It’s all for a better tomorrow.

Q. Tell us about your upcoming projects.

A. A brand new album is ready. We have already released the first single along with a 20-minute short film. For the first time in the world, a band is releasing each single from an album accompanied by a proper short film and a music video. The first one got great response. It’s called “Jiya Jaye”. The next one is ready for release in February. Really excited for this one.