The Bengaluru-based band, Perfect Strangers, releases its debut album, A Strange Connection, this weekend. The band, formed in 2013, plays a mix of melodic pop and rock. We speak to the lead guitarist and vocalist, Debjeet Basu, about the new album, the launch gig and the band's upcoming plans:
Tell us about the new album.
The album is a collection of eight songs that have been born out of personal experiences and conversations. From watching couples clicking useless selfies to the practical challenges of working in the independent music industry, to conversations with a transgender person, the songs are diverse and yet very real. The music is not restricted to any genre and combines elements of pop, progressive rock, hard rock, R&B, blues and jazz.
Tell us about a few of the songs.
Some of the songs address contemporary issues, like the cycle of abuse in toxic relationships (Blow-Up Doll), or the stigmatisation of the queer community (Wild Side); while others talk of the obsession with social media (Selfie) or the quirks of the current music scene (Just for Gigs). And there are tunes that talk of the more universal yet personal themes of love, loss and making music (Valerie, Stay and Breaking Away).
You have some unique merchandise at the gig. How did you get the idea?
We feel creating merch is quite useless if it's not helping us sell or promote our music. So we wanted to look beyond cliches like t-shirts, mugs, or wristbands, and wanted to design something more unique, something that's more universal in its appeal as a gift. Hence the idea of DIY paper art was born and since the album name is A Strange Connection we decided to model it on a vintage telephone with a pop art feel. Manek D Silva and Dhvani Shah were the wonderful people who came up with the concept and execution.
What's the music video for Breaking Away like?
Our current music video Breaking Away explores pop culture through decades. It also has clever lip sync done by famous celebrities across the world and made to look like they are singing the song. The video and the song got rave reviews from the indie music community and got 91k views and crossed 200 shares.
What's next for the band?
Next for the band will be a seven or eight city tour to promote the album. Also we are brainstorming for our new videos and trying to work out unique concepts so that we create a niche for ourselves in the music video industry.
Rs 300. September 15, 8 pm. At Fandom, Koramangala
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