‘THE BLUES IS our soulmate,’ reads the bio of the Shillong-based blues/rock band Soulmate, on their social media page. Fronted with the powerful vocals of Tipriti Kharbangar, one may remember Soulmate’s popular tune, I am, which became quite the earworm for many fans. The 16-year-old band, whose sound is still evolving, is now set to rock The Yellow Taxi Music Project on January 11 at Nicco Park. An excited Tipriti, of the four-member band, tells us about their upcoming gig, their plans for 2020, and more. Excerpts:
How was 2019 for Soulmate?
The last year was all right in terms of gigs, because we did not have as many performances as we did in 2018. However, we are excited since we ended 2019 recording a new album, which will be out either this month or in early February. So, we are looking forward to 2020.
How has the band evolved in the last 16 years?
Though Soulmate is 16 years old now, we are still learning and evolving with each project. The aim is to keep playing and writing new songs.
What is the story of Soulmate?
The name of the band, Soulmate, comes from the song, The Blues Is My Soulmate, which was on our first album, Shillong. Rudy Wallang and I are core members of the band, and we play with session musicians Leon Wallang and Vincent Tariang, who play the bass and drums, respectively. Our songs are about life in general. Everything around us affects us, and so we write songs inspired by life.
What is the USP of the band?
Our USP is the combination of powerful vocals and Rudy’s guitar, which is backed by a solid rhythm section.
How discerning is Kolkata in terms of blues music?
There is an audience for the blues, for sure, and we feel that it’s spreading with young Kolkata talent taking the genre out there.
What can Kolkata expect at the gig?
We will be playing a couple of our new songs. One can also expect a few of our old favourites, for our fans here.