When we caught up with indie band Cinema of Excess, they had just returned from their maiden pan-India tour. The trio, comprising Anirudh Ravi, Bharath Kashyap and Abheet Anand, is fresh off the launch of their second EP, Rooftops, and are currently busy promoting the album in cities such as Goa, Chennai, Pune and Mumbai. “It was a very tight schedule, but it was so much fun. We met so many fans. The cities
surprised us with their love,” guitarist Bharath shares. This weekend, the city-based band takes the stage at Windmills Craftworks to give fans in the city a taste of the new album.
Cinema of Excess are popular for their mellow acoustic music and this six-track EP promises more of the same. “Rooftops is about retro-spection,” Bharath tells us, adding, “The EP features six songs covering various genres. The lyrics are inspired from Anirudh’s (vocalist) personal experiences and his life lessons.”
Musically speaking, the band’s influences range from California-based folk duo The Milk Carton Kids, and American singer-songwriter Iron & Wine to iconic rock outfit Dave Matthews Band. “Plus we each bring our own influences. Since I’m a guitarist, I listen to a lot of Julian Lage and Tommy Emmanuel, a famous finger-style guitarist,” the artiste adds. It’s this finger-style guitar that forms the foundation of the whole EP.
The six songs in the EP vary in tone, but the general theme of looking within remains the same. Morning, a Jack Johnson-esque song, talks about having a friend who lives across the world. The song Fools Will Learn is a soft, guitar-forward track that is about appreciating nature. The song Bill Hilly, on the other hand, is a happier number with a cheerful beat. The band’s debut EP Bring Back The Sound, was released in 2018. In our interview then, they described their sound as ‘minimally complex.’ Bharath agrees that their sound has evolved and matured since then. “The previous EP was a little more gloomy,” he says.
At the gig, fans can expect to listen to songs from Rooftops, as well as some older favourite tracks of Cinema of Excess such as Beyond What’s Here, Thing About The Colour Blue and Mighty Angel. Up next, the band wants to concentrate on writing more music. “Coming up, we also have a music video that we shot at our last gig, apart from a few other projects in the pipeline,” he sums up.
Rs 500 ++ upwards.
June 3-4. At Windmills Craftworks, Whitefield
anagha@newindianexpress.com @anaghzzz