BENGALURU: Notable for their focus on original music, Thermal and a Quarter is an inspiration to many musicians in the country. Ahead of the band’s performance at Forum Mall, Koramangala, on February 15, Rajeev Rajagopal, the drummer of the band, says, “When I entered college, I learnt to play the drum kit and ever since, there was no turning back.” He adds that he draws inspiration from bands like Queen and ACDC.
Going back to the times when they started their journey, vocalist Bruce Lee Mani says, “In 1996, the Christ College A Team decided to play semi-pro, and we scrambled together a name from our very fertile imagination. And thus was born Thermal And A Quarter.”
Talking about their creative journey while writing a song, Rajagopal says, “Watching the city transform feels good. So when we write a song, we keep it as real as possible. We write about what is happening on the streets. Mani writes all the lyrics and discusses in the studio and then we edit it accordingly before composing it.”
In their last album, No Wall Too High, the lyrics were written by a person from the United Nations. It talks about the divisions in the world right now. “It’s just another day at the races, and a night at the opera. Seriously, it feels humbling. And it’s an incentive to keep at it,” states Mani. The band expects that their show on Saturday will be a grand success. “Bengaluru crowd has always been awesome and responsive. We love to perform for them and I’m sure, this time too, they will go home with smiles on their faces,” says Rajagopal.