At The Humming Tree in Bengaluru, members of the band Motherjane walked on stage with their faces half-painted, as they have done for years. The Kathakali-inspired look was familiar to longtime fans, but there were younger listeners seeing it for the first time. The band was making a comeback after 18 years with its new album, Dobareh, bringing back the sound that first set them apart: Carnatic classical and progressive rock, alongside heavier guitars. For vocalist Suraj Mani, the album’s title, which means “the second act”, seemed apt for a band finding its way back to the stage. “There was a time when audiences expected us to sing Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses songs, and then they supported us when we sang originals,” says Mani. “But today the audience doesn’t even blink at the thought that we are doing independent original music.”
When Motherjane emerged from Kerala’s indie music circuit in the 1990s, Indian stages were crowded with remixes, pop and English covers. The band chose a different path, writing and performing original music in English. Their songs, including Fields of sound, broken, Chasing the sun and Mindstreet, went on to become Indian rock staples.
For Mani, who is back with guitarists Baiju Dharmajan and Deepu Sasidharan, Dobareh still has the band’s DNA without having to recreate it. The song, Peace of mind, opens with double-bass drumming, pushing Motherjane into heavier territory. Home, meanwhile, is steeped in nostalgia for Kerala and has become the album’s most-played track on YouTube. “These songs needed to find their way, and we were ready to do the work of living them and then releasing them,” says Mani.
The new Motherjane also has fresh energy. Young bassist Alan Santosh and drummer Alloy Francis bring additional muscle to songs such as Paint. “The collaboration was organic,” Mani says. “Their contribution added punch to the lyrics, melodies and Carnatic flourishes.”
The band’s memories stretch from playing before 50,000 people at Java Rockin’ Land in Indonesia, where they co-headlined with Mr Big, to a much smaller gig at Snehadaan, a Bengaluru orphanage caring for children affected by AIDS. “What still makes my eyes tear up is what a little girl at the orphanage told me after the show: ‘Uncle, God bless you for doing what you do.’ That remains with me,” says Mani.
At their peak, Motherjane played nearly 60 gigs a year at college festivals across India. Mani remembers those years as a time when campuses gave young people space to experiment. “My grouse with Bollywood music replacing free-thinking bands is exactly that. It’s the victory of a corporate boardroom over a university canteen discussion. And in my head, the second conversation and its ideals are way better for mankind,” he says.
Now Motherjane 2.0 is ready to hit the road again. Gigs and tours across India and abroad are in the works. After 18 years, the band has a new record, a new generation of listeners, and the appetite to play. “We shall never surrender,” says Mani, “Just need a workable budget.”