Parvaaz in search of perfect tune for second album
BENGALURU: Five years since the release of their debut album Baran, Parvaaz gears up for their second full-length album KUN, slated for release on October 18. Guitarist Kashif Iqbal said the band had commenced work on new tracks in 2017 but they eventually went out as singles – namely Shaad and Color White. “We spent a considerable amount of time in perfecting the new songs that made it the album. Finally, at the end of 2017, things started taking shape and the remainder of the two years went into production, recording and logistics,” he added.
The journey, which began in 2010 when childhood friends Khalid Ahamed and Kashif Iqbal from Kashmir reconnected in Bengaluru during their college years, has only grown with Sachin Banandur on drums and Fidel Dsouza on bass guitars forming the fabled outfit. Speaking to CE, the band talks about the experience of recording at the famed Yash Raj Studios, which was home to their work throughout the course of recording the much-anticipated album.
“We recorded the album last year and planned to release it much earlier but the mixing took its own duration and we didn’t want to rush things. The most important aspect was to be perfect and be satisfied with our work. The people at Yash Raj certainly ensured that the process was smooth,” said Banandur. According to him, the entire experience involved moving out of comfort zones. Organising logistics too proved to be a challenge with the band’s busy touring schedule, which included a trip to Canada earlier in summer.
KUN revolves around the journey of existence, which also portrays a mix of the band’s intentions in the lyrical and sonic aspects, along with a fresh sound and well-defined theme. “When we made Baran, we were a young band and our knowledge of instruments and musical inputs has grown. The last five years have taught us a lot as a band and it’s only natural for us to be better than our previous work,” said Ahamed. When it comes to the influences behind the songs, Dsouza claims that each of them has individual influences from various moments throughout the band’s tenure.
“There is a song titled Mastaan, which was made in 2010, but somehow it never fit into any of our albums or as a single. But when we were in the process of making KUN, the song found its place as it was lyrically in the zone of asking the questions of existence. Moreover, it inspired the album,” added Ahamed.
Over the last few years, the band has also been road testing songs from the upcoming album with likes of Shabaan, Zindano and Soye-jaa, which have sent crowds in a frenzy. With KUN edging closer to its release, Iqbal expects listeners to indulge in the album as a whole in order to understand the lyrical journey. “The journey has taken five years and the album sounds fresh with the theme revolving around existence. This will be different from our previous work and the album goes out on October 18 but we have a few surprises in store before that,” said Dsouza.