HYDERABAD: Formed in 2013, The Songsmiths, a band based out of Hyderabad, collaborates with different music producers and musicians for their music and live acts. Saikat Basu on bass and vocals, Avinash Ekka on guitars and John Mark on drums — form the dynamic trio of the band who are known for their ‘easy listening’ music.
Talking about their decade-long journey, Avinash says, “10 years as ‘The Songsmiths’ has been like a long marathon. So much time is spent doing what we love to do the most, that is, write songs, compose, and create musical ideas.” For Saikat, the journey has been a beautiful one.
“Best part is that we never realise that it has been ten years. It just feels like yesterday. The very intent and excitement towards making newer and newer music is the same as how it was in early 2013, when ‘The Songsmiths’ was formed,” he says.
Elaborating about what sort of music trio of The Songsmiths love, Saikat says, “I listen to a wide range of music. I have a soft corner for disco, pop rock, funk, jazz and RnB. Music is very much a part of me, my identity, my purpose, my existence. Music is something that gives me immense confidence, a sense of security, and absolute peace. Avinash loves to rock, jazz, funk, and RnB. Whereas, John loves Blues, country, jazz, funk and more.” For Avinash, music is a medium of expression.
“It’s a very innate part of me. Don’t know about others but when I listen to good music, I am moved. Can’t really express it in words,” he says. For John, music is a part of his life and music teaches him ways to live, makes him feel emotions, and explains things and situations. It encourages and motivates him.
Performing in Hyderabad for over a decade, had its ups and downs. “The folks at Hyderabad have been very kind. There is a good audience who listen to and appreciate original music and that’s very encouraging. Being in an indie band, writing original music, is always a challenge when it comes to getting gigs. But we have been very fortunate to be able to play at multiple venues across the city,” says Avinash. “Hyderabad is the city which embraced me like I was born here.
This city has given me a lot. Our music has been well-appreciated in every single venue we have played till date. Post-pandemic, only a handful of venues are there that encourage indie music. So as a result, very few indie gigs happen these days. I believe there can be a balance. Both indie and commercial music can coexist. Honestly, we don’t think about this much. We would like to keep doing what we can do best. Create,” shares Saikat.
For John, it’s pretty hard to survive. “I’m new to this industry, especially in this city; slowly getting used to it. The scene for independent music is getting better day by day in Hyderabad. I always wanted to play in a band that does original music and luckily I got a chance to be part of The Songsmiths and this is really an awesome experience. At the same time, I also play in a commercial band where we do popular Tollywood and Bollywood songs. That is also a different kind of fun and needs good preparation and readiness,” says John.
The Songsmiths are known to play more originals than covers. “We mostly play originals because that’s how we express ourselves as musicians. That doesn’t mean that we don’t do covers. We like to give a little twist, a little of Songsmiths’ flavour when we do covers,” say Avinash.
Creating originals takes time and effort, but they don’t compromise on the quality even though they are juggling their jobs with passion. “Work is very important. This allows me to do the kind of music which I want to do. Over the years we have very systematically planned our practice sessions. We meet at least three days a week for practice, irrespectively of any gigs or no gigs. Today we have more than 30 originals in our kitty. I think we are able to do this because of an extremely supportive family.
My parents, my wife, my sister and now my daughter, have always encouraged me to keep going. Be it late night or early morning or weekends. Honestly neither I, nor my family, look at my design studio work and band as two separate things. Both work for me. I just do one thing at a time,” says Saikat. “Having a day job is the very reason I am able to drive my passion for music. I will surely not be able to survive and support a family by being a full-time musician, but that’s just my opinion. Also, I am very fortunate to have a supporting partner. Lately, we have been busy with bringing our content to the online world. We are very optimistic and hopeful that our songs will reach a large number of people,” shares Avinash.
When asked about their favourite places in the city to perform, it was Moonshine Project, EXT, and Hard Rock Café to name a few. “We would like to play all over the world someday,” concludes Saikat when asked about their future plans.
The folks at Hyderabad have been very kind. There is a good audience who listen to and appreciate original music and that’s very encouraging