HYDERABAD : Excerpts from the interview:
While training to be a pilot, how did you shift to pursuing a music career?
It was my childhood dream to be a pilot. My family too encouraged me to pursue this dream. But while flying was always my passion, my hobby was to sing and play the guitar. Even when I was in flight school, whenever the weather was not fit for flying, I would sit with my guitar and sing for all the pilots in the hangar. But things didn’t work out as planned about aviation. My music career took off faster than my aviation career.
How would you describe your journey in music?
I ended up meeting my band members by chance. A friend was getting married and wanted to put a band together. He brought the band members together. That’s how it began and then one thing led to another. One show became two and then 100 and 200. Then the band got signed by Universal Music Records. We released a few songs and there’s been no looking back after that. Big dreams now with our music and the journey has been fun.
You particularly have a great fan following. Did you ever think of going solo?
I have always believed that I am what I am because of my band. They are the guys who made me believe that we could make a living and a big career out of music. My goal was just to do it for a couple of years, just for the fun and then get back to flying. More than just being band members, they are my best friends and brothers.
You grew up in Mumbai, but your career took off in Bengaluru. Have you ever thought of moving to Mumbai?
I think we live in a very small world now with the internet, social media and digital marketing. I don’t think it matters where you are. Of course, being in a place like Mumbai would present several opportunities to us. But being in Bengaluru has its benefits. You get time for yourself, time to do your personal things. Having said that, some very interesting opportunities have been presented to us. For that, we are required to be in Mumbai. We’ve always believed in riding the wave and going with the flow.
Is there something really big coming up?
There are two very big projects that we are working on. I believe they could be life-changing ones. There are a lot of exciting opportunities on OTT and in Bollywood and movies now.
Is the band prepping for an album release?
We’re currently working on our album. It should be out hopefully in September-October.
What comes to mind when you think of Hyderabad?
The first time we ever moved out of Bengaluru for a show, ever as a band, it was in Hyderabad. We’ve done more than 700 shows now across the world in more than 80 cities. Hyderabad was city number two for us after Bengaluru. It will always be a special place, a home away from home. We’ve made such good friends who are like family. Tonight was special because it was my first performance within the Parsi community, ever. This city has always welcomed us with open arms and I think we have one of our largest fan bases in Hyderabad.
Tell us about your tour across the globe.
We were on a tour for the last five-and-a-half months and we’ve done 56 shows. It’s the fag end of our tour. The next stop for us is Armenia.
Your band is termed as a pop rock band. Do you want to experiment with your music?
One of the important things about us as a band is that we’ve always reinvented our genre of music. We belong to a very broad spectrum of music because we’re influenced by a variety of genres. My uniqueness lies in being in a very electrifying band, a highly energetic one. If there’s a way for us to express ourselves through a different genre, we would definitely consider it.
Who’s your biggest support?
My mother. I’ve been raised by a single mom. I lost my dad when I was a little boy. She keeps me grounded and ensures that I’m always on top of my game.