On a mission to bring to light the rot plaguing society, Whitesugar, a Kochi-based band is geared up to raise its collective fist, with a unique sound.
Launching its debut album, Sugar Rush, the band, with James Jude Peter on vocals, Clement Samson Correya on lead guitars, Nijo Sebastian on bass guitars and Gilbert Xavier on drums expresses its rage against the lethargy of the system, with no accountability whatsoever.
The band’s recent show under the title, ‘Is the Swami Insane?’ saw the four members donning an ascetic avatar. “Swamis are content with themselves,” says Gilbert. “However, society chooses to criticise them for their ways. Here, we are the swamis. Rock musicians are usually criticised for following their dreams and staying true to themselves. While we choose to embrace who we are, the others bow to societal pressures and point their fingers at us. So is the swami really insane?”
The song is also about fighting stereotypes. “It is about passion and how inspite of not having enough funds, infrastructure and support we wish to pursue our dreams,” says Nijo.
Speaking about Sugar Rush, Clement says, “Sugar Rush is any normal person, who with both eyes, chooses to close one, refusing to look at the suffering around them. In spite of seeing, he chooses to stay oblivious to the troubles around him. Our songs shed light on the many ways in which our system has deliberately chosen to fail us, like the condition of the roads, the farmer suicides and women abuse. It is our way of sensitising the public.”
The songs, with their fiery lyrics and groovy blend of alternative rock and electronica style, showcase the agitation of the band against the one who feigns blindness.
About the songs, James says, “Fields of Red is about the farmers who are the lifeline of our country. The lack of subsidies, overburdening loans and their dying fields have driven them to take their extreme step of committing suicide. This phenomenon has been on the rise every year.”
The band’s song, Light on the Road, which highlights the abysmal conditions of the roads has been the most well-received.
The band has included Puppet on a string which celebrates the strong new woman.
The songs in English and Malayalam are penned by their friends. Meanwhile, the alternative-folk style is truly their own and gives the band an authentic colour.
Whitesugar's acts are complete with theatrics. The band’s previous show bringing to light the Mullaperiyar dam issue saw the four members dressed up as jail inmates about to get executed. The gig on the Koodankulam nuclear reactor issue saw the four members donning gas masks rocking away to focus on the great issues of life and nuclear disasters.
On the impact of their music and lyrics, Gilbert says,”The music grows on each one of us and it is detached from the commercial angle. Our songs voice the thoughts of the common man and his aspirations for a good life.”
The members say the road so far has not been an easy one since they are all working professionals. Finding time to practice and perfect their act are one of the major challenges they face. Owing to the lack to infrastructure and financial backing, the band has had its fair share of troubles. But despite the odds, they chose to stick together refusing to give up thus making their success even more sweeter.
Their future plans include more gigs and working on their new album. “The launch of Sugar Rush is just the beginning,” says James. “We will be doing more songs on the pressing issues and weed out the injustices being meted out to the common man. We will raise our fist against that.”
Whitesugar’s music is available on soundcloud.com/whitesugarindia and can be downloaded on okaylisten.com/whitesugarindia. The band is also active on facebook, catch them on facebook.com/whitesugarindia.