KOCHI: When I asked founder and drummer Abin Thej to tell me about his band Sick Society, he started by saying “It is a Covid-born band”. Quite true to its name, the Kochi-based alternative rock outfit was formed at a time when the world was sick of sickness. From different corners of the country, the band — Hari Krishnan P V on lead guitar, Kiran Paul on vocals, Ruthin Thej on Keys and synth, and Abin on drums, acoustic and bass guitar — came together to put out their first album in November 2020, called Weird Relay. They bagged quite a few followers with just that release, and have now rolled out their debut Malayalam single ‘Entedhalla’.
‘Entedhalla’ is a political, existential outrage that screams how the system has failed the common man. It is bold, loud and rebellious, everything that appeals to a classic rock lover. “If not for our use of acoustic guitar, I wouldn’t describe Sick Society as an alternative outfit. We make rock music, and our biggest inspiration from down south is Av i a l , ” says Abin. The song was released digitally by Avial’s lead guitarist Rex Vijayan. But before I introduce Entedhalla, which struck me as as a ‘breath of rock’ in an electronica- dominated Kochi music scene, I had to go back and listen to Weird Relay.
The album in itself covers a spectrum of emotions and progressions — a hard-hitting ‘You’ve gone slow’ to ‘Don’t make me wait’ where vocalist Kiran has his heart in his sleeve. Abin has outdone himself with drums in the first two tracks, while carefully taking it down a notch in ‘In search of me’. Their riffs take you back in time, but Kiran’s voice is a spirit that lingers.
“That is what drove me to work with him too,” says Abin, whose choice to call up Kiran for a virtual collaboration during the lockdown days kick-started Sick Society. “Kiran has sung for many commercial gigs — everything from stage shows to weddings. But his voice stands out. It’s not too heavy, I would say it is the right amount of grunge I was looking for,” quips Abin. ‘Entedhalla’, Abin claims, is for Sick Society’s Malayali audience around the country, including cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru. Weird Relay even made it to the top 5 of Rolling Stone India’s Hit List for 2020.
“We all have the love for rock deep inside us. Everyone reminisces classic rock,” Abin says, talking about the overwhelming acceptance the lineup is getting just months after their launch. But a lot of that has to do with the fact that none of the band members are novices. Keyboardist Ruthin and Abin himself kicked off with Kerala’s celebrated multi-genre outfit Thaikkudam bridge. Guitarist Hari Krishnan comes from C Major 7, a Keralabased multigenre band, adding to his versatility. And lastly, Kiran gets his unapologetic, bitter-sweet voice from Mad Bypass.
“We organised ourselves into a band when we started getting shows in Bengaluru. Otherwise, we are more of a community,” says Abin. By the first week of May, Sick Society is planning to release their second English EP ‘Ecstatic’. Though the jam ahead of shows, most of the composition still happens remotely. “I play around on the drums and guitars, and then Kiran would send me a sample. That is how we put it together. I won’t say it is easier than physically jamming and composing a song, but we have found our way around it. Fortunately, the entire band thinks alike,” concludes Abin.