LUNATIC FRINGE, INDIA’S YOUNGEST ROCK BAND
Members of the world’s youngest rock band, Haunted By Heroes, became best friends at a daycare centre in California when they were 3 years old and started rocking at the age of eleven. The Indian version is Lunatic Fringe, a group of six rock musicians from Bangalore between 12 and14 years old. Categorising themselves as a rock ‘n’ roll outfit, the group comprises Ashwin Sriram and Rohan Raveesh (vocals and guitar), Sehej Ahluwalia (drums), Tarang Joseph (vocal and keyboard) and Sonoli Chowdhary (bass).
The outfit was formed in October 2013, out of a mandatory curriculum when the faculty of Taaqdamy (a music school started by Bangalore-based band Thermal and a Quarter) put them together for the in-house fest. “Typically, after a student has been with the school for a few months, we form ‘student ensembles’, enabling them to jam together with other students of similar age and musical preferences,” enthuses co-owner and their mentor Bruce Lee Mani. He believes that all members have the required skills since they usually come up with great ideas for an original composition.
The Lunatic Fringe has performed numbers like Going Down in Bangalore and are planning to release an album soon. Guitarist Raveesh says, “Music is motivation.” The band’s major musical influences are Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Queen. Regarding the future of the group, Raveesh adds, “Presently, we are working on original compositions and plan to hit the stage soon.” One of the members remarks, “We are loving what we are doing at the moment, so we just want to focus on what we are doing right now. We are not thinking about how it will benefit us in the future.”