'We were sort of like a startup'

Aswekeepsearching’ has been turning heads and ears all over the world for a while now. Aiming to spread a message of positivity and good times in a way only they can, this band also believes in keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground.

Formed in 2013, the outfit comprises vocalist/guitarist Uddipan Sarmah, guitarist/keyboardist Shubham Gurung, bassist Bob Alex and drummer Gautam Deb. The band has recently released their album ‘Khwaab’ which was well-received by the audience. Taking time off from gigs and tours, Uddipan and Shubham share their musical story with Rajitha Menon.

Tell us about your musical journey.
Uddipan: It basically started as a studio project when Shubham and I wanted to
record some tunes. After we came up with our first EP, ‘Growing Suspicions’, people started talking about it and our popularity grew. Slowly, the project became a live
band and we came out of Ahmedabad and into the limelight, gaining attention from the global post-rock community.

What has the experience been like?
Uddipan: It has been great. No one expected us to make it out of Ahmedabad so this is a validation of our music. Everything we do is self-produced because we have no backup, no producer nothing! We were sort of like a startup and from that stage, we have managed to grow a lot — both as people and as musicians.

How would you describe your music?
Shubham: A combination of ambient elements plus groovy drum, bass and some vocals. Our music is something that everyone can decipher and relate to in their own way.

Who or what is your musical inspiration?
Uddipan: We all have different influences and this has always helped us in our music. We, as a band, are open to all genres of music and listen to a huge library of music. So I think naming a few artistes won’t do justice to us.

What are the favourite genres of all members
Shubham: All of us listen to a variety of genres and sub-genres, and our tastes are more or less similar. We listen to metal, post rock, neo-classical, electronica, trance and more and try to incorporate elements from all of these in our own ways.

What is the story behind the name of the band?
Shubham: Initially, in 2013, we were searching for a bassist for our EP recording for quite some time. And it clicked on all of our minds — why not just name the band ‘as we keep searching’ (smiles).

Funniest backstage incident?
Uddipan: We have never had any! The funniest things that have happened to us have been onstage, where some of us would goof up or make some mistake and the others would have to cover up for him. There would be a lot of smiles and smirks and people would think we are a very happy bunch of musicians.

Most memorable gig?
Shubham: Our most memorable gig would definitely be our first one from the Russian tour in St Petersburg. Seeing so many people from Russia singing our songs, and that too in Hindi, was definitely an amazing experience.

If not a band, then..?
Uddipan: Oh, I don’t know. We have never done anything other than create music together. I guess even if we were not a group, we would all be doing something with music in our personal capacities.

(‘Aswekeepsearching’ will perform on September 23 at The Humming Tree)