JOIN USA serious musician with a serious day job. That’s the quick introduction to Zedde founder and lead vocalist 2Blue aka Tirthankar Poddar. 2Blue formed Zedde in 2008, after a split with Vayu, the successful Indie rock band where he was lead vocalist.
About the reason behind Vayu splitting despite amassing a fair share of success and popularity, 2Blue says, “People at the forefront of rock bands are often eccentric, volatile and difficult in their own ways. Clashes are inevitable. Sometimes, it just makes sense to forge ahead leaving all negativity behind. I wish I were more mature about it back then though. I care a lot more about the sensitivities of people I work with now, than I used to, back then. The good thing is, we still remain friends and have begun to guest-appear on each other’s projects. Life’s a great teacher, isn’t it?”
Elaborating on Zedde, he adds, “Zedde (pronounced zēd), the band we started in 2008, features Claver Menezes on guitars, Akashdeep Gogoi (or Deepu Saikia depending on gig schedule) on bass, and Trevor Berchman on drums. While we may want you to believe that we are the ‘ultimate’ when it comes to Indian rock (hence ‘Z’), to be very candid with you, the name means nothing,” says 2Blue with a smile, faintly echoing Jerry Seinfeld.
The first single of Zedde won the Anthem of the Year title at the Indie music awards show AVIMA 2010. The video for the song played on music channels, and reached number one on the YouTube India charts within 24 hours of its upload. Zedde was also awarded best band at the ArtistAloud.com Awards in 2010, besides being chosen one of the top 10 bands in the world from amongst 12,000 in the Hard Rock Rising 2012 regional challenge.
“I don’t want to brag, but I have travelled extensively within India, headlining music festivals and playing at clubs and college campuses. I have also had the good fortune of sharing stage space with Paul DiAnno (ex-Iron Maiden), Matthias Eklundh (Freak Kitchen), Jonas Hellborg (ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra), and George Lynch (ex-Dokken) amongst other luminaries from the music scene. Did I say I don’t want to brag?” he says with a laugh.
About the opportunities and popularity in the West, 2Blue says, “Indian rock is now getting recognised through outlets like English movies and international collaborations. Then again, that’s restricted to a chosen few. But you never know. The next ‘Gangnam Style’ kind of hit could come from some villager in Bihar who owns an electric guitar.”
Does he find it tough to manage a serious day job with a dedicated music career? Tirthankar is currently Vice President — Content Acquisition, for studyebuddy, an educational eBookstore. Says he, “On the contrary, I think having two important things to think about really brings a sense of balance both to my job and music.”
He shares his inspiration, “I attribute everything I know to my childhood heroes: Steven Tyler, David Coverdale, Joe Lynn Turner, Ian Gillan, Ronnie James Dio, Bruce Dickinson and Joey Tempest, among others.”
Speaking about the Indian version of the infamous ‘groupie’ culture of the West, 2Blue adds, “I’ve never been in a Western rock band, so I wouldn’t know. But even as the lead singer of an Indian rock band, you sometimes get more attention than you can handle. This means a lot of meaningless short-lived relationships and the occasional autograph on a woman’s chest (I am not kidding). But as the years go by and the lines on your face get deeper, you realise the shallowness of it all. An artiste needs to stay true to his craft. The superficiality of glamour could ruin him otherwise.”
So, are there any plans to ‘settle down’, good-Indian-man style? “Of course. I want to find myself a woman who’s smart, intelligent, witty and beautiful. I will buy her an expensive piece of rock and gift her my last name,” he concludes with a grin.