Defying all conventions

Defyd’, an alternate rock and soft-rock band, which was conceptualised on the grounds of Christ College, a few years back, has been going places. The progressive rock band, that relies on emotions for their songs, initially saw Suhas Nair as lead guitarist and lead vocals and Akash as  the rhythm guitarist, come together in college through their love for music.

The duo brought various compositions together that they enjoyed and soon stumbled upon their third member, Jeeva, who is now the lead guitarist.

The band also features Adhir on drums, Meeth, as the bass guitarist, Rishabh as the band manager and Bharath, as the live sound engineer. ‘Defyd’ has a number of accolades to their name. Amongst the plethora of their achievements, Suhas recalls their shows at Garage Jam, Score Night at Bak Bak Bar and Stonehenge 1 and 2 as their best gigs.

Suhas believes that the challenges Defyd has faced in the past is what has made them what it is today. “We have had a lot of criticism thrown at us during college days for not being up to the mark. Some people have even asked us to quit. We also had to deal with non-acceptance to showcase concerts. However, we took the criticism in good light and pushed ourselves further.”

He adds, “Also, it doesn’t occur to us to add new members everytime because we have grown so comfortable with each other now. We get really selective on whom to include in the band because we love people who are selfless, hardworking  and at the same time, people just looking to have fun.”

Suhas feels that in terms of growth for young, individual bands, organisers in the City should respect artistes and their work a lot more. “I hope the organisers stop asking for free gigs or offer meals in return for playing at their venue. It’s highly disrespectful and in a way, insulting our talent. Some go a step further, offer to pay and once the gig is done, not pay at all. It’s a tough job out there for musicians who are trying to cement their footing in the scene.”

It looks like ‘Defyd’ never gets tired, as they are currently working on ways to get their album production started and released. “Today, we write music that pleases us. There can hardly be anything as rewarding as that for a musician,” wraps up Suhas.