'We want to play as much as we can'

'Wayside', the winner of ‘Band Hunt 2017’ is an exceptionally talented three-piece rock band.

The aspiring trio comprises of lead vocalist and guitarist Elvis Xaviour, bass player Shiv Rekhi and drummer Pranav K R. ‘Wayside’ as a band came together around July 2016 and has performed in multiple places.

The blues/rock inspired band has a very distinctive sound as it is the product of major influences such as ‘John Mayer Trio’, ‘Rage Against the Machine’, ‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’, ‘Nirvana’ and many more. Elvis spoke to Nicole Simren Raj on the band and their journey so far.


How do you feel about winning the ‘RedBull Band Hunt 2017’, being an upcoming artiste?

The feeling is just amazing. To know that we have so much support from people who love what we do is a dream come true. Winning this really gave us a lot of recognition and credibility as a band.


What’s the story behind your band name? How did it come about?

So we always liked the idea of adding the word ‘Trio’, but we didn’t find a name that fit perfectly. Pranav’s brother Vishal who been looking out for the band since we started came up with the name ‘Wayside’. And by that time we wrote a few songs, it felt good although it did take time to get used to it. Now we think the band name really sits well on our kind of music.


How did you all meet? And Why did you decide to collaborate?

Pranav and Shiv play for a groove metal band called ‘Spine Shatter’. And they wanted to start a rock band for a while. I was doing my own thing that is writing songs and playing small shows in college for about a year. I heard about Shiv through a mutual friend, so eventually he reached out and we started jamming. We started writing songs and just sort of kept scheduling jams.


Do you use social media to showcase your talent?

We do. But right now, we are not bothered about how talented we are. We know we are capable of much more. We use social media to create awareness for the band, to get in touch with people who like our music and for organisers to arrange
events.


Individually, what kind of music are you into?

I am highly influenced by John Mayer, fingerstyle guitarists like Clive Carroll and virtuosos like Eric Johnson. Shiv listens to a lot of fun music like that of ‘RHCP’, ‘Biffy Clyro’, ‘Audioslave’. And Pranav is madly addicted to progressive rock and metal, also a devout Steven Wilson fan.


The band’s plans for the future?

So we really want to play as much as we can. We have so many more songs to write, so many upcoming gigs to perform at. We are really looking forward to play in new cities soon.


Your message to young, aspiring bands?

We are still an aspiring band. So the only advice we would give is to never stop aspiring.