<p>In 2013, Debjeet Basu put out a Facebook post asking for interested musicians to audition for a band. Unlike Bengaluru’s legacy bands, born in college jam rooms and festivals, this was a coming together of people completely unknown to each other but with similar musical inclinations. Basu named it Perfect Strangers. </p>.<p>More than 10 years later, the group is set to release its second EP, titled ‘Honey Words’. They started out as a cover band focused on classic rock. But over the years, their sound has expanded to include a mix of soul, blues, jazz rock and funk rock. ‘Honey Words’, Basu says, is a reflection of that eclectic mix. “We have evolved as musicians and so has our sound,” he adds. </p>.<p>Apart from Basu, the band currently comprises Ananya Raja (vocals), Pranav D M (vocals), Joshua Costa (keys), Pranav Gulvady (saxophone), Vishal Varier (bass) and Preran Gulvady (drums).</p>.<p>From 2001 to 2016, Basu held a corporate job. “But I somehow always made time for music,” says the guitarist. In 2016, he left his job to pursue music full-time and during the pandemic, he set up a music school, Perfect Strangers School of Music, in Victoria Layout.</p>.Is Bengaluru’s live music scene slowly coming back to life?.<p class="bodytext">Their first EP ‘A Strange Connection’ came out in 2018. “It was straight <br />up rock — very different from the new EP,” Basu notes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Honey Words’ was recorded in a friend’s studio. “It was like a DIY project,” he says. It was recorded in seven days in August this year and is inspired by the personal experiences of the members of the band. The title track, for instance, addresses the subject of toxic relationships, something one of the members was grappling with when he wrote the song. “All the tracks are uptempo and this one leans more towards old school funk,” Basu explains. </p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Echo chamber’ talks about social media and living in a bubble. “It is about how we shield ourselves from the truth and only hear what we want to hear,” he shares. In ‘Sand castle’, they sing about how people are gaslit into believing that ‘everything is fine, though one should be more concerned about inflation, poverty and the economic imbalance’. The music is reminiscent of ’80s rock ballads with influences from the likes of Toto.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The EP will be released at a performance in Bengaluru. They will not be releasing their music on streaming platforms. Instead, listeners can access the new album through a QR code by making a payment. “Listeners can enjoy the music in its original, pure format, which is not possible on streaming platforms as they tend to ‘crush’ the tracks, which lowers the sound quality,” he explains.</p>
<p>In 2013, Debjeet Basu put out a Facebook post asking for interested musicians to audition for a band. Unlike Bengaluru’s legacy bands, born in college jam rooms and festivals, this was a coming together of people completely unknown to each other but with similar musical inclinations. Basu named it Perfect Strangers. </p>.<p>More than 10 years later, the group is set to release its second EP, titled ‘Honey Words’. They started out as a cover band focused on classic rock. But over the years, their sound has expanded to include a mix of soul, blues, jazz rock and funk rock. ‘Honey Words’, Basu says, is a reflection of that eclectic mix. “We have evolved as musicians and so has our sound,” he adds. </p>.<p>Apart from Basu, the band currently comprises Ananya Raja (vocals), Pranav D M (vocals), Joshua Costa (keys), Pranav Gulvady (saxophone), Vishal Varier (bass) and Preran Gulvady (drums).</p>.<p>From 2001 to 2016, Basu held a corporate job. “But I somehow always made time for music,” says the guitarist. In 2016, he left his job to pursue music full-time and during the pandemic, he set up a music school, Perfect Strangers School of Music, in Victoria Layout.</p>.Is Bengaluru’s live music scene slowly coming back to life?.<p class="bodytext">Their first EP ‘A Strange Connection’ came out in 2018. “It was straight <br />up rock — very different from the new EP,” Basu notes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Honey Words’ was recorded in a friend’s studio. “It was like a DIY project,” he says. It was recorded in seven days in August this year and is inspired by the personal experiences of the members of the band. The title track, for instance, addresses the subject of toxic relationships, something one of the members was grappling with when he wrote the song. “All the tracks are uptempo and this one leans more towards old school funk,” Basu explains. </p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Echo chamber’ talks about social media and living in a bubble. “It is about how we shield ourselves from the truth and only hear what we want to hear,” he shares. In ‘Sand castle’, they sing about how people are gaslit into believing that ‘everything is fine, though one should be more concerned about inflation, poverty and the economic imbalance’. The music is reminiscent of ’80s rock ballads with influences from the likes of Toto.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The EP will be released at a performance in Bengaluru. They will not be releasing their music on streaming platforms. Instead, listeners can access the new album through a QR code by making a payment. “Listeners can enjoy the music in its original, pure format, which is not possible on streaming platforms as they tend to ‘crush’ the tracks, which lowers the sound quality,” he explains.</p>