'I am only greedy for good music'

Euphoria’ is one of those few rock bands that have stood the test of time since its inception in the 1980s.  A doctor by profession, Palash Sen gathered a few of his friends and formed the band because he found his calling for music more overpowering than anything  else.

Palash feels it is the band’s emphasis on making original music and writing about their own experiences that has brought them thus far.

The band members don’t believe in competition and don’t make music to compete with anybody because they think that everybody has a space of their own. In an interview with Nina C George, Palash talks about the band’s journey so far.

What do you think has made you stand the test of time?
Non film music seems to have died a silent death in this country and we faced all kinds of opposition but we still tried to sustain ourselves and the reason that we are here today is that the audiences never let ‘Euphoria’ fade away. It was the enthusiasm of the audience that made sure we never gave up on our dreams or the path that we took in our lives. That’s why I believe that the power should always be in the hands of the people.  

What kind of genre do you enjoy working on?
I love creating anything. We are presently working on our new music album. We haven’t  thought of a name just yet but the album is about the feeling of love or different shades of love and each song is sung in a very special or interesting way. I enjoy the process of creating something new whether it is a story or a music video. Creating an idea is what I really enjoy.

What inspires you to make music?
Inspiration and ideas come from real life stories that I see around. Most of the songs that I have written about till date are experiences that I have had in my life. That’s when a certain kind of honesty comes in and that brings one closer to reality.

Are you working on any Bollywood projects?
If any interesting Bollywood projects come my way then I wouldn’t mind it but the thing about Bollywood is that you can’t be yourself and you can’t really be honest. Work depends on the script or the director.

Your band is taken pretty seriously by the people?
I am a doctor and I speak about my life experiences in my songs. People understand that this guy is not someone who is speaking from the top of his head but is serious about what he said. Our new song, ‘Halla Bol’, is a war cry of the meek whose voices
get drowned by all the noise makers in our society.

How do you keep up with the competition in the music industry?  
I never believed in competing because if I did then I would have compromised a lot. I feel there’s place for everybody. There’s one thing that I lost very early in my life and that is greed, I don’t have greed at all. I am only greedy for good music. I believe that there are  only two realities in life which is disease and death. Everything else is a mirage.

The music scene in Bengaluru....
The talent down South is unbelievable. I am very fond of musicians in Bengaluru and Chennai because they do well to maintain their own cultural identity. Young talents in this country must believe in what they want to do and chase their dreams.

Do you believe in collaborations?
I do because collaborations are lessons. It is important to learn from other musicians. Each one of our songs in the new album is a collaboration with a new musician.