Interview: Junkyard Groove
Well, I’d talked to Junkyard Groove sometime back about having a chat, and after the win at Dubai, I thought that this was probably the best time to do it. So I chatted online with Siddharth, the lead guitarist [left], and Craig, the bassist [right], and mailed them a list of questions which they promptly answered. Here is the transcript of the “conversation” that took place:
Can you tell something about your background, and how you all met and thought of starting a band together?
Siddhu: Well, I used to play with this band called "Powder in the Ashtray" before Junkyard Groove. I met Ameeth at IIT Madras 2005 when Powder in the Ashtray was playing (we won the competition that year). So it was Easter and I was at Ameeth’s place for dinner at a family gathering. We then decided to put a band together and Ameeth had met Jerry and Craig earlier. So they were roped in to play drums and bass respectively. From there on, we planned to take part at our first competition which was held at a local club.
Junkyard Groove... Its a cool name, rolls off the tongue in a very stylish manner. Well, which one of you thought of it?
Siddhu: Thanks for the compliment, man. Ameeth and myself were walking around my block one night, just talking about what we were going to do- the big plans we had back then. Lol! And lots of band names were being floated, and I guess this one pretty much stuck on. And besides our music is synonymous with the name- you can find anything and everything in a junkyard. Our philosophy has always been "Anything goes" when it comes to music.
Craig: I think Ameeth and Sid thought of the name together, however after the first few shows, there were talks about changing the name, but then stuck with it to avoid further confusion. I guess now, after such a long journey together it fits in just right.
You people have built a reputation of winning in every competition you've participated in. How did that come about?
Siddhu: Well, I hope I dont sound bashful when I say this, but its not that we have won every competition that we have played. Rather, we have never walked away from a competition empty handed, but also most often we have won. I guess IIT Madras 2006 was one such time when we didn't win. But never have we walked away empty handed.
Craig: Well there were a couple of shows were we came in 2nd, but yes we've always walked away with something or the other every time. Well, we practice real hard, hang out with each other as much as we can, and we're united, even though we fight a lot. Its only with JYG that made me realize that, making a great band does not involve being good musicians alone, but each one's individual goals and how far he is willing to go to achieve them, the way we gel with each other, and realizing that there are no boundaries.
Well, lets talk about the songs then. All your songs- be it Twinkle Twinkle, Say Goodbye or Its Okay [to name just three] have really amazing tunes. How did you guys go about creating them? Is one person in charge of the process or do all of you contribute? And who does the songwriting?
Siddhu: Thanks again. Well, the creation process in our band is very simple- one person comes up with a basic idea, like a bunch of chords or something, and the rest of the band pitches in and contributes by coming up with their own parts for the song. So I guess its more of a band thing than an individual responsibility.
Craig: All of us do contribute to the creation of the songs. They have amazing tunes cos the musicians that we look up to as Idols are simply brilliant. There have been a lot of influences from the greats, like Dave Mathews, Coldplay, RHCP, GNR to name a few. One more reason is that our music does not involve one genre alone. We are very different, in a good way. The song writing process involves what you feel at that precise moment, and that makes it so magical.
I wanted to talk about the song Folk You separately. It has a brilliant amalgamation of three languages- English, Tamil and Malayalam. How did you get the idea of converting a Malayalam rowing song into rock? The song just blows people away. Tell me how you did it?
Siddhu: Ameeth was with a pop band before, and its still sort of unclear how or when he came up with it. But when we heard it we liked it, and we all came up with parts for it. As I mentioned earlier, our philosophy is that anything goes when it comes to music. So you can expect Junkyard Groove to come up with more stuff thats out of the box.
Craig: Ameeth wrote that song so I guess he would be the best person to answer you. However I love that song because even though we love the western style of music, we think it is very important to stay true to our roots. The world is starting to get so diverse, and so is the music.
You people must be in pretty high spirits right now after winning the Shamal: Battle for Dubai Desert Rock Festival on Dec 15. How was the experience of performing in Dubai in front of all those heavy metal fanatics?
Siddhu: Playing in Dubai was very nice . We were received very well by the crowd considering that we were the only non metal band playing. It was a great experience and there were lots of nice people whom we met, and we hope to meet them again. We frankly didn't know what to expect before we got on stage, but once we got on stage we sort of got the crowd going and then we knew that things were going to be just fine!
Craig: Absolutely! we are on top of the world. I am so proud of India, cause the only 2 Indian bands grabbed 1st and 2nd place. We were scared before going to Dubai cos we had heard that there are a lot of metal heads who might not appreciate our music, but it was so different. We were treated real good. There were people in the crowd who were singing along, and that was such a comfortable feeling.
And you people won bigtime that night, dint you? A 3 year recording contract with Creative Kingdom Records, USA. A reality show by Zee Arabiya. A music video shot by Zee Arabiya. Whew! Thats really something, right?
Siddhu: Yes, it definitely is something for a small time Chennai band to land up winning so much. Hard work always does pay off, I suppose. We definitely are very excited about this whole thing and I cant wait to see where it leads us.
Craig: Yes the stuff that we're getting is like a dream come true. The people at Creative Kingdom and Zee Arabia are amazing. We got the feeling that they are pretty serious about what they promised us, and we feel reassured that they would be taking us under their wing. Looking forward to it.
So whens the album coming out?
Siddhu: I dont want to make any promises, but it should be done by mid 2007 or so. But then again who is to say how these things work…
Craig: Cannot give you an exact date, but we would be going to Dubai as soon as Sid's exams are over. So I'm guessing by the second half of next year.
Where do you see yourself in the near future, say, three years from now?
Siddhu: Well, I really cant see myself doing anything different from what I'm doing now. I love making music with my band and that is how it shall be. I wouldn't want it any other way. Three years is a long time but I'm sure I'm still going to be doing the same thing I love doing now. Just play all over the place..
Craig: I see us in a position were we could give up our regular jobs and move in to music completely. We'd love to be touring in other countries by then.
Almost all the people who have watched you perform live believe that you have the talent to be the first Indian band to become famous, I mean really really famous. I think thats testimony to the incredible rapport you create with the audience. Its like you were born to play. What do you say?
Siddhu: I say there’s nothing else in the world that makes us happier than being on stage and playing for people. Its simple- its because we love music and playing. The people whom we play for are one of the reasons we play, because without their encouragement and support we would be nowhere at all. But I'm only too happy to know how much people appreciate the work we do.
Craig: Yeah we came a long way in just a year and a half and we're going to keep moving on till the "BIG GIG" happens. Sometimes its difficult for us to believe as well. But to put India on the map, as far as rock music is concerned, JYG would be honored to be responsible for something like that.
Finally, before we end this interview, do you have anything you would like to say to the JYG fanatics all over the world?
Siddhu: To the people who know us and like us, thanks a ton for everything, being there at our shows and screaming your lungs out. Keep rocking, and if you’re a musician, never ever give up on your dreams!! They really do come true (atleast in our case). And to the people who dont know us- WE'RE COMING TO GET YOU!!!
Craig: Thank you guys for all your support! We have been deeply humbled by the response that we've received. We love you!!!!
Ameeth has played in quite a few bands in the past and has a talent for songwriting. Like most of the other members in JYG, Ameeth's quest for the right band did not quite work out until he found JYG.
Jerry, a Dubai born Indian, came down to India for further studies and to get back to his roots. Like any other Dubai born Indian who uses the excuse to come back to India to study, he attempted drumming for a few bands, trying to find that special something. After about 4 years of living in India and about 4 bands later, he realized that Junkyard Groove shared the same passion as he did.