Indian audience is full of energy’ Jal

Four years after they set the charts on fire with Aadat, Jal are back with their latest offering Boondh. With a title that seems to suggest a special connection with the name of the band, Boondh is dear because each member had a pivotal role to play in its production. Bassist Goher Mumtaz and vocalist Farhan Saeed spoke about their latest delivery, and about music, in general.

QHow is Boondh different from the last album. And how is the title relevant?
Well, after Aadat, we were really busy with touring and other gigs at a lot of places. But in March last year, we decided enough was enough and started working on this album. As a band, we've set up goals for ourselves, but there was never a point when we felt we had to compete with anybody. We worked hard for 10 months on the album, it's production, recording and looked after it like a baby. And considering we didn't even know anything about production with the last album, it's an incredible success. So, the name's sort of special, since it signifies the essence of the band.

Q How different is the Indian audience from the Pakistani one?
I don't think there's any difference apart from the fact that the crowds in India are way bigger than back home. You can expect around 20,000 people here in India, while it's not more than 8,000 back there.

Q You've tapped into the Pakistani pop scene really well. What is the status of other artistes now?
Well, a lot of music channels have been launched, and they support the upcoming musicians by giving them a platform. Pop has always had a strong presence in our country, especially in the last 15-20 years.

Q How difficult was it when you just started out with the band?
Problems were mostly financial. But people were very supportive. In fact, we had written a song even before forming the band, which became quite popular, and those who liked it asked us to get together. And we obliged. But Aadat became a huge hit and since then, we haven't looked back.

Q Any offers from Bollywood?
Yes, there were a couple of offers, but we turned them down since what it entailed didn't seem appropriate for the band's image. We have a certain fan base, and we're also been loyal to them. We don't want our work to be diluted in any form.

Q How does each member contribute to the songs?
It's all up to everyone, we welcome each other's suggestions. But Goher sets the framework with the bass melody. Then we add, improvise and try to perfect it.
When Goher came up with the rhythm of Sajni, it was entirely different from what it sounds now, with Shazi's (the drummer) inputs. We just do what comes to our mind at that point of time.