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They're Evergreen `Between and Beyond'
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Kochi-based band Evergreen has been selected for the prestigious Independence Rock competition in Mumbai this August. It's the first time that a band from Kerala has been selected for this contest. The group talks to K. PRADEEP about their musical journey and the release of their new album
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MUSIC UNPLUGGED Members of the Evergreen Band, from left, Sunil Silvester, Arun M.S., Jagan George, Saji Varghese and Suraj Pallan
Band Evergreen is thrilled. It is the first band to have been selected from Kerala for the prestigious Independence Rock competition to be held in Mumbai next month. No mean feat this, for a band nestling in down South, in the cool confines of God's Own Country.
Forming a rock band itself can be extremely traumatic. The easier way is to leech into a band that has already established itself and remain hangers-on. The structural and ideological strains endemic to rock bands sometimes become flashpoints for conflict and disaffection. Given the strains that the bands endure it is a wonder that they survive at all. Most of them don't.
Evergreen, the Kochi-based band, has survived for eight long years. They are now on the threshold of a giant leap, which should see them among the headliner bands of the country. They have moved ahead carefully, taking each step with confidence. Gaining immense popularity from the hotel and corporate circuit they have now been picked for the Independence Rock competition in August this year, at Mumbai.
"This is a huge thing for us simply because we are the first from Kerala to get there. We also feel it is recognition for our work for we were selected from over 180 entries. It will give us a huge exposure, as there are always big crowds from all over the country who come here.
And if we are fortunate to win it, it will give us that dream chance to play in many other festivals," says Aju Thomas, the songwriter, who doubles up as their photographer and marketing manager.
Fresh notes
The members of Evergreen, all with a similar passion for music and a quest to follow their dreams met during different evolving stages of the band. "When three of us, Suraj Pallan, a talented drummer, Arun M. S. who revelled as a bass guitarist, myself got together with a vision of a band we were clear that it would have to be one with individualistic values and broad appeal. We asked ourselves, `what is that we would be able to give that has not been heard before'? And this attempt to provide something different always is what has been guiding us ," says lead guitarist Sunil Silvester.
That was the beginning. Saji Antony joined them with his unrestrained keyboard styles and now all they needed was a vocalist. Many came and went till Joe Peter walked in. Soon the band came to be known as Joe Peter and the Evergreen Band. "Like most bands we began playing in hotels and parties.
We had contracts with almost every leading hotel in the city. We then used to play a whole gamut of songs ranging from those that kept the young on their feet to music for the elderly, especially classics. It was catering to the crowd and their tastes for music. Evergreen was soon becoming popular but we knew we had to evolve or die," reminisces Sunil. These regular programmes fetched them the money to buy equipment, sound systems and even build their own practice room.
By 2002 they completed all their contracts and the band had an identity enabling them to dream for greater things. With the entry of Aju they began thinking of their own songs. Originals poured forth and Evergreen were playing numbers like `The Calling' based on the death of a friend and `Vengeance' based on a ghost. They moved into the competition circuit. "The first time we were at the Strawberry Fields, the popular competition held annually in Bangalore, crowds were stunned to listen to a Kochi band's near perfect rendering of Dream Theater's `Pull me under... ' and Metallica's `Master of Puppets,' along with our originals. The judges gave our originals top scores.
Evergreen was fast becoming a rage outside Kerala. We won the second place at Decibals 2004, held at the IIT, Chennai and a huge fan following after our performance at the Unwind Center Gig in the same city. We had a sold-out concert in Hyderabad with Sledge, then at the NSIT, New Delhi, we battled against the best bands to be placed second. `Vengeance' was adjudged the best original here. We also took home the best vocalist and best guitarist awards," remembers Aju with pride. That was when Joe Peter and Aju went abroad on study stints. "It was a sort of a setback but we were lucky to get Jagan George, who epitomised raw energy, in his singing. He slipped into the shoes of Joe quite easily. Aju has come back and now it was time to think of our next phase," chips in Sunil.
New album
Evergreen is focussed on the release of their maiden album titled `Between and Beyond.' "It is these little things that helps keep a band alive. Maintaining one is not easy at all for a band is a work group with a specialised division of labour and goals to achieve.
This is a non-conventional profession and each one has a family and social pressures. What helps us to remain alive is the occasional shows, recognition at competitions and now the album. We were adamant that the timing of the album be perfect. It should come only after a band has been able to establish itself. We have completed recording the instrument track, the voice and mixing remains.
It will have seven songs, one acoustic version, all different in presentation, a concept album with a theme, not very apparent, that runs through all the songs," explains Aju.
Evergreen will perform at Thiruvananthapuram on August 14 and at the Freedom Jam in Bangalore the next day. The members of Evergreen have stuck together in foul and fair times.
In one voice they state that they are doing all this not for money, for money does not come easy at all in their job. "We do it because something inside drives us to do it.
We love it and that's all about it. And we hope to go on," winds off Jagan.
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