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Evergreen band

Members of the band Evergreen, which has been selected for the prestigious Independence Rock competition in Mumbai, talks to K. PRADEEP

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 one 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 down South, in Kerala. The eight-year-old Kochi-based band, is now on the threshold of a giant leap.

"This is a big 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. 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

"When three of us, Suraj Pallan, a talented drummer, Arun M. S., bass guitarist, and I 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. Evergreen was soon becoming popular but we knew we had to evolve or die," reminisces Sunil. By 2002 they completed all their contracts and the band had an identity enabling them to dream of 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 surprised 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."

That was when Joe Peter and Aju went abroad to study.

"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," says 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. 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.

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