Spud In The Box
Mumbai-based Spud In The Box is a six-member alternative-rock band formed in 2011. They dropped their latest album Lead Feet Paper Shoes last week, on the 23rd of September. Today they perform at Junkyard Cafe, as a part of their India-wide tour.
Their debut EP titled Attention Please brought critical acclaim from all corners and helped them garner a young, loyal fan base. From opening for Grammy award-winning artist Norah Jones to playing at popular music festivals such as the Kala Ghoda Festival and India Music Week, Spud In The Box is now well-known for its energetic live performances in the music scene.
Maniac, the first track released for public from their album Lead Feet Paper Shoes, weaves a perfect blend of intricate music arrangements and catchy melodies. We interviewed the band to get to know their story.
How did you come together to form Spud In The Box? What’s the idea behind the band’s name?
We started out in college, using college competitions and acoustic sets around Mumbai to road-test our material. This is when we started getting calls to play at regular venues and local events. It was around the time that we were thinking of recording our first EP Attention Please, that we had a discussion about taking the band more seriously and putting all our energies into it.
As for the origins of the band name, that’s something we don’t really talk about. If we tell you, we’d have to kill you!
We started out in college, using college competitions and acoustic sets around Mumbai to road-test our material. This is when we started getting calls to play at regular venues and local events. It was around the time that we were thinking of recording our first EP Attention Please, that we had a discussion about taking the band more seriously and putting all our energies into it.
As for the origins of the band name, that’s something we don’t really talk about. If we tell you, we’d have to kill you!
How is your music in the full-length album Lead Feet Paper Shoes different from what you have done before?
For us, it’s been quite a departure because as our sound changed over the years, we started breaking the songs down and building them up from scratch. As a result, a lot of the songs on this record tend to meander into different directions. We wanted to give our listeners multiple threads that begin and resolve within each song so that every time you listen to the songs, there is always something new to notice and appreciate.
For us, it’s been quite a departure because as our sound changed over the years, we started breaking the songs down and building them up from scratch. As a result, a lot of the songs on this record tend to meander into different directions. We wanted to give our listeners multiple threads that begin and resolve within each song so that every time you listen to the songs, there is always something new to notice and appreciate.
The album art paints an interesting picture that is layered with mystery. What is the story behind it?
The album does have a concept behind it. It’s our way of telling a particular story of a particular character, through the music as well as the artwork, so that Lead Feet Paper Shoes is one, multi-dimensional entity. Each song is, in itself, a certain part of that story but rather than going into the details, we want our audience to listen to the music, go through the artwork and take away whatever they want from it.
The album does have a concept behind it. It’s our way of telling a particular story of a particular character, through the music as well as the artwork, so that Lead Feet Paper Shoes is one, multi-dimensional entity. Each song is, in itself, a certain part of that story but rather than going into the details, we want our audience to listen to the music, go through the artwork and take away whatever they want from it.
What were some of the challenges you faced while working on your new album?
We’d like to state that we’ve been extremely fortunate to have the support of our families, close friends, colleagues and industry professionals who made all of this possible. That said, we set our sights pretty high and did have obstacles that we had to learn to overcome – be it logistical, financial, musical or personal. It’s been a fantastic learning experience; frustrating as well as exhilarating in frequent spurts. All of this makes the entire thing worth it, in our opinion.
We’d like to state that we’ve been extremely fortunate to have the support of our families, close friends, colleagues and industry professionals who made all of this possible. That said, we set our sights pretty high and did have obstacles that we had to learn to overcome – be it logistical, financial, musical or personal. It’s been a fantastic learning experience; frustrating as well as exhilarating in frequent spurts. All of this makes the entire thing worth it, in our opinion.
What are the bands in your genre of music that inspire you the most?
That is always tough to pinpoint, since our inspirations never tend to be similar to what we create together. The artists tend to range from Kendrick Lamar, to Sufjan Stevens, to Deftones, to Jack White, Robert Glasper, Sting, Toe, The Swell Season, Simon and Garfunkel, A Perfect Circle – this list can go on forever.
That is always tough to pinpoint, since our inspirations never tend to be similar to what we create together. The artists tend to range from Kendrick Lamar, to Sufjan Stevens, to Deftones, to Jack White, Robert Glasper, Sting, Toe, The Swell Season, Simon and Garfunkel, A Perfect Circle – this list can go on forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment