together, which ended up in the birth of their band 1.2 in September 2010. The team was completed in June 2011 when Amit took charge of the skins in June 2011. When you take a closer look into this cluster and their musical traits, this band leans towards rock music, pop, and progressive jazz ,Their taste towards these genres is visible in their performances and their final sound. Their Indie package comes along with multiple elements, sleek instrumentation and simple lyrics. The band sings only in Hindi as they feel that it connects them more effectively with the youth and masses. On some days they meet up at 1 am to jam and go on till 4 am.This gang of mechanical engineers, has to reach office at 9 am but DJ Amit goes to work in the evenings. Though their day job is their primary source of income, they make sure that money matters do not mitigate their music or practice. We hear their first two singles Ganpati Bappa and Adhoora Hoon, which is also available on their MySpace profile which they recorded these in their home recording set up.
YOUTH’S STOP APRIL - JUNE 2012
Their recent single, released on 26 January 2012, was their first professionally recorded track. It’s not difficult to notice a vast improvement in their sound. Goes to show that with the necessary support, they have got it in them to bring out tracks with their signature style. Any band that connects with their audiences through their originality always gets a memorable place in their heart. Band 1.2 has done so, right from their first gig in Zenzi (Mumbai) to their biggest show as the Times Music Superstars’ finalist.
When asked to share their experiences and growth, Susmita says, “Consisting of all self taught musicians, we have grown up purely through our experiences in the music scene. We were always confident that our music would be liked by many. However, things were not always great and the band had to face its share of downs. Our passion and tenacity kept us going and we went on improving. Competitions were the most effective platform for us to gain visibility.” “Even though going professional was our ultimate aim, we went through a natural growth process to get in tune with ourselves and to jam as a band. At the same time we were wary that depending financially on music might curtail our creative freedom and the fun associated with it”, adds Ammo. We can’t call them ‘professionals’, but when we see their track record, attitude and the way they have improved their sound and the treatment of their tracks, this band is definitely on the right track to be one of the most successful Indie bands of the country. And they are going to be featured in an upcoming Hindi feature film, co-produced by the prestigious NFDC!
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