Daily Times

Tell us about your foray in the field of music. How did it all begin for you?

Old story – 30 years back, Bilal and I met at Government College and found out that we both were inclined towards music. Bilal used to compose and I used to sing at that time. We happened to sit together on the same bench at Government Commerce College and that’s how we figured out and then we started meeting up you know and just playing music together and then gave our first music performance at Government College as a college band. In 1990, we were approached by EMI Pakistan to do an album. Those were the days when label companies used to approach an artist saying that we will fund your album, give you recording facilities and all the other equipment and all and you just come there and record. And yes, so that’s how it all started.

How have you both managed to keep the band intact these past 30 years without splitting up? Do you have tough days? What do you both bond over other than music?

If you ask us, it has been a long time and sometimes when we look at this duration, we wonder how all this time passed. And we feel that we are absolutely very lucky to have made it through these 30 years and if you ask us if there has ever been any talk of splitting, no there hasn’t been any. In fact, touch wood we have never even had a fight where we didn’t talk for a day. Yes, there was this one major transformation where we took a break for five years after Strings 1 and Strings 2, we were four members of the band and we all decided to focus on our education and whatever we had going on at the time and then come back for the band. But when we came back, it was just Bilal and I. It was 1999 and yes it’s been almost 20 years to that time also. Personally, Bilal and I feel that we both trust each other and the value of trust is high to us. And we know this too that if either of us think anything it’s always for the brand and our individual identities always take a back seat to the band. So we both trust each other enough to know if one of us is saying anything it will be for the better of the band and that happens for each and every decision of the band. So I think that trust factor is #1. The other thing is that we are two and we both believe that this band is because of us two individuals and if either of us were to be less important, this band won’t work. So we believe in that.

‘We were four members of the band and we all decided to take a break and promised to return. Years later, two people returned for the band — Bilal and I’

In what ways has Pakistani pop music evolved from the time you started out up until now? How has it become better? How has it declined?

The Pakistani music industry has really evolved. There was a time when it was almost impossible for a pop song or video to be broadcast on Pakistan Television. I still remember it was 1986 perhaps or ‘87 when “Dil dil Pakistan” by Vital Signs was broadcast on PTV directed by Shoaib Mansoor who was a part of PTV at the time. Other than that, there was no place for any pop music song or video. Around 1989, there was a Music 89 programme directed again by Shoaib Mansoor after which a door opened and within a few days, multiple music programmes were launched including Music 89, Dhanak etc. And that’s how Pakistani pop music started getting recognition and many bands came up. In those times, if a good song broadcast once on PTV, it proved to be a hit and people used to go buy albums. Music was produced in very less quantities so one album lasted over a period of around six months in people’s cassettes and they used to listen to and dissect each and every song out of the 12 percent. Time has now changed. After 29 years, music availability is huge now in addition to the content created. Where once there was one channel, today there are 10. Music availability has suffered on television since drama and news has taken over. Music consumption is no longer on cassettes or CDs, now but on music apps such as Apple Music, Spotify, Patari and SAAVN filled with millions of songs so you decide in 10 seconds if you don’t like a song. So the life of music has decreased. It is very difficult for a consumer to like a song and then play it 30 to 40 times. Those days are gone. Music channels before used to play the same song over and over so if one didn’t understand the music the first time they heard it they definitely liked it the second time. It’s no longer the time to give a song another listen – it’s just once. The consumer makes up his mind within a minute and will move on. So yes, it has changed in short and the music industry especially in Pakistan in the last few years has been on a decline because when albums launched in 2008 or 2009, there was political instability and people’s focus shifted and then artists stopped making music and eventually, the people stopped listening because the artists stopped making it. But hopefully now with programmes like ‘Coke Studio’, ‘Pepsi Battle of the Bands’ and ‘Nescafe Basement’, music is coming back in drama OSTs and movies also. And now bands have started to release their own music independently, as we have just announced our new album and released three songs and the fourth is releasing this week.

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From “Sar kiye yeh paharr” to “Piya Re”, which have been your own personal favourite tracks?

The journey has been amazing and of course with time, the importance for your song changes. When our first song came out which gave us recognition and Music 89, where we performed five songs, including “Jab Se Mene Tumko Dekha” and “Jadu” and the biggest break we got was “Sar kiye pahar” and that video gave us that recognition. “Dur” after “Sar kiye pahar” again gave that confirmation that we were not just there for one song and that gave us confidence that we can stay in the industry. And then songs like ‘Spider Man 2’ “Na jaane kyun” and the World Cup song. Then songs for films like ‘Zinda’, ‘Yeh Main Kahaan’ and with that in recent years “Main Tou Dekhunga”, “Ab khud kuch karna parega”, all these songs have great importance and have projected the band on different levels and we have always tried to express ourselves differently. So all these songs are very important.

Having worked in Bollywood as well, what professional expertise and learning experience did you bring home? In what ways was your experience working in India enlightening?

Bollywood, yes there was a time when we used to perform at least two to three concerts a month in India and that went on probably from 2003 to 2008. For five years, we were constantly travelling non-stop every month for two to three concerts to India. Around the time, we also did a couple of music projects for movies including ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’ and ‘Zinda’. The experience was amazing. They always respected Pakistani musicians, be it the ghazal musicians like Mehdi Hassan, Abida Parveen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to even our pop side like Junoon and Ali Haider. They loved “Hawa hawa” Hassan Jahangir. India has always been very receptive and it’s just unfortunate that after 2008, things between both the countries got disturbed and after 2014 and 2015, the concerts for Pakistani artists declined. But these things happen and hopefully things will improve but India is a great market for Pakistani music.

You have sold over 25 million albums worldwide. What motivates you to excel no matter what?

We have released so many albums and songs but whenever we release a new song, we treat it like our first one. We wonder every time if the people will like it and how we’ll go about the release. There’s always that excitement of launching something new, the excitement of making the video and the excitement of making the song. It’s just that no matter how many songs you have made or how many albums you have released, new music brings freshness not just for the audience but the creator because it’s a new path and you’re just going on a road and its opening new paths and as musicians you want to always explore and evolve with time and you want to try different boundaries also because at times you get tired of doing the same music so with time as musicians we want to bring change and bring excitement. So yes, it’s always fresh for us.

You have produced and directed ‘Coke Studio’ for four years. What according to you has been your biggest achievement so far?

The last project we did is ‘Pepsi BOB’ which is on air right now. Before that, we produced ‘Coke Studio’ for four years and as musicians or as a band, we couldn’t have asked for more. Thirty years in this industry releasing our own music for the longest time and then working with brilliant musicians of Pakistan in ‘Coke Studio’ and now working with the new talent of Pakistan, I mean God has been super kind to us that we get these opportunities. It keeps us on the edge all the time. We keep learning from seasoned musicians and from the new youthful talent. It’s really exciting and it’s always challenging and in the absence of these challenges, your growth hinders.

What is your vision for Pakistan and what does it mean to be Pakistani for you?

We just hope that in Pakistan, although there are a lot of talented musicians, they need recognition and exposure because it is very important for any artist to get that recognition. Because it is through this acknowledgement, that they gain confidence and the encouragement. Unfortunately, since the last few years that area is struggling the new talented musicians don’t get the due recognition. We just hope the best for the country’s affairs and that the new music reaches out to people and musicians make more new music. And yes, it goes for films and for drama; it goes for everything.

We at Daily Times consider you one of our national heroes. Who are some of yours?

Abdul Sattar Edhi, Imran Khan, Jahangir Khan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are some of our heroes.

                                          Achievements

RECOGNITION ABROAD

Strings is an internationally acclaimed band with a worldwide fan following. They have also lent their vocals for the OST of Hollywood film ‘Spider Man 2’ and also have sung tracks for Bollywood films like ‘Zinda’ and ‘Shootout at Lokhandwala’. They have collaborated with bands and musicians in India like Euphoria, Sagarika and Hariharan. They have been named Asia’s Favourite Band at the MTV Asia Awards. In 2008, they were nominated for the Olympic Games as Pakistani Torchbearers.

HIGH PROFILE ENDORSEMENTS

In 2010, Strings became brand ambassadors for Etihad Airways. Strings is also the first South Asian band to have signed a deal with Gibson Guitar Manufacturer. They have also been brand ambassadors for Honda City and Motorola.

RAKING IN THE AWARDS

The band is a proud recipient of many awards that include MTV Music Awards, Lux Style Awards, The Musik Awards, Indus Music Award and Jazz Indus Music Awards.

STRING OF HIT ALBUMS

Their debut album ‘Strings’ sold 20,000 copies during its first week after release. Their fifth album ‘Koi Anay Wala Hai’ was co-produced by John Abraham and was successful in Pakistan and India.

Published in Daily Times, August  2^nd 2018.