1) Where and how did your band begin?
Allegro Fudge was started in Bangalore by Jason Zachariah, our keyboardist. It was initially a 2-piece band but, as time progressed, there were 3 lineup changes. The present one, which includes Jason Zachariah (keyboard), Joey Skeezix (guitar), Shalini Mohan (bass), Deepak Raghu (drums), and Saahas Patil (vocals) is about 3 months old.
2) How would you describe your sound?
We’ve tried defining our sound before, but we haven’t gotten too far. We play many genres that interest us, so our sound isn’t constant. It changes every time we make new songs. It’s good soulful music at the end of the day. Maybe, just maybe, acoustic folk pop rock, with elements of country, blues and jazz. Ha!
3) How do you go about composing music? What inspires you?
When we jam, we can go on endlessly, but that usually doesn’t result in a structured song. So most of the time, Jason jams at home, records it and sends it to Saahas who tries to make a vocal line and structure the song out of the many parts. Then we bring it to the jam room and everyone adds their elements and the song takes its shape. It’s the only technique we’ve used and its proven to be really useful.
We’re inspired by everyday instances and people around us. There is so much happening, that you don’t need to look too far for inspiration. For example, the riff for “Colors Fly” was part of an instrumental folk song that Jason wrote years back and then completely forgot about it. 3 years later, the song came back to him while he was traveling in an auto in another city. He notated it and recorded it the moment he got back home. Lyrically, it has many meanings. 2 years back, I had to play a show one evening. I was on my way back home after printing the set lists and I met one of my neighbors and her baby daughter next to my house. The baby in all her innocent oblivion grabbed some of the set lists and started playing with it and laughing. That baby and her actions strangely inspired me and the emotion came out in the form of “Colors Fly”. Another song we wrote called “Rock All Night” talks about trying to catch a girl’s eye at a party and thinking that you’ve succeeded. “Waiting” is a song about not wanting to make any decisions about your future even when everything is pulling you apart. We could write a lot about what’s going on in the world right now but we find so much around us that we don’t need to. Though we take them for granted, the people and scenes around us are our biggest inspiration.
4) Your musical influences?
There are many. Each member has a set of influences, but I think what would be important here is the artists that influence our music collectively. They range from Elton John, Queen, Abba, Mozart, Riverdance, The Beatles, Dream Theater, Dixie Chicks, Dire Straits, John Mayer, Coldplay. All these artists play a big role in the shape that our music takes.
5) What is your philosophy on music?
I think good music is something that completely draws your concentration and inspires you to create something better than your last. But most importantly, you have to be honest while writing songs. If you’re not being honest, your audience is not going to connect with the emotion you’re trying to create in them.
6) What is most important to you when you are on stage?
Firstly, its getting our sound right. Since we have an acoustic set up, we have to make our sound a lot fuller. Other than that, not being distracted and being completely in the moment is what is important to really convince your audience.
7) What advice would you like to give to musicians and fans out there?
Write your own music and don’t be afraid or ashamed of what you feel. Be honest in your music, whatever the emotion is. Don’t let people tell you that you’re not good enough. Believe in yourself, because in the end, its only yourself stopping you from being what you want to be. With enough perseverance and patience, you’ll see the results. Get a good jam room to make music in.
8) Where else can we find your music online?
