Tell us about Zedde – the beginning. How did it all Start?
It was late 2008. One phone call was all it took. Claver Menezes, who I had been a fan of for many years, was on the other end of the line. His willingness to take on guitar duties in Zedde meant everything. Trevor Berchman and Deepu Saikia were soon brought on board as drummer and bass player respectively. We were hungry to play hard hitting rock music the way it’s meant to be played, and tore every stage that came our way. College festivals, clubs, radio stations, TV studios, award functions – we did it all. And in less than a year, the music video of our first single ‘Mumbai’ was being beamed into living rooms across different time zones. ‘Mumbai’ then went on to becoming the Asian Anthem of the Year at AVIMA 2010. Shortly thereafter, ArtistAloud.com released three of our singles and honored us with the ‘Best Band’ title. We just released three new singles through our Facebook page a couple of days back and the response has been very positive so far. In short, there isn’t much to be complaining about.
How do you go about composing music? What inspires you? How would you Describe your sound?
There is no thumb rule we follow when it comes to composing our music. There is no fixed starting point. It could be a melody or a lyrical idea in my head, a guitar riff that Claver came up with, a drum pattern we may have heard, or just about any other musical spark flying between us. The inspiration could come from anywhere. Our sound can be best described as “Ian Gillan meets Paul Gilbert!” For the layman, this means a blend of vintage rock and new age sounds.
Tell us About Hard Rock Rising. The whole Experience.
To be very candid with you, each member of the band has judged countless such events in the past. But yet, we enrolled for this global battle of the bands. We even maintained the #2 position for days together from amongst 12000 bands that entered. Support poured in from parts of the world we’ll probably never get to see, and from people we’ll probably never get to meet. That has been the most humbling experience of all. When voting closed we had gathered some 6000 odd votes from around the world – an emotional roller-coaster in more ways than one.
What is most important to you when you are on stage?
Finding God on stage is the most important thing for me when I’m up there. What I mean by this is establishing a bond between the band and the audience, a bond that makes us all one with the music.
What has been your best show till date? By best I mean wildest and craziest.
It’s hard to pick a show and say it was our best. Every gig has its moments. So every gig is special, whether the audience comprises a few hundred people in a smokey night club or a few thousand at an outdoor concert arena.
If today you weren’t musicians, what would each of you be doing?
We have no idea. No, I think I do. I’d try to replace Amitabh Bachchan in Shahenshah 2.
Who are your top 5 bands/artists—Indian or international—and why?
Mr. Big, Nickelback, Joe Satriani, Europe, and Orianthi Panagaris (not necessarily in that order). Why? Because these are not artists manufactured by record companies. These are real people who fought real battles to be who they are today.
What can we expect from Zedde in 2012?
A string of memorable concerts, a handful of singles, a music video or two…
Do you have any message for your fans?
Thank you for bringing us this far. We appreciate it more than you may realize. Please don’t get wise and leave us now.
Just in case any of our readers don’t know, where can we find you and your music online?
Everything about us that you may want to know is here on www.ZeddeLIVE.in. There are videos, music, and pics amongst other things. Take what you like. It’s all free.
