East-Side Story’s new track Darlin’ Blues sounds like something by Johnny Cash — who is mostly remembered as a country music icon — with a Punjabi tinge to it. The new blues track was released last week, and the band says they dedicated this song to the “times that have taken over the country”.
“Darlin’ Blues is based on the situation of the country,” says band member Casim Mahmoud. “Whether it is missing persons or suicide attacks, there is this feeling that people are leaving us too soon.”
The Lahore-based band comprises veteran underground rocker Mahmoud and corporate lawyer-vocalist Tariq Yousuf Gujjar (TG King). The band has become a driving force in the new explorative genre of folk blues music. Keen on the expression, the band has experimented with various folk sounds in the past. However, what makes this song different is that TG King gives haunting vocals in English with a hard-core Punjabi accent.
Darlin’ Blues is a follow up of its first two singles, Daru di Botal and Mela, but unlike their videos, this song is a concept video, in which the band does not appear at all. It’s been shot by film-maker Ammar Rasool over a three-day period in several working class areas of Lahore. The film combined with the music tends to touch upon the emotional aspect of day-to-day stressful situations. Mahmoud is certain that in the current music environment of Pakistan, music videos have to be visually strong. They should ensure that the video provides an aesthetic and complementing interpretation of the music.
“We have made sure that the song goes back to the root of blues, which is an emotion,” says Mahmoud. “We did not use anybody in the video, but in the vocals you feel someone searching for someone.” Mahmoud also says that the song is in “Punjabi-style English” and the lyrics are simple, not complicated nor challenging.
TG King explains that blues represents internal feelings like sadness and struggle. He said unlike the previous songs by the band, Darlin’ Blues is a pure blues track which pays tribute to the people who have lost someone.
“It was not a big deal to sing it because when I started out I would sing English country songs,” says King. “Blues is seen as the voice of internal sadness. When passion gets snubbed, this emotion arises, and this sadness is present here [in Pakistan] today. We must dedicate it to those who have lost someone in the current political circumstances.”
Mahmoud says they have not compromised on the quality of the music. They have maintained their identity, and stayed fresh in this track adapting a predominantly English track for the local audience. The video is recorded in one take, and the band claims their inspiration was an old American folk artist Robert Johnson.
Three singles in and countless of radio plays, but surprisingly, the band still has not performed live. But, they are certain that their music is being followed by its online presence. They say through Facebook, they are connecting with a “committed base of listeners”.
“We are ready to perform,” says Mahmoud. “A corporation approached us for a performance but was expecting us to change our sound or make it louder.” He explains why they are yet to perform privately on stage. “Corporations and some of the structures have made it difficult to find local performances, because we are unwilling to compromise on our creativity or style,” adds Mahmoud.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2013.
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Correction: An earlier version of the story misstated the name of the music video director as Adnan Rasool. The error is regretted.