A rock song about mental health? It’s a first for many, but rock band AndroMeta have been trying to make a change through their music since they formed in 2016. Call Hello Joethe song was inspired by the reality of what we actually see in our lives, including challenges and depression.
“We started playing a bass and blues riff and I started writing the lyrics, and it became the challenges faced by a person going through a disrupted lifestyle and even having suicidal thoughts,” says Sachin Chadha, 46, drummer and lyricist. .
song with message
“The thing about mental health is that the more you ignore it, the more it haunts you and you spiral,” says Sachin, who has had six difficult years, stating that musicians’ songs are born from their experiences. “He couldn’t face the fact that a person he loved was going through something difficult. And today, anxiety is part of my life.”
We have never given mental health the importance it deserves, reflects vocalist Tapanjeet Singh Makker, 33. “It is something that we, as a society, see as something negative. And we treat people who suffer as if they are in the wrong, so they don’t report their problems,” he explains. “With the pandemic, more people need to be aware of their mental health and manage it in a positive way. The song was not only for others but also for ourselves.”
Although the song was composed in 2017, its final version was made during the confinement due to the pandemic. This was a period he had given the band, now in different parts of the country—bass player Subhadip Sinha, 33, in Calcutta, lead guitarist Raman SR, 38, in Bengaluru, Sachin in Hyderabad, and Tapanjeet in Gurugram—time to touch and touch. work on your originals through home recording setups. The video, shot in Goa, was a boys trip. “Our Dil Chahta Hai moment,” laughs Sachin.
Had it not been for the pandemic, would Hey Joe have materialized? “You have a life and you need to make it big, a message that came home during the pandemic,” smiles Tapanjeet.
The song garnered 2,500 views on YouTube in three days and her Instagram went from 20 people to over 1,200.
Rock on!
The 30+ musicians that make up AndroMeta have kept their day jobs and have not been drawn into the life of musicians. “We knew we didn’t want to do covers. It was never about making money, so we even did free concerts,” says Sachin.
Most of them are now in senior leadership positions at work. Lead guitarist Raman is the head of human resources for a climate technology startup; bassist Subhadip is a software technology expert, Sachin is a vice president at a leading telecommunications company, and Tapanjeet is a senior business and human resources partner at a gaming company.
“Our jobs give us financial backing. We can be more creative with our music instead of catering to the audience and commercial needs,” Tapanjeet observes.
Adds Sachin, “We will need sponsors if we leave our jobs. It is an expensive affair to do a full production. And rock is not sustainable today in terms of sustenance.”
The live rock band scene that millennials grew up with is no more. “Rock evolved into metal. But today, you don’t see many bands doing rock. Even when they do, it has a smooth feel, like The Local Train and When Chai Met Toast,” says Sachin. Adds Tapanjeet, “Rock has never been mainstream outside of college competitions. Today college students are doing TikToks and Reels!”
The band has seven songs on their setlist, which they plan to release later this year.
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From HT Brunch, Feb 13, 2022
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