Blues Is The Warmest Sound

By Amaan Khan

In conversation with Shillong-based Blues band Soulmate, who are releasing their new album at the Mahindra Blues Festival 2014 – notes on their upcoming album, performances abroad, and how they’ve managed to galvanize a burgeoning number of Indian crowds towards blues.

 In 2012, guitar legend Carlos Santana was in India to perform at the F1 Rocks event in Delhi NCR. An Indian band opened for him. The vocalist ‘Tips’ was deeply engrossed in a song during their performance and as a result had her eyes shut. It was at that moment that Santana, from the wings, gesticulated to Rudy Wallang, guitarist-songwriter of the band, enquiring if he could join them for a jam session; on stage. Rudy invited him with a wave of his hand, broke the spell that Tips was lost in, and performed two of their own songs with Santana. The said band is Soulmate.

Soulmate, comprising Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar, is one of the country’s first blues bands to write its own songs. Apart from sharing the stage with Santana, releasing their previous album Moving On through blueFROG, and performing at blues festivals internationally, the band has represented India at the 23^rd International Blues Challenge in Tennessee, America in 2007 and 2010. Today, roughly eleven years since their inception in 2003, the band is all set to release its third album ‘Ten Stories Up’ at the Mahindra Blues Festival 2014.

soundplunge_test: You guys have played at the festival since its first edition in 2011. What draws you to it each year?

Rudy Wallang: Frankly, we thought we were not going to be playing this year since we’d already played the first three editions. But to our surprise, we got a call from Oranjuice Entertainment, the event organizers. So, here we are again and we’re really thrilled to the bone! For us it’s not only about playing our music, our blues for everyone to listen to, but it’s also about getting to listen to really great blues bands and musicians and getting inspired by them.

Even if we didn’t play, we would still have been there to listen to the music .That’s what it’s all about.

ST: You usually perform songs from either of your two albums ‘Shillong’ and ‘Moving On’. What’s in store for your fans attending this year’s Mahindra Blues Festival? Can we expect surprises from your upcoming third album?

RW: We have been performing songs from the new album for the last 2-3 years. We decided to take the songs on the road before we recorded them so as to hone them down to what they are on the album now. I’m sure our fans will be surprised and happy.

ST: You’ve performed at festivals in Dubai, Nepal, France, and Indonesia among others. How differently does the audience receive your music abroad from the crowds in India?

RW: Right now, we are in a place where we can play our music as good as any other band from the west. It’s about confidence. (Today) we are confident about our music and that comes through wherever we’ve performed including Germany and Sweden. Initially they were surprised to know that a blues band from India even existed but we have been really well appreciated and accepted by everyone.

ST: We saw a post on your Facebook page inquiring about a designer to create the album cover. Is the third album ready for a release? Tell us about the inspirations that have gone into the new album.

RW: (It’s) almost ready.  It’s called ‘Ten Stories Up’ and we have got the OK (approval) to release it at the Mahindra Blues Festival 2014. Our music has always been representative of our lives. Tips (Tipriti Kharbangar) has written four out of the ten songs this time. We are inspired by life and everything that happens around us affects us. I guess you’ll have to listen to the songs to know.

ST: If you had to define the present blues scene in India within a sentence, what would it be?

RW: It’s better than what it was ten years ago when we first started (off). But for those who want to make this their music and take it further, (they) have to get real.

ST: Since 2003, how much do you feel your fan base has grown across the country?

RW: We have the most amazing fans. Really! Every year, there are more and more people getting turned to us and this is a great, great feeling.  This is what we set out to do in the beginning. Get people turned to this wonderful genre of music.

ST: Could you tell us about the difficulties you faced at the beginning? What was the strangest thing you’ve been told by a venue while approaching them for a gig?

RW: Writing our own songs was nothing new as I came from a background (performing) with Mojo and The Great Society. It may have been something new for Indian audiences who were so used to listening to bands only belt out covers. The audiences have come a long way since then. Now a majority of Indian bands perform their own music which is a beautiful thing.

ST: Rudy, you were part of The Great Society with Lou Majaw for a long time. How different is the music and the process of creating it with Soulmate?

RW: The song writing process is basically the same. With TGS, Lou wrote almost all the songs. With Soulmate, I have written all the songs on the first two albums while on the new one Tips has contributed four songs. We both first write lyrics then come up with the melody. I helped Tips with the arrangements since this was her first time. Normally, I write down lyrics then compose the melody, do a basic arrangement then present it to the musicians. Basically, I let them play it the way they feel, and if there is anything I need them to play or express, I let them know.

ST: Rudy, tell us about your son Leon playing in the band. How did that happen?

RW: Lee has been with Soulmate for about 6 years now. He started off on second rhythm guitar, behind Tips. When we decided to introduce a keyboard player to the band I got him (Leon) onto playing the bass, at which he is doing a pretty good job as of right now.

Lee has grown up listening to music from the time he was born. It’s in his soul.  I remember holding headphones to his mother’s belly when he was still inside. He used to kick away whenever he heard music. He must have been dancing inside.

Soulmate will be performing at Mahindra Blues Festival 2014 on February 16 at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios. For more information on the band, click here. Meanwhile, listen to “Set Me Free” from their second album Moving On.

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