Bengaluru Trio Cinema of Excess Get Sensible and Sensitive on New EP ‘Rooftops’

At their launch gig on home ground in Bengaluru last month, folk/indie trio Cinema of Excess had fans, friends and family in attendance. That last audience segment was perhaps lost on singer and guitarist Anirudh Ravi who – while introducing their new EP Rooftops and the song “Fools Will Learn” – said on stage, “It’s about friends hanging and on psychedelics, doing magic mushrooms.”

An awkward few glances were shared between the bandmates – Anirudh, guitarist Bharath Kashyap and bassist Abheet Anand. The latter gestured that his parents were in the audience and left the vocalist grasping for words on the mic. To set the record straight, he tells Rolling Stone India that the song is actually about “friendship, appreciation and gratitude for all the things around me.”

The camaraderie is at times awkward but very much what makes Cinema of Excess fun. “I’m a fan of the music I get to make with Cinema,” Anand says in an email interview. Around since 2016 when Anirudh met Kashyap and later added Anand, the trio’s follow-up to the 2018 EP Bring Back The Sound features songs like the jumpy, upbeat “Bill Hilly,” the heartwarming “Fools Will Learn,” a tender and intricate guitar-driven “It Is What It Is” and more. From the six-track Rooftops, “Bill Hilly” was first drafted about six years ago. Anirudh says about their process, “Most times when a song is written, in our case, it sits on the shelf for as long as it needs to, until we feel like it’s ready and we’re ready to share it. The time really helps the song season, and lets us fully express what we want to. It feels awesome finally sharing it, because of how long we had to be patient with the whole thing.”

Anand adds they also took their own time with it due to the most obvious part about being an indie band – they needed to gather enough funds. “We spent the last three years playing it to different crowds live, writing and rewriting parts along the way, saved up money to put out all this music, and then made it a point to hit the studio as often as we could to put out more music,” he adds.

While the first half of the record is much more upbeat sonically, Anirudh notes that Rooftops is also more optimistic than their first record. “Elegance” is Cinema of Excess’ way of personifying a concept, but beyond the lyrics it also sees Anand, Anirudh and Kashyap lead a solo each. “I don’t think we consciously planned on making it the way it is, but we’ve pushed and inspired each other to bring in our A-game for this one. Playing wise, this one’s a bit of a doozy and we love it,” Kashyap adds.

It could be an indication of where the trio are headed next in terms of composition, but Anirudh offers context. “This is the kind of band we are, we’re always trying to find a balance between complexity and relatability, if you know what I mean? This is definitely a heavier and busier song, but it’s still in the same sphere of music,” he says.

The EP’s last two songs – “Morning” and “Rooftops” – change the pace but retain Anirudh’s conversational lyrics and delivery. The title track is painted with lilting melodies from the trio, which makes it instantly memorable. It rounds off a dynamic sound from Cinema of Excess, who have so far taken it to clubs, cafés, hotels and even the SAUCE Festival in Mumbai as part of their Head In The Clouds tour. “We have played pubs, cafés, art spaces, houses, festivals, tattoo shops, a cycle store this one time and everything else in between, but we’re trying a few new things this time,” Anirudh says.

Next, the trio will perform a club gig at Black Orchid alongside pop artist STEVIE in Chennai on April 22nd, followed by a set at the Catamaran Brewing Co microbrewery in Puducherry on April 24th before returning to Bengaluru for an intimate set at studio/venue The Blue Room on May 3rd.

They’re not yet sure about music videos but there will be footage from studio sessions and merchandise. Kashyap says, “Now that Rooftops is out, we have started discussing our next release already. After we finish a bunch of shows in the summer, we’re going to get back to writing more music. Our last jam session ended with us settling on a name for the next EP. I guess we’ll have to wait to find out what that’s going to be like.”

Cinema of Excess and STEVIE perform at Black Orchid, Chennai on April 22nd. Get tickets here. Find more details about their tour here.