Watch: Diarchy Get a Little Help From Friends on Blazing ‘Joy and Sorrow’

On their debut album Here Lost We Lie, Bengaluru rock duo Diarchy conjured a hazy stoner/doom atmosphere and threw in rock ”˜n roll energy, all while talking about drugs, Rorschach (from cult graphic novel Watchmen) and revolution.

The penultimate track, “Joy and Sorrow,” added another befitting lyrical motif that connects everything else they sing about ”“ friendship. Drummer Gaurrav Tiwari says, “Lyrically this is one of the richer songs, so people actually get to sing along. Also, the song is about friends, not caring about anything anymore, watching the world collapse and bracing for the end. [It’s] very filmy.”

That’s part of the reason they invited friends they’ve accrued for the last couple of years they’ve spent gigging in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai to be a part of their crowdsourced music video. The video version features Bengaluru guitarist-vocalist Vats Iyengar (from prog rockers Rainburn) and guitarist Jude Mascarenhas (from prog band Kaihon) adding solos, while Chennai rock band Skrat’s vocalist Sriram T.T., hardcore punk act Death By Fungi‘s vocalist Tabish Khidir, Mumbai punk rock band Punk On Toast’s vocalist-guitarist Aditya Naik and drummer Kalidas Shenoy, Bengaluru-based bassist Jatin Chhabra from post-hardcore act Mutiny in March and more feature, mouthing the words. Guitarist Prakash Rawat adds, “We picked it because it is quite simple and has a sing-able melody.”

The video release comes ahead of their set at New Wave Asia Musicfest on October 29 at Khar Social, Mumbai. Tewari says their set will comprise “better known stuff among folks who follow our work, plus a couple of new ones we’re working on.”