Exclusive Premiere: Indie Band PA System Get Pensive on ‘Didn’t Mean A Thing’

Earlier this year, Chennai indie/alternative band PA System made the most of eased restrictions during the pandemic, setting up multiple music video shoots for songs off their upcoming full-length debut Strangers Down The Hall. “Didn’t Mean A Thing,” the fourth single off the album plays up to their swaying, tender sounds of introspection and is complete with a music video that takes us behind the scenes.

Drummer Arvind Krishnan says about filming during the pandemic, “At first, shooting an entire music video during the pandemic seemed like a big challenge, but it was entirely possible only due to the hard work and efforts put in by our team and the staff members at the production studio. Moreover, a busy schedule kept our energies high and the feeling on set was exciting as the band came together after a long time.”

The song follows singles such as “Black & Blue,” “In The Breeze” and “Oasis,” presenting a modern alt-rock sound that recalls early Coldplay and a bit of British band Keane. Guitarist Hrday Sunil points out that “Didn’t Mean A Thing” was written in December 2019. “I think this track serves to contrast the synth-heavy sounds of ‘Black & Blue’ and the electronic elements of ‘In The Breeze’ as it has more of an acoustic vibe with straightforward production and a simple message that we hope will resonate with our audience,” the guitarist adds.

Although the band does wish things were moving a bit faster for them in terms of performances and more releases, the pandemic has allowed them to gain a fan base of their own. They’re still keeping their promise of releasing a music video for each track off Strangers Down The Hall, with vocalist Pratyush Shankar mentioning that they’ll be exploring different visuals. He adds that during the relaxed restrictions, they also shot music videos for “Oasis” and another upcoming release, “Sleeping.” He adds, “The band got together after the previous lockdown was waived off and it was wise to plan and complete the video shoots for the upcoming songs.”

Watch the video for “Didn’t Mean A Thing” below.