Exclusive Premiere: Hear Alt/Indie Band Sulfurcloud’s Swirling New Song ‘Mystery’

Rock trio Sulfurcloud have operated long-distance most of the time with members shuttling between Pune, Bengaluru and Guwahati, so the pandemic and its ensuing lockdowns weren’t exactly anything new in terms of working remotely.

Formed in 2013 and comprising guitarist-vocalist Peeebeee, bassist-vocalist and arranger Ravi Nair (previously of prog band Rainburn) and drummer Bikrant Kaushik, Sulfurcloud did however make sure they were all in the same room and recording live for their upcoming EP Brand New Life. You can hear the sublime energy, fluidity and sonic handshakes between members on “Mystery,” the first release off the four-track EP, a psychedelic rock offering about a woman rekindling an old flame.

It was around 2014 when Nair visited Peeebee in Guwahati and came across the initial idea of the song. It delves into an aptly mystique-adorned sound but also keeps the rhythm section fist-tight and not too meandering. Working with producer Khussh Mehta at MHM Studio in Bengaluru, “Mystery” and the rest of Brand New Life was recorded under what the band terms as “Whiplash style management,” leading to results everyone was pleased with.

Drummer Kaushik says when they first took on the task of recording together in one take in July 2019, they were “flabbergasted” at first. As they eventually got on, they found more to draw from. Peeebee says, “Recording live is where you find yourself trying to pace together all the carriages of a train to not clash with each other and move in perfect harmony with one another.” For his part, Nair mentions that some sections of songs would “instantly be improvised.” He adds, “We would be so amazed at how it would turn out and we’d look at each other exclaiming, ‘What the actual fuck just happened?’”

The remaining three singles – “Disappear,” “Letting You Go” and “Brand New Life” – will be released from June 18th onwards up to July 2nd, with music videos to follow. It keeps Sulfurcloud’s calendar full until the end of July. It’s all been a few years in the works for the trio, with Nair in charge of most of the execution.

There’s already a follow-up single called “Slope”set for release after Brand New Life, even as Kaushik exits the band. Drummer Siddhi Shah will take his place, working on two new songs and home-recorded videos. The bassist says, “This is the first time we’re doing this with such clarity and depth of understanding. We’ve had no one to help us with this and there is no one way to do this. But at the end of this, we’re gonna be relieved having done this the best way we know and coming out wiser and more informed about how we’d do this the next time.”

Watch the lyric video for “Mystery” below. The song is out on all streaming platforms on June 12th.