The trio brings together members from rock act Barefaced Liar, reggae band The Ska Vengers and instrumental rock act Zokova
NokNok - Nikhil Vasudevan, Sumant Balakrishnan and Amar Pandey (from left). Photo: Srijan Mahajan
From alternative duo Twenty One Pilots to pop star Katy Perry, New Delhi band NokNok’s bassist Amar Pandey says they’ve always been influenced by “seeing bands grow and change the stereotype of what certain music should be.” On their long-awaited self-titled debut EP, NokNok do exactly that, blending blues, rock, pop, psychedelic and more, in just four tracks.
NokNok comprises musicians who play in multiple bands across the capital’s indie circuit. Pandey plays bass for rock acts such as Zokova, Kraken, Kitchensink and The Doppler Effect, while vocalist-guitarist Sumant Balakrishnan is the founder of seasoned rockers Barefaced Liar. Drummer Nikhil Vasudevan adds NokNok to a big list of bands that include The Ska Vengers, singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, the Jass B’stards, folk artist Harpreet and more. Pandey says their priorities as a band have not always been centered around playing shows or recording material, but that’s changing. “It kind of an awkward middle ground where your priorities as an individual start becoming the same as that of the bands you’re playing in, and sometimes the other way around as well. But it’s become more centered over the last year for NokNok.”
Their philosophy, best heard on their four-track EP, is to “relax and have fun, and to be happy at the end of it.” Despite their efforts to release the EP ”“ recorded at New Delhi’s Ghar Ka Studios with producer-guitarist and vocalist Ritwik De ”“ in September last year, they were held up owing to an “extremely unprofessional” payment portal. After a fruitless wait, they decided to release the EP last month.
Up next, Pandey says there are seven more songs nearly finished with De and ready for release, along with a couple of videos. Pandey says working with De has also led to more. “We thought of doing a collaboration with him for a video where we reinterpret a song we’ve recorded already. Should be out soon hopefully, followed by more fun stuff.”
Listen to ”˜NokNok’ EP below. Buy the EP here.
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