Kolkata Rockers The Supersonics Split Up Again

(from left) Nitin Mani, Ananda Sen, Rohan Ganguli and Avinash Chordia of The Supersonics. Photo: Shiv Ahuja

The Supersonics from Kolkata have been stirring up a whole storm of rumors of another break up since their big disbandment back in 2010. At the time, the quartet were riding high on the success of their impressive debut, Maby Baking and had just returned to India from a short UK tour, which included a stop at the Great Escape Festival. Since regrouping in 2012, the band have been actively gigging across the country and released a mature, well-recieved follow up in Heads Up, produced by studio whiz Miti Adhikari upon his return to India.

The group recently played two shows in Delhi and at the Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival over the first weekend of April, when we heard buzz about a breakup again. While band members are not forthcoming about the split, there’s a definitive hiatus of sorts within the band. Frontman Ananda Sen, who was previously working towards a solo record with Vivek Nair of The Mayvns, has finally put together a band to work on more material. Says Sen, “The plan was always to do my own thing, and there’s way too much material I have, not all of which might convert into songs with The Supersonics. This (project) has been a long time coming, and we’re working towards an album to be released this year for sure, and enough songs for a club gig and festival slots.” Members of the new group comprise Avinash Chordia of The Supersonics on drums, Nicholas Rixon and Subhodip Banerjee of Ifs and Buts on backing vocals and guitar respectively, and Roheet Mukherjee of Ganesh Talkies on bass duties.

Rohan Ganguli, guitarist of The Supersonics has also been involved in other music projects. He has been put together the fairly active Big Family Blues Ensemble in Kolkata, alongside a newly launched project titled Cube Root with drummer Dwaipayan Saha (who did percussions and backing vocals with on both Maby Baking and Heads Up) and Tirthankar Ray on bass. Says Ganguli, “With the Big Family Blues Ensemble, we’re done tracking seven songs in studio, and the album should be done soon – and then, we’re onto the Cube Root album.” Bassist Nitin Mani on the other hand has always been fairly busy, playing with local comedy rock act Bandage.

Work on new material from The Supersonics towards a third album was underway, but is currently on hold. Both Sen and Ganguli cite working towards new material in different outfits for the hiatus of sorts. Perhaps being in a band does involve more compromises than one can imagine, and 10 years is a long time to be in one.