The band, now featuring co-vocalist Ananya Raja, were inspired by a conversation with a transgender woman to write the song for their 2018 album ‘A Strange Connection’
Bengaluru band Perfect Strangers.
Bengaluru rock band Perfect Strangers mark their current musical direction with a new take on their 2018 song “Wild Side,” which is now released as a single called “On the Wild Side,” featuring saxophonist Sweethin Hartman and vocalist Ananya Raja in the mix, plus a music video showcasing aerial arts.
Directed by Sanket Chakraborty, the music video intersperses Perfect Strangers in full swing performing “On the Wild Side” and aerial artist Vana Rosa, with the song being inspired “by a real conversation with a transgender woman,” according to the band. Guitarist Debjeet Basu says the song originally known as “Wild Side” didn’t get the best attention within their 2018 album A Strange Connection, but the current lineup of the band began bringing it back into their live performances over time, with a makeover.
Now signed to BlueTree, Perfect Strangers have gone on to support the likes of virtuoso trio The Aristocrats on their recent India tour in February this year. “On the Wild Side,” however, is their first release since the 2020 single “Shout.” In between, Basu notes that starting their own music school – The PS School of Music – took up most of their focus, as well as their virtual gig-ready venue space Streamphony. “The band took a backseat, but that was a conscious decision that Joshua [Costa, keyboardist], Pranav [DM, vocalist], Preran [Gulvady, drummer] and myself took,” the guitarist adds.
He says they “waited patiently for the right combination” of musicians and that includes Raja on vocals [from multi-genre band Kelvikkuri], Hartman on sax and bassist Shalini Mohan. Basu says, “I have always believed making original music is a very personal thing and you need to do it or share it with the right people, to be able to enjoy it.”
While “On the Wild Side” was also released with a music video to mark the end of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, another Perfect Strangers single called “City of Heartache” is slated for release in August. Sung by Pranav DM, Basu describes it as a “rock ballad that delves into the complexities of love, intertwining the struggles of finding connection and overcoming relationship hurdles amidst the backdrop of the city’s relentless pace.” The upcoming single will be supported by a tour, also in August.
Watch the video for “On the Wild Side” below.
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