A Day Planned by Savi!

Savi & Billi (Katina)

We have a Jam Tonight! Aap chal raye ho na? (You coming along right?)

My Brain signal – Hell Yeah -Sensory Bliss

Savi Srivastava – First Creative Head – Daira is Managing him - Believer - My Friend

“ Pura din yahi sochta tha ke main kab office khatam karunga aur hum sab milenge shaam ko” (All day i used to think about finishing work as we all used to meet in the evening at Piyush's house). I was doing my corporate stint as that's what i did engineering for! Haha, But I knew for a fact that this is not what i wanted to do. Vikalp and i were staying together in Bombay. My friend Amitabh, Vikalp and I started Bathroom Singers, a Karaoke act together which was doing well sort of but i was still struggling to find what is it that i am passionate about, And just like that Daira happened to me!

This is a conversation over morning Chai, (I had no idea i would end up in one of it's kind jam, i wanted to be a sloth as i have been feeling cramped in mind, you know, existential freaking crisis) while he was singing some Frank Sinatra as a karaoke! Ladies, single and sings Sinatra! I can see how proud and passionate this man is for this state of mind they carry and stand for (Trust me it's not all rosy stories, things are tough).He shared that Piyush changed his state of mind about how you perceive music. "It has changed me as a person", he says with a big grin on his face, I share the sentiment happily! There is a lot more to this, but that's not the point right now!

So i came back from the studio and sat down, huddled.This is what i wrote while i listened every bit of it! Hope you feel it too.

“As i sit with the band, just enough light for their silhouettes at home,They press play on this mini speaker (We have full set up at home, but the moment was right) roughly about 2 hour long live recording starts playing and fills the room with the sounds they created.There are no words spoken, each and everyone of them including me are in sync, it's all so balanced right now that my brain is in hyperactive mode! A little tickle of a bird chirping in a song is not what you hear everyday, but i am hearing it and you will too soon. I promise!Their faces are a hue of pride and absolute shock (in a good way) for all the craftsmen ship being showcased.They are in a self critical mode and feeling good about a part that each of them connected to. The drums pick up slowly and a roll follows,smiles on all of their faces, including mine. I mean how can you not get effected by such energy! It's a beautiful feeling. It has the capacity to race your heart beat only to leave you in between a hollow space of nothingness, almost a feeling of being lost and found. It's like running in an open field with your arms wide open, Fearless”. That's what's waiting!! Raring! Roaring! No frills, In your face!

For this moment right here is when all those worries go away and why musicians do what they do and believe in.Fun Fact : They are working on something really cool with a little help of someone who believes in them, They are doing it because they are evolving as artists! And i get to see the transformation in front of me and hopefully you will also see it, at least will be intrigued and will be open to listen to this jam!

Background Score : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ5m-v-nHE4

Next up : 7 Creative Heads Of Daira!

Follow them @Dairaindia

Daira

This will be my first try on covering a Band as i have full access to them and i have been thinking of writing a blog for some time.This is my take on what happens before you hear the music on stage. Hopefully some of you will read it!

When is your album coming out?

This is one question that gives you immense joy and you feel a drop in the pit of your stomach! But this is not about that! Daira is quietly working on their next album and trust me it's insanely powerful. A lot of you see me hanging out with them is because they are my surrogate family of crazies and that all is because of how they think and what they represent.Pure guts, faith, eccentric, independent and mad about Art!

Daira (Boundary) is most definitely pushing the people who are involved in it. What you see on stage is a mix of a lot of practice, a brain that constantly is rephrasing, re-writing, restructuring, rearranging by a team of 8 creative people who all kick ass in their fields. It's about people asking what is Awadhi Rock n Roll and then confusing it with sufi! It's about making a video by yourself, Check "Meri Soch", An  album launch which was DIY. They just use our language (Hindi) which is infused with urdu  Kyunki Lailaaj hai yeh jo aadat hai meri! (I have no cure for this habit of mine) just so you can understand it more. Fun Fact : This line is from their song. Good isn't it! I am just trying to explain it for people who don't understand it and it really upsets me as a musician. So,i am hoping this will provide some education in understanding how this band functions.

Now that we have that part taken care of, this is how my day began today. As i mentioned that they are in the pre-production phase of the next baby, i was called to come and listen to it while i was staring at some random articles. Didn't have much on my mind or had the best of moods, I haven't slept in over 24 hours i think and this is how it made me feel when i heard the song and this was what Daira pushed me to do! To share what i think of all the time as a fellow musician and as a listener of pure Indian independent music.

Let me paint this picture for you that I felt :

"A jam blaring in the background, while i was trying to wrap my weary sleepy head around myself by trying to find some sanity from words. The excitement that engulfs an artist in the preparation of a new song taking form and how they want to accomplish it is nothing less than a miracle. If you are an artist, you will understand it, If you are a passionate person, you will understand it. It's that moment of calm before the storm that guarantees to take you on a mind bending travel within you, around you, all across you. I am a musician, or so i feel i am, i get to hear some things before hand because i have really good friends in music and more than that i am an admirer of the work they do. That is what Daira's new song is doing to a person who is just a spectator in the whole process."

Intriguing enough right! Would you be jealous of this insanity for perfection? I get envious sometimes for sure!

Next up : Conversation with 8 creative heads of Daira