Sanam: This song will bring a new dimension to our work

In stark contrast with the romantic balladlike music that theyrsquove been known for pop band Sanamrsquos recent offerings see them tackle betrayal Following their last song Aur is dil mein with Kya hua tera wada the quartet mdash comprising Sanam Puri lead vocalist Keshav Dhanraj drummer Venky S bass guitarist and Samar Puri lead guitarist mdash talk about their newfound love for the genre and surviving as a bandEdited excerpts from the interviewWhat led to the decision to present yourselves in a different light with your recent workSanam This was a challenging but rewarding experience As much as we enjoyed being in our comfort zone we had foreseen this theme long ago and it took us a while to execute it This is a dramatic change we agree but as a band we enjoy consuming this genre and hence finally gave it a go Our fans have known us for our romantic songs and have perceived us as romantic young boys but this will bring a brand new dimension to our work and how we are looked atCan you speak about the song selection process when you decide to take on a new project and what went behind the decision to work on Kya hua tera wadaVenky Kya hua tera wada is immensely popular and loved It is close to the hearts of a lot of people and takes them back to special moments of their lives Sanam worked on a guitar riff a few years ago The song takes inspiration from alternative rock and Swedish pop from the rsquo70sIn the past four years a discussion on rehashing old songs has come to the fore As a band that has successfully presented old numbers for the new generation what are the principles you adhere to to do justice to the originalKeshav We ensure that the melody and the lyrics of old songs are not played around with too much Both of these are the crux of any track and are especially crucial when we talk of old songs which are so wellwritten We donrsquot stray too much and also come up with different renditions of a song before we zero in on one Because we all have different music styles we are at an advantage If we feel one version isnrsquot doing justice to the song we scrap it Also as an independent band we are not bound by time So unlike others we donrsquot have to go with a version wersquore not happy with due to deadlines We take our time to be assured of our version and only then do we release itWhat does it take to really work collaboratively towards your music over the years as a band despite the creative differences that are bound to existSanam We donrsquot work together just for music wersquore in it as a family Thatrsquos something we always wish to protect Itrsquos easy to leave it all and do things on your own as individuals But the fact that wersquove decided to stick together no matter what comes our way is what keeps us strong Understanding that creative differences are inherent to every profession is important There wonrsquot be discussions or progress if there arenrsquot disagreements However when you learn to embrace this contrast constructively creativity coexists with opportunity and growth As a band we have learned to approach this professionally but also while thinking of one another as family rather than as colleagues We have succeeded as a band because our love and respect for one another transcends all artistic differencesAlso ReadSonu Nigam Live music a litmus testCan you take us through how the songmaking process usually happens with your band Who is the one who usually presents the idea and how do things subsequently proceed from thereKeshav The four of us play multiple instruments and we are all programmers Different people take charge of different songs If a song is one personrsquos idea we give him the space to discuss it and then we come together to listen to it We think of other versions that may sound better and go with what we all decide Also all of us have our own strengths Venky is experienced with arrangements Sanam has a good ear for melody and composition I do the programming work which is of my interestWhat is in store for your fansSamar Itrsquos time for us to experiment a bit mdash try different genres and do something new with the visuals Obviously we wonrsquot stop doing renditions but our main focus is working on originals now There are songs lined up for release already