A rock song about mental health? That’s a first for many, but rock band AndroMeta has been trying to make a change through its music since it formed in 2016. Called Hey Joe, the song was inspired from the reality of what we really see in our lives, including challenges and depression.
“We started jamming to a blues-y bass riff and I started writing the lyrics, and it became about the challenges faced by a person going through a deranged lifestyle and even having suicidal thoughts,” says Sachin Chadha, 46, drummer and lyricist.
Song with a message
“The thing with mental health is that the more you ignore it, the more it haunts you and you spiral,” says Sachin, who has had a difficult six years, affirming that musicians’ songs are born from their experiences. “I couldn’t cope with the fact that a person I loved was going through something challenging. And today, anxiety is a part of my life.”
We have never given mental health the importance it deserves, muses vocalist Tapanjeet Singh Makker, 33. “It’s something we as a society look at as a negative thing. And we treat people who are suffering as though they are in the wrong, so people don’t come forward with their issues,” he explains. “With the pandemic, more people need to be aware of their mental health and manage it in a positive way. The song wasn’t just for others but also ourselves.”
Though the song was composed in 2017, its final version came together during the lockdown for the pandemic. This was a period that had given the band, now in different parts of the country—bassist Subhadip Sinha, 33, in Kolkata, lead guitarist Raman SR, 38, in Bengaluru, Sachin in Hyderabad and Tapanjeet in Gurugram—the time to jam and work on their originals via recording set-ups at home. The video, shot in Goa, was a boys’ trip. “Our Dil Chahta Hai moment,” laughs Sachin.
{{/usCountry}}Though the song was composed in 2017, its final version came together during the lockdown for the pandemic. This was a period that had given the band, now in different parts of the country—bassist Subhadip Sinha, 33, in Kolkata, lead guitarist Raman SR, 38, in Bengaluru, Sachin in Hyderabad and Tapanjeet in Gurugram—the time to jam and work on their originals via recording set-ups at home. The video, shot in Goa, was a boys’ trip. “Our Dil Chahta Hai moment,” laughs Sachin.
{{/usCountry}}Had it not been for the pandemic, would Hey Joe have materialised? “You have one life and need to make it large—a message that hit home during the pandemic,” smiles Tapanjeet.
The song saw 2,500 views on YouTube in three days, and their Instagram went up from 20 people to 1,200+.
Rock on!
The 30-plus musicians who comprise AndroMeta have all retained their day jobs, and not been lured by the musician life. “We knew we didn’t want to do covers. This was never about making money, so we even did gigs for free,” says Sachin.
Most of them are now in senior leadership positions at work. Lead guitarist Raman is HR head for a climate tech start-up; bassist Subhadip is a software techie, Sachin is a vice president with a leading telecom company, and Tapanjeet is a senior HR and business partner at a gaming company.
“Our jobs give us financial back-up. We can be more creative with our music rather than pander to the audience and commercial needs,” observes Tapanjeet.
Adds Sachin, “We will need sponsors if we leave our jobs. It’s an expensive affair to do an entire production. And rock is not sustainable today in terms of livelihood.”
The live rock band scene millennials grew up with doesn’t exist anymore. “Rock evolved to metal. But today, you don’t see a lot of bands doing rock. Even when they do, it’s got a soft feel to it, like The Local Train and When Chai Met Toast,” says Sachin. Adds Tapanjeet, “Rock has never been mainstream apart from college competitions. Today, college students are making TikToks and Reels, instead!”
The band has seven songs in its setlist, which they plan to release over this year.
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From HT Brunch, February 13, 2022
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