PROFILE
Photo by Saif Al-Turki .
when he was 13 and started playing guitar at the age of 15 . He attended the British International School , which was one of the few places where music lessons were on offer in Saudi Arabia at the time .
Shahrayar joined his first band whilst completing his bachelor ’ s at Kingston University .
Omair and Shahrayar claim they “ stole ” Yousef from another band , impressed after watching one of his live performances . However , Yousef had an unlikely introduction to music .
Unlike Omair and Shahrayar , who had grown up listening to Pink Floyd , the Beatles , Black Sabbath , and Soundgarden , Yousef had minimal exposure to music and had no affinity towards songs .
“ But I think when I was somewhere around 11 , 12 years old , it was the first time that I saw a friend of mine playing guitar […] I found it quite fascinating how an instrument can make such melodies and sound . That ' s when I got into more than just music , I got into instruments ," Yousef said . He soon started playining the guitar , but later shifted to bass because there was a shortage of bassists . " And we kind of formed a band and I started playing music more ," said Yousef .
It was only when he was in university that he started exploring classic rock and figuring out his own unique style .
Yousef , also a Pakistani national born and raised in Saudi Arabia , was educated in
“ It ' s really about the journey and the adventure you have within , and the sense of not belonging anywhere .”
the Filipino Community School in Jeddah and completed his undergraduate degree in the Philippines .
Having spent a significant period of their development years in cultures different to those of their parents ’, Yousef and Shahrayar consider themselves Third Culture Kids . According to experts , TCK ’ s develop a relationship with each culture they have experienced , but do not have full ownership over any .
" I can ' t really identify with any one of the cultures I have experienced . It ' s more like I pick up the pieces and I take what I seem to appreciate ," Yousef said .
He appreciates it when he is with people who have had similar experiences .
" It wouldn ' t mean that you guys agree eye-to-eye on how you live or what you do . But basically , since you ' ve been exposed to such diversity , you kind of become more open to adapt and maybe more understanding towards differences amongst people ."
The merging of various cultures will make up the future of music , according to Omair .
“ In the last 50 to 60 years of modern music history , it ' s all been about creating new genres . But now fusion is really the way forward ,” said Omair .
Songs of Petrichor have signed a record deal with Wall of Sound , a Saudi record label , which aims to market the band in the Middle East . Their self-titled album will be out in November .
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