College fest fixtures ( well , back in the day ) and Indian rock pioneers Motherjane have returned after over a decade with a new EP , 111 , and fans have immediately been transported back into their adolescent obsession with one of the most unique sounds to come out of this country ’ s soundscape .
However , the artistic growth is apparent , influenced not just by line-up changes but also deliberate decisions to evolve without losing their roots . The album is both a slice of nostalgia and blazing foot forward , blending the fidelity to ethnic sounds that won them fans , with sharper , smarter prog .
Naturally , The Score Magazine had to catch up with these Indian rock pathbreakers , and talk about why it took so long for a new release , what their newer directions might mean , and how they never stopped rooting for their fans .
We have to ask the obvious question . Why did it take so long to release the third album ?
Hahaha . We were expecting this . Simply put , it just wasn ’ t time for the EP to come out .
It ’ s no secret that Motherjane has gone through constant line-up changes . We tried creating music but , when one is in a constant state of flux , it ’ s hard to put all that aside and concentrate on the bigger picture .
When the dust settled , we found we finally had a group of artists who are on the same wavelength . The music flowed organically and the EP happened .
What would you say to a fan who hasn ’ t gotten around to listening to the album yet ? How would you describe it ?
It ’ s a chip off the ol ’ block . It ’ s still progressive rock peppered with a generous dose of ethnic elements . Just newer . With the changing times , the band evolved , so you have to expect our sound to have mutated too . Give it a listen , if you have the inclination .
With new members , how has Motherjane changed in its musical aesthetic and thematic priorities ?
About the change in our musical aesthetics , well , Motherjane ’ s sound was never the contribution of any one single member , but rather a meeting of the minds . Therefore , it developed on its own and will continue to morph . Through the years , even with changing lineups , the focus remained and continues to remain on making good music , rather than maintaining any signature sound . That happens organically . It ’ s not a conscious decision .
We had started experimenting way back in 2014 with Clay Play . That was before Niranj and Anubhav joined the band . Even though it was a drastic departure from our previous records and songwriting methods , along with our producer Rex Vijayan , we decided to focus our creative energy on bigger sounding tracks with many layers . We hoped that with every listen , the music would grow on the listener . Clay Play was the start of the EP , but we ended up releasing it as a single in 2015 .
With the arrival of Niranj and Anubhav , the EP quickly took shape . Apart from bringing their immense talent into the pool , they also shared
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