Describe yourself in 3 words?
- Kono idea nai
You have been with Nemesis for 2 decades. We all know you as a rockstar and a musician but If you weren't a musician, what would you be?
- I’ve been asked this question a lot of times and I still don’t have an answer. My mom wanted me to be a doctor but I doubt I would/ could be.
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
- Give more time to learning an instrument. I regret not picking up the guitar or any other instrument earlier in life.
Family and lasting friendships have always been a big influence in your life. What would you say is the key life lesson that taught you to be the person you are today?
- More than a life lesson, it was a conversation with my parents about trust and honesty when I was kid. They were like ‘Whatever you do, make sure you tell us.’ I took that very positively and I think that kind of made me go forward with those values. So when it comes to friendships and family, I really look for these values in relationships.
You have travelled to watch live performances by eminent bands like U2, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Incubus, Queens of the Stone Age and so on. If you could hold on to one memory from your experience as an audience, what would that be?
- I don’t think I can ever hold on to just one memory of a particular artist or band. It’s like this one big musical journey that I have and am going through. So I would have to hold on to all of it.
If you had to pick between a gig with Bono or to play a game with the Manchester United team, what would you choose?
- A gig with Bono for sure. I believe I am a better singer than I am a footballer 😛
Creativity comes from structure. Is there any routine you follow that has helped keep you working as an artist for so many years?
- As clichéd as it sounds, I feel that if you have to succeed or be fairly good at something, you have to put the time in it. Commitment, dedication and practice is key for me. If you’re talking about a routine we make sure we practice every week because no one should take his/ her skill for granted.
At this point of your life what do you live for in a performance - being felt or being heard?
- I think when it comes to music, you have to live for both. Being heard and being felt otherwise what’s the point?
From Onneshon to Gonojowar - your music comes with a purpose and impacts everyday life- shifting social and political roles and leading to more engagement. Over the years, NEMESIS have had a gradual shift in music expressive like socio-political stance. How liberated do you feel to be able to do so through your art?
- I think when you really want to say something through art, it hits the right chord. I’ve been influenced by many artists that talk about socio-political issues and I think when I started doing music, writing songs about that, kind of came naturally to me. It’s sort of like a blessing and an amazing achievement that the 5 of us don’t have to sit and think of writing a ‘HIT’ song (like many artists/ bands do). That one listener who listens to our songs for the first time and can relate to it is our greatest achievement. We do what comes naturally and to see that it resonates with our audience is indeed the most liberating feeling ever.
The wait is finally over, the ‘Gonojowar’ Music Premiere is releasing tomorrow. See you there