Arekta Rock Band has rapidly gained the attention of the audiences. They have been creating a buzz in the industry with hit singles and attractive music videos, as well as through live performances. Four gifted artists have come together to form this band. Riasat Azmi, the lead singer, comes from a solid metal music background. The two lead guitarists, Ifaz and Zihan have played in numerous groups. Zihan has played guitar in one of the most hyped band in recent times, "EIDA". Drummer Rasha and bassist Arjo were members of a band called Hash, alongside Riasat and Zihan. We got in touch with them recently to find out more about their music.
How did you all meet and form the band?
Rasha, Zihan, and Riasat used to play together in a band called Hash. Due to unavoidable circumstances, they had to leave the band and decided to form a band of their own. Ifaz then hopped on board, and soon Arjo followed suit.
Who are your inspirations, and how does that translate into the kind of music you make together?
All five of us have different inspirations in terms of creating music. For instance, Riasat comes from a heavy metal background, Ifaz is into modern progressive metal, Arjo listens to indie and hip hop, and Zihan and Rasha are into grunge. All five of our tastes have blended into creating very different music which is very apparent from the nature of the tracks we have composed so far.
How long does it take for you to go from ideation to a completed track?
There is no definitive answer to that. We have taken weeks to merely 15 minutes to create the structure of a song. The creative process can be very unpredictable in nature.
How did you come up with your band name?
We were looking for a suitable name for some time. Meanwhile, our messenger group was called Just Another Rock Band. At one point, when we were getting tired of not finding a proper name, we just decided to translate it in Bangla and named it Arekta Rock Band.
What’s an average day like for you as musicians?
Apart from Rasha, none of us are pursuing music professionally. So we need to maintain our jobs, studies, etc, along with the music we do. Rasha is a full-time music producer so he has to deal with clients every day. But all of us meet every Thursday evening when we jam and later on, we go to Rasha's studio to work on songwriting and recording.
Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
As the primary lyricist, Riasat has a thing for allegories so some of our songs have allegorical meanings that are up to interpretation by the listeners. But we do have some songs which have a pretty straightforward meaning. So it's not always cryptic.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans. What is your favourite part about this line of work?
We still don't know if we should call the people who have supported us so far “fans”, because we just started our journey. But whenever they show us their love and support through social media and in our live shows, we try to return it with gratitude, and more importantly, giving them something they would love even more. We feel that live shows are the perfect platform to do it as the gratification is instant.
Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?
All of us have been doing music for a while now, so it is safe to say that we have grown out of that stage where you would feel performance anxiety. So now we welcome crowd response with open arms regardless of the number. Our goal when we are up on stage is to make sure that they are having fun.
Except for music, what else are you involved in?
We already mentioned that Rasha, our drummer, is a full-time music producer who has his own studio. He completed his Bachelors from South East University. Apart from that, Zihan is an IBA graduate and an entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Sketchboard Interactive, a media production company based in Dhaka. Riasat graduated from the Department of Law, University of Dhaka, and is currently working as a faculty member at American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) and as a Junior Associate at Jamali & Morshed, a law firm based in Dhaka. Ifaz is pursuing his Bachelor's degree from North South University, and Arjo will be appearing for his HSC examination this year from St. Joseph Higher Secondary School.
What is the weirdest or funniest question you have been asked about your band?
The answer is very obvious. Most of the time when we say the name of our band is Arekta Rock Band, we get responses like: "But what is the name of the band?"
If you want your fans to remember one thing about the band, what would it be?
As musicians, there is nothing more fulfilling than being known for the music we have created. So we would want our listeners to remember us for our music, even if we, as a band, are not here anymore.
Do you think you could get better any better as musicians? How?
Music is like an ever-flowing river, so there is no end to it. Every day we are learning something new and we do believe that we still have a lot more to learn. The journey has been, and hopefully will be, an educational one.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Listen to music that moves you, and listen to it as much as you can. Apart from that, practice is key to develop your skills. After these primary things, you should concentrate on creating your identity as a musician.
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
The rock scene in the country passed a brilliant year in 2019. A lot of great, diverse songs were released. This marks a new dawn for rock music in the country, as bands are focusing more on creating and releasing originals rather than just doing cover songs.
What has been your biggest challenge as a band?
Finance. As an independent band, we have to facilitate every band related activity by ourselves. That starts from rehearsal expenses to recording music and shooting videos. We have received support from sponsors but at the end of the day, we have to invest a substantial amount to make ourselves heard. We hope there will be more investors in the coming days.
What do you enjoy most about being a musician? What do you hate most?
We enjoy it the most when an unknown person comes up to us and shows appreciation for our music. This is a very humbling experience and sometimes it is overwhelming as well. We also wish that the perception of a musician in this country could be more positive. Taking up music as a profession is still looked down upon, and that should change.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
There should be no more free concerts. If we take a look at foreign music industries, listeners are willing to spend a substantial amount of money to enjoy the music they love. But the opposite has become the norm in the country as the financial value of music as a form of art has decreased exponentially. At the end of the day, money is needed for a musician to thrive, as we are investing a lot, individually, to make our craft enjoyable to all.
