Strummin' it up with a difference

‘Our time machine broke down and while it gets fixed, we’re gonna bring you an intense revival of folk rock from the past three decades.’ — Well, that’s what the bio of a young and fledgling B’luru band, Sid Jonathan and the Difference reads. A journey spanning four bumpy, bitter-sweet years, made by a gang of good ol’ church singers; this folk rock band has many tales to tell. But, for now, the focus is on prepping for a series of singles with a twist. In a candid chat, they tell us more...

“Our singles are going to be a travelogue of sorts. Travel has influenced us a lot, and we’re also looking at creating music videos on the same. There’s a rhythmic connect between each of the singles. We do not wish to divulge and sap the suspense,” shares Sid Jonathan, the lead vocalist of the band.  The band features Sid Jonathan on the lead vocals, guitars and keys, Akarsh on the guitar, Sanjay on the bass and guitars, Nitin on the back vocals, Ron on drums and Denson on bass and guitars.

Blues, folk rock, rock & roll, classic rock, progressive rock — there are a multitude of genres that their music falls under. This perhaps is one of the reasons why each of the band’s tracks has a different feel to it. “When we released our first album in 2016, all the tracks had a different feel to it. Every track was packed with a different genre. We’re lucky to be from this city, and to be playing for the people here as they have a great taste in music and are also very receptive to mashes and various genres,” shares Akarsh.

The six member band owes the reason behind their formation to sheer serendipity – and similar music interests. “We all dig the old school retro stuff. But, the fact remains that we all used to play at the Holy Ghost Church and got together as a band out of urgency! I wanted to register for a show, and got these talented guys to join me so that we could form a band and be eligible. That is what set things rolling. Our love for music and the sheer thrill of rustling up something soulful that feels good keeps us going, even if there’s just a handful of people as our audience,” believes Sid.

A four year roller coaster journey, a TV appearance and an album later, the band is still learning and wide-eyed to a plethora of experiences. “We are still very new to the field. The best part about being a musician is that you get to meet a lot of people. There’s so much to learn, to discover and to understand. Our music is constantly evolving, and so are we,” concludes Sanjay, the keyboardist, who pursues music as a full time  career.