Pineapple expressed

This band of eight is no stranger to a music-loving audience. Based out of Bengaluru, Pineapple Express, has, in a very short span of time, managed to carve a niche for themselves. And now there is no stopping their musical forays. They released their album Uplift in March 2018, and Fire was released a month ago. They are all set to perform in Bengaluru on December 15. And have a slew of ideas up their talented sleeves.

When it comes to forming a band, the name and type of music one plays is what catches attention. With a current line-up made up of Arjun MPN, Bhargav Sarma, Gopi Shravan, Jimmy Francis John, Karthik Chennoji Rao, Ritwik Bhattacharya, Shravan Sridhar and Yogeendra Hariprasad, Pineapple Express manages to create a perfect balance. On how they came up with such a unique name, the members says, “This is a question that might forever remain unanswered.

Everyone in the band has got their own versions about this! We’ll be sure to let you know when we decide on which one is most apt.” The members feel that music is the one thing that keeps the group strong as a unit. And this is something that all them believe in, wholeheartedly. They add, “Genre and language is not of primary importance to us, since all of us are from different parts of the country. If it sounds good in the head, it will, more often than not, sound good in reality, regardless of the genre.

We trust our instincts, and end up with surprising results that both the band, and our audiences have grown to love,” chime the members, Yogeendra Hariprasad who is the brain child and composer of the band’s songs says that he goes through most of the year not listening to any kind of music, “I believe that the more you listen to any music, the more you subconsciously imbibe. And one tends to start sounding similar, even if it is not on purpose. That’s counter productive for us because the vision for this and is to stand out from everything else that’s being done in the country and perhaps the entire world.”
 
The response they received for their album has opened the world out to them, especially reaching out to a broader audience, and opening up their prospects.

Pineapple Express collaborated with the renowned Benny Dayal for Fire. “Fire speaks about how we are heading down a reckless path currently as a human race, and making the effort to rectify these issues is the only way out,” they explain, adding that collaborating with Benny Dayal was the highlight of their individual careers. “Apart from being an incredible vocalist, he’s one of the most down-to-earth people we know!” say the members. On how they managed to make a name for themselves in a highly competitive music industry they add, “It may definitely seem like a short time, but what many might not know is the amount of work and commitment that has gone on behind the scenes. A lot of investment, planning and strategies with calculated risks had to be made, and luckily, they all came through. It’s a big plus  that our music is extremely different from what you’d usually hear.”

As a band, the guys follow the motto, “A band that eats together, stays together.” Therefore when they are not working, they are samplng different types of food. On the rock scene prevalent, they add, “The rock scene has always had some good bands and talent out there. Always refreshing to see new bands and new music,” they say, adding that their taste in music ranges from country and pop to metal and progressive music. The band has a new single set to release this month, another in January, and perhaps an EP or album sometime next year.