The most difficult thing is to make a party song, say Harmeet Singh of Meet Bros
In a candid chat Meet Bros — Manmeet Singh and Harmeet Singh — tell us how they don’t want to be known as the ‘party track’ guys but churn out more romantic numbers in the future.
It’s being said that Meet Bros are the most sought after music directors for ‘that one big song’ in a film. How do you react to that?
Manmeet Singh: It’s very simple. For both of us, music has always been driven by passion. Since we aren’t trained musicians, we prefer our music to be liked by all and sundry.
Harmeet Singh: I am not comfortable with the ‘sought after’ tag. ‘Get up and start working,’ is my motto. I don’t evaluate and analyse. He (Manmeet) likes to keep track of the popularity of our song, what is happening, where we have reached, etc. So that maintains a fine balance. But all was not well when we had started. We would do a lot of live performances because we wouldn’t get any other projects.
After Baby Doll, have things changed for THE good for Meet Bros?
MS: Yes, obviously there are more people now who want to work with us. But that doesn’t’ mean we have become more competitive, that’s a big lie. When you make music, fans are not comparing it with other music directors. They judge only your music. It’s always one-on-one between you and the listener.
HS: We both are groomed in such a way that nothing affects us. We humbly take all the phone calls and never ignore them. We will get what we deserve and no one can take that away from us.
Will there be an effort to change the mindset of people who think that Meet Bros are only about party songs?
HS: The happiest news for us is that everyone has realised Meet Bros are not just about party songs — like how people think Mithun makes only romantic songs. We didn’t make an effort. We got stuck with this label because Baby Doll became such a big hit. But any musician who comes to Mumbai with a guitar in his hand, knows to make a romantic song—it’s the easiest thing to do. On the other hand, the toughest job is to make party songs. If you look at the biggest music directors of the country—be it, R. D. Burman, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, Vishal–Shekhar or Pritam, the fact is, they all know how to make party songs. That’s a prerequisite for someone to make it big as a commercial music director.
MS: We are melody guys. In the next 10-15 years, when people look back at your career they will say Meet Bros are the romantic song guys. Teri Shirt Ka Button, Hangover, this is who we are, not just about creating party songs.
Who are your inspirations from the music world?
MS: I don’t have any inspiration, as I was never a musician. But I love R. D. Burman for his versatility. However, in the contemporary scene, I deeply appreciate what Honey Singh is doing. There’s something about him that you cannot put down. No matter what he does, the entire country seems to copy it, which is a big thing.
HS: I don’t listen to music. So the only music I heard was when my mom used to play old songs and I would keep playing along with her throughout the day. I am fond of Honey Singh and he is the best thing that happened to music. We are our own inspiration.
