Bringing together several musicians and singers from different walks of life, Friends of Linger is a band that likes to create music with a sense of joy, fun and purpose. “It started with Friends of Linga, which generally conveys the idea of a phallus. If you see the word ling highlighted in a band’s logo, the pun comes across first,” says Sharif Rangnekar, writer and vocalist of the band. Known for their powerful lyrics supporting the LGBT community in India, the band has recently released a video Miss You, highlighting the hardships faced by the community.
“The song signifies the feeling of emptiness and loneliness — missing someone who is near and dear, who makes us feel alive or someone special who completes us. With a message of love and companionship, the song shows the turmoil that a man goes through when he misses his lover,” shares Sharif. Explaining the idea behind the name of the band, he says, “Ling means gender, and everything that the band does is gender neutral and gender inclusive. We look at the word ‘linger’ positively. However, there are two ways we look at it — one is in our own transformational word for gender, and two is looking at the positivity that sticks with people, which can be experiences, moods or incidents that linger on with people forever.”
The band does not believe in restricting itself to one genre. “The influence of rock, blues and jazz can be felt in our music. What matters to us are the lyrics, and how we express them. We are a bunch of friends from different walks of life who wanted to sing, and therefore formed a band where we could experiment. We went about in a disorganised manner, and concluded that this is actually a great way for us to test our talent. In our shows also, you will see that we are not fussy about anything. If we cover for The Beatles, we also cover for Lady Gaga.”
The band embarked on a journey to use music as a means to send out messages of social relevance. “We are less of a band and more of a concept that includes friends who love to sing together, and enjoy music. When we first performed in December 2013, we were amateur singers and professional musicians. Over a year, we have been invited to perform at different venues and stages giving us a sense of a more established band than we are.”
Situations and everyday happenings inspire one to write. “There is a lot happening nowadays that disturbs me enough to pen down my thoughts. I do not have any process. What goes through one’s mind at a point is what leads to words and expression. It is instant and instinctive,” adds Sharif. The collective believes strongly in inclusivity and the role of arts in conveying what they feel and think. “Some may consider us as irrelevant and others may acknowledge our presence. That’s for the audience to decide. We just want to do what matters to us in the best possible way.” Are any other issues that the band would like to highlight in the future? Sharif says, “Our proposed album will cover more on social rights besides the freedom and the role of the media.”
