Music can rejuvenate one’s mind. Bangla rock band Samantak & Mates are all set to unveil their debut album, Samantak & Mates Volume 1 (INRECO), today. The band emerged in 2022, and the members say that it’s “not just a band; it is a resilient response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, a testament to the enduring spirit of creativity in trying times and to the spirit of original Bangla songs”. The band is led by singer-songwriter Samantak (vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica) and comprises Shubhro on electric guitar, Kusal on bass and Dipayan on drums. The debut album features four original tracks — Saraboner din, Chhatim phul, Chander chumuk and Bhule thaka, each talking about modern love, loss and longing, expressed through rock ballads. Here’s what Samantak told us.

What’s the concept of the album?

The album emerged from the repercussions of Covid-19 on the music scene of Calcutta. The debut album is a musical odyssey, featuring four original songs. Each track unfolds a narrative of urban love, loss and longing, expressed through powerful rock ballads and poignant poetry. It captures the journey that resonates with the core of human experiences. The album narrates urban stories across four distinct seasons, weaving a tapestry of emotions in harmony with our voices.

How was the experience of recording the album?

We had a great time recording this album because we all know one another for a long time. I’ve worked with some of them on a lot of projects. The recording process was always accompanied by loads of fun and food. We’ve fought and disagreed on many circumstances and the disagreements were all over music. I find it to be very healthy to have such natural reactions and discussions all for the sake of music. Late-night recording sessions, going for early morning cha and breakfast, maybe heading to an eatery after midnight sessions.... we’ve gathered all sorts of memories while recording the album.

Singer Samantak Sinha

How do you think the team members complement one another?

We’ve always worked with bands. I’ve been doing band music since 2001 and those were all underground bands. I had my own band called Empty Spaces. All the members of Samantak & Mates belong to the same background of working with bands, even though I’ve worked in the mainstream music industry as well. It’s nothing new that we fit together, we’ve always been at it together.

In what ways is your album different?

The music scene has changed immensely, everyone’s doing their bit to contribute to the field and industry. I won’t say we’re bringing a huge change. We’re all inspired by some artiste or the other and, as I’ve mentioned, we’ve worked around band music and we’re all inspired by the same. The kind of music we produce depends on what we’re listening to or have listened to all our lives. You’ll find tinges of the kind of music by bands... like rock ballads. When we perform live, we try to make it as organic as possible and we’re a four-piece band and we don’t play any tracks. The kind of sound we create on stage, we’ve tried to translate a similar soundscape into our album. I think that sets us apart from the rest. In many cases, whether album or live, electronic music is being incorporated into tracks, which is wonderful and I quite like it. But we try to keep it as organic as possible.

What are your upcoming projects?

I’ve worked on some film songs that are yet to be released, plus I’m working on some albums for Samantak & Mates. We’ve begun working on the next few albums. I also work on music for ad films. We’re also working on some covers, that my band will perform and release. Sahana (Bajpaie) and I have some collaborative projects in the pipeline. We both will soon drop a new album.

What inspired you to come up with this volume?

Since this is our debut work, we wanted to go for a full-fledged album and not singles because we still believe that you can gauge a band’s body of work and identity through an album, which is a traditional concept and we belong to that school of artistes.