Some songs instantly tug at your heartstrings. Tobuo, by the four-member Bangla band Chirkut, is one such number. It’s a Bengali song that talks about the dilemma in our souls. “All the roads that we take, all the butterflies that we chase, all the raindrops that we soak in, all the love we carry inside our heart, despite the uncertainty, define us in the end,” shares the band about the song. Lyricist Prameya, vocalists Shreemoyee Goswami and Subham Mitra and guitarist Arka Bhattacharyya started Chirkut with Debayan Banerjee (a former member who associates with Team Chirkut in a few of their projects currently) in 2020 and their musical journey is an inspiring story as the members are engineers in the morning and musicians by night. t2 chatted with the members at Calcutta 64 in Jodhpur Park. Excerpts:
How do you balance engineering and music?
Prameya: Chirkut initially started off as a Facebook page, where I used to write Bengali short poems. It went viral after a certain point of time and we gathered plenty of followers. Then I started to write songs; I met my bandmates a year back and then we started doing music together. It’s a challenge to balance because on weekdays we work 16 hours a day and at night I try to write songs and share them with the rest on WhatsApp and my teammates pitch in tunes or ideas. Most of the discussions happen online and then we sit on weekends and they stay over, and we practice and record and go for the shoots. We usually select locations on the outskirts of Calcutta to shoot the music video.
Do you guys do gigs and shows often?
Shubham: Gigs and shows aren’t that frequent. It takes a lot of practice hours, which we need to arrange, and we’ve not got as many opportunities as yet. However, our primary focus is studio recordings and originals, that take people back to the roots of Bengali music.
Prameya: A lot of people do gigs and shows, but the focus on releasing original compositions has become really less. We want to focus on that for now.
Arka: To perform on a stage we need a setlist, and to reach that stage we need to produce at least 15 songs a year to have a proper setlist on stage. We want to keep our setlist to a few covers and lots of originals.
While producing studio releases what are the challenges?
Shreemoyee: The major challenge that we face is marketing. Selling a song is a challenge as we’re all busy with work or making music. The business and commercial aspect of it is amiss from our band. We’re trying to work towards funding and marketing our songs.
What kind of themes do you focus on while making music?
Subham: All four of us have the same kind of mindset and listen to the same kind of music. So in most cases, we try to pick up themes from the mundane aspects of life.
Prameya: The entire concept of our music is to go back to our roots. The roots of Bengali music. Ongoing events from our daily lives have an impact on shaping us up, whether it’s an incident we experienced while commuting, or it’s about hope, love, despair, or heartbreak. We focus on the simple things in life and make music out of it.
What are your upcoming projects?
Arka: We have a couple of songs lined up and we’re planning to release a single every month to keep the flow going. All are easy on the ears and soothing for the soul.
How do you make it a safe space for each other as artistes?
Shreemoyee: Working with the three has been like a breath of fresh air. They give me so much space to express and discuss. It’s never like we’re stealing the spotlight from each other, it’s like we’re one. We all have a similar story; we’ve grown up the same way; our family backgrounds are aligned, it helps us open up to each other and has developed a deep connection among us. With Team Chirkut, I don’t have to worry or fret about it, they’re always protective of me.
Prameya: We share similar tastes. We spend weekends together and our adda sessions are refreshing. If I’m writing it necessarily doesn’t mean only I have to write. I take into account all of their ideas and concepts while making our music.