Making Melody
Madboy/ Mink’s fresh sounds are making waves in the indie music circuit
Actors Saba Azad and Imaad Shah shift gears and plunge into the indie music scene as Madboy/Mink. Focusing on high-energy funk and old-school jazz, the band is fast garnering a fan following. Catch them on June 6, as they perform at Chez Moi in Mumbai.
Hard-hitting yet soulful music is the essence of Madboy/Mink, a fresh music band, making noise and attracting crowds across the country. A twomember team of actors and best buddies-turned-singers, Saba Azad ( Mujhse Fraandship Karoge, Dil Kabaddi) and Imaad Shah ( Dil Dosti etc), Madboy/Mink offers, as Azad says, “high-energy, funk-based music, old-school funk and soul, swing-groove, and hardnoise pop—all non-pretentious and danceable.”
Both Azad and Shah had been involved with different music and theatre groups right from their school days. They happened to bump into each other on the way, discovered their individual styles of music, and started attempting to fuse t hem t ogether. “Any t wo opinionated people differ on a few counts, but that makes for an interesting interaction,” says Azad. “It often leads to ideas that challenge our abilities as producers and leads to some great collaborations.”
Their love for jazz is evident and their gigs so far speak volumes on how their personal style makes them distinct. The USP of the band is not about just performing for metro crowds, but travelling everywhere, including the heart of the country—small towns and cities—as well as international venues to make its presence felt. So far they have been regulary perfoming in Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune, but with their extended play tour incorporating venues like Hyderabad, Kolkata, and others, Azad is sure they’ll be able to increase their fan following. “Our future will hopefully be about breaking down barriers, and being a genuinely accessible, and fun, act. In spite of keeping our own style and music completely intact, that is.”
With shows across the country, they seem to be steadily expanding their base of fans who seem to be thoroughly enjoying their music. “People who like good music, regardless of how old they are, enjoy our music. We look for a nonpretentious crowd that’s not afraid of letting go and moving to forms of dance music that are new and funky,” adds Azad. And if you are in Mumbai, you can groove to their tunes on June 6 at Andheri’s Chez Moi, while others need to wait for their upcoming EP tour until the dates are out.
By Nidhi Gulati