CATCHY, ENCAPSULATING THE AFTERTHOUGHT HETEROGENEOUS HARMONY
AT: Do you play originals? And what has the audience response been like?
Buzz: We do indeed write and perform originals, and have been doing so since the very beginning. More often than not, Zak will compose the melody, and I will write the lyrics, but there have been several songs we have worked on where we have collaborated on both. We have gradually increased the number of originals included in our set-lists over time, and the response has been as amazing as it has been humbling. There is a real rush we feel when we look at the audience and see so many of them singing along or mouthing the lyrics of one of our songs. It’s an even bigger thrill when we get our originals requested by their titles.
AT: How liberating has the internet and YouTube in particular been for musicians like you?
Buzz: It has been a double-edged sword, to be honest: both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the ability to be able to reach so many people at once is unprecedented, both as a promotional medium as well as a platform from which to work collaboratively with producers and so on halfway across the world. On the other, the pressure is always there to stay current and viable, because our collective shortened attention spans mean that the adage of “out of sight, out of mind” is historically at the most literal it has ever been. The ubiquity of the internet also means that for every artist trying to make their mark, there are hundreds if not thousands of others who are vying for the same attention. At the end of the day, though, you just have to persevere and roll with the punches. Hard work always makes the odds of success that much more in your favour.
AT: How difficult/easy has it been for bands like you to get your music heard in Kuwait?
Buzz: It used to be much more difficult than it is now. Luckily for us, the local influencers and industry leaders like radio DJs Maha, Sandi and Aki & Tee are incredibly supportive, which means we are always being invited to be on their shows where they will also play our latest single, or promote an upcoming event or album release. The importance of the internet cannot be denied here either, as different streaming and vendor sites make our music more accessible not only to our fans (we like to call them our “RoxBots”) here in Kuwait but potential fans globally as well.
AT: Would it be right for me to say that your band has been a part of the underground music scene that has been growing at a slow but steady pace in Kuwait?
Buzz: Had you asked me or any other of the major local bands that question as little as three or four years ago, I would have said absolutely. However, there has been a seismic shift in that scene since then that has been palpable, to say the least. In other words, it is no longer “underground.” If one were to log onto their social media app of choice and peruse any given weekend activity or event in Kuwait, they would probably be spoiled for choice during the active “season” (September/ October to April/May). This would have been virtually unheard of a few years ago. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel proud of having been a part of that. AT: How has the situation changed?
Buzz: I think it was a perfect storm of sorts. Many of our friends and peers were abroad for a large swathe of the 1990s and 2000s, where they learned their skills or honed them to the point where they had been mastered. These skills ranged from instruments to DJing to the production of the music itself. At the same time, recording technology had exploded: virtually anyone with a computer and some basic hardware could setup a home studio at relatively low cost, making a recording space that much more accessible without breaking the artists’ back financially. We now had the means to write, record and produce our music without the burdens of a commercial studio. You couple the facts with a very young, creative and open-minded population, and magic is made. AT: Are there many bands active in Kuwait?
Buzz: There are, and that is a beautiful thing to see. What makes it even more special is that these bands represent every segment of the musical spectrum, from electro-pop to rock, ambient to funk. Every single one of them is a piece of a musical mosaic that makes our community what it is today.
AT: I have been to a couple of your shows, and what has impressed me is not just your sound or energy but your audience as well. I noticed different nationalities and different age groups rubbing shoulders — is it like that in all shows?
Buzz: That is one of the things that make me the proudest when we are performing. That diversity you refer to is evident at every single one of our shows, and what makes it even more awesome is the fact that they all enjoy themselves the same way: clapping, stomping, singing along — heterogeneous harmony. The same can be said about their reactions to our originals, because it never ceases to amaze me what positive feedback we get from everyone, irrespective of their age, gender or ethnicity. Also, the post-show energy is as high octane as the show itself, with so many of our audience members asking us to take selfies with them, or when our next performance is going to take place. It is truly a blessing.