Sep 25 2014.
views 1143CryWolf cemented themselves in the local scene after a brilliant performance at TNL Onstage 2011. Since then they have been one of the most sought after acts in the country and have played at concerts where they have shared the stage with metal giants such as Stigmata and many other notable bands as well as have been invited to play at the Colombo Music Festival. Having gone into hiding for sometime to work on new material I caught up with Arfath Saleem the lead singer of the band to find out what plans they have for the future.
Tell me how the band formed?
Pasindu, Shashika and I met at a boring physics tuition class in 2009. We didn't really want to listen to what the teacher was saying. Most of the students were asleep anyway. So in the back row, the three of us sat talking about music with two of our other friends Dinith and Roshan. Pasindu and Shashika had a dream of playing in a rock band and asked me if I could join. It took me some time to decide, but when i saw the two rehearse like mad I thought "This is a team to be in" so I joined. Supun was in the band with Pasindu and Shashika before I joined. He is the real prodigy of the band; with a "Visharada" title in the Tabla, the guy could play any instrument by the time he was 16.
Supun used to bring this skinny little guy to our practices. The fellow never really spoke much. Whenever we'd ask him what he thought of the songs we were playing he'd just nod with excitement and approval. One day the skinny guy had got his mom to buy him a guitar and without our knowledge, he'd go home and rehearse the songs we were playing. We never knew about his dream to one day play with us. After we had unsuccessfully auditioned a couple of people for a second guitarist, Supun told us that his friend Sanka (the skinny guy who watches us at practices) can play a bit of guitar. So we asked him to come and show us his stuff, and he impressed us all. We've been a band ever since.
How did you guys come up with the name?
We wanted a catchy name that resonated with the type of band we wanted to be. Pasindu came up with a few great names and came up with CryWolf as an option. We thought the metaphorical meaning was cool, and it resonated with each one of us. So we went with it.
Courtesy KT Photography
Who are your influences?
We have a broad range of influences. Right now we listen to anything groovy, melodic and technical at the same time. Any music of value and passion grabs our attention. We like dissecting the things that work and don't work in the greatest songs of all time. But I think our biggest influences are our own experiences. I think if we don't tap into our personalities and our lives, we can never be original.
We don't like modern pop or hip-hop music. There is only so much a musician (or anyone) can gain from a 3 minute song about sex and drugs articulated in one repetitive sentence. Once I heard that Beyonce released a song with 1 line which was repeated for 4 minutes. Unless you have a mental disability, I don't think you have an excuse to listen to these songs.
How often do you guys practice?
We used to practice for 4 hours every day. This went on for 2 years. Now our individual commitments are getting more complicated. So, now we rehearse once a week, and at least 10 hours as a band before a gig. The rest is homework; we can't really put a number to those hours. As we grew as a band, our professionalism had to increase. So all of us have a responsibility to come perfectly prepared with the songs before our meetings.
What is the biggest obstacle you guys face in getting your music out there?
We don't really focus on them, so we can't really tell. I think, the best way to think of obstacles is to look at them as opportunities to become innovative. When Pasindu and Shashika wanted to form the band at that physics class, Pasindu didn't own a drum set, he owned a tin-set which we called a drum-set. Shashika didn't have a guitar, he had an air guitar. We didn't even have the money to buy the instruments. But today we are one of the most successful metal bands in the country.
More than obstacles, I think we have a lot of opportunity. The obstacles just exist to scare off the cry-babies and the naysayers. In this industry, there are a lot of naysayers and big egos. Their bands start and bark loud like dogs but the next day they vanish like fads, because they aren't strong enough to take the bumps on the road. You need to bleed if you want to succeed. You can't be a diva or a beauty queen and play in a metal band. The obstacles are a part of the journey and we love them.
Courtesy Aki Peiris Photography
Any new originals?
The recordings have been slow but one of our songs are complete. We will be releasing it soon. It's called "Surprise Surprise".
Any plans for an album soon?
We don't have a plan for a new album yet. We are focusing on an EP and a few singles. With iTunes and MP3 downloads, bands can't really profit by doing a 11 song CD. With that said, I'll tell you about our new songs. We don't believe in doing things without a purpose. Mainstream music today is all about sex and drugs. The real battle of life is actually of the mind, so our songs focus on inspiring people to think for themselves.
What has been the key to your success?
Resilience, great friendships, trust, honesty and a great dream.
Who makes the melodies?
Arfath generally comes up with a rough outline for a song. Usually, the song doesn't resonate well with all of us when we first hear it, so if we think that the melody has potential we chisel, cut and paste, cook, break or repair the melody until it sounds like the best version of it.
Courtesy Jovan De Mello Photography
Craziest guy in the lot?
Supun is the craziest guy. It's not a coincidence that we happen to call him "Yakaa".
What is the most insanest thing you guys have done as a band?
Not quitting on each other. If a normal band went through the crap we've gone through, I don't think there would be no band right now. We are not world famous, we are not making millions of dollars. So it takes a certain grade of insanity to stick with something that burns out all your energy and money. But we love what we do. We enjoy performing. We enjoy inspiring others. We've made great friends through this journey like Kurt Janitha for example; he's been with us since the band began. Our mentor Ranga Waragoda, is still encouraging us. We are actually quite honored to have this insanity.
By Reihan Stephen
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metalhead says:
Oct 15, 2014 at 12:00 am1 of da gr8st bnds in SL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!