Arogya interview

«We chose this name in accordance with our inner desire for our songs to be a balm for the soul»

Arogya, a band unknown to Russian listeners, has successfully signed a contract with the European label Out of Line Music and is releasing their 3rd album. The musicians' previous 2 albums were released independently and in Nepali. The public liked Arogya's debut work so much that they insistently asked the team to switch to creating lyrics in English, to reach more listeners around the world. The first track from the record, "Broken", is already available on digital platforms. Ahead of the release, we got in touch with the band to talk about the music industry in India, their relationship with their family and their future plans to conquer the musical Olympus

For many people, India is associated with bright holidays, religion, Bollywood. How did it happen that you wanted to play dark synth rock? 

Yes thats mainstream India! India is totally colorful, you will get to see many mix of cultures in here and indeed Bollywood is a selling factor. But we belong to the North-Eastern part of the country where there is a craze for Metal & Rock music. So with musical influence and as individuals, we are each inspired by darker times faced in our life’s journey that motivated us to express our emotions through our songs.

What would you tell Arogya's possible new fan who knows nothing about your music? How would you convince them to watch your video or listen to your songs?

Well, if they don’t know us, they would probably know of Chris Harms from Lord of the Lost! Haha… that would be one way to get them to listen as we collaborated with Chris Harms to produce our upcoming album. If you guys like the style of music that unites melodic dark rock with electronic soundscapes and catchy hooks ; do check us out! 

How did your family and friends perceive your enthusiasm for music and your desire to pursue careers as a musicians?

Academic achievements are a priority in India, thus it was tough start. Initially it was really hard to convince our parents about a career in music as there’s no security in the profession and a musician’s livelihood and future is uncertain. After we started our musical journey and it’s been 7 years now for Arogya, they are really supportive and proud of us. In the end friends & family play a very important role in shaping us in our musical endeavors.

India is known as a country with a rich history and culture. Are there any national motifs and themes in your work?

Hmmm… well we don't think we have that sort of elements in our songs and due to our musical direction, those types of theme doesn't fit. We strongly believe that fans must relate with our songs as it is created on a very personal and spiritual level and shaped mostly from personal experience. The one thing that relates to culture is our band name AROGYA which is derived from an ancient Indian language Sanskrit meaning Healer, in line with our wish for our songs to be a balm for the soul.

Your new album is produced by the German musician and producer Chris Harms. Who found who and how did you meet each other?

We are big fans of the great Lord of the Lost! When we first heard them, we were blown away with their production and music. We approached Chris Harms first via Instagram and from there we ended up working together for our single Dark World and eventually the whole album Genesis. It’s a great privilege for us to work with Chris who has such a great and humble personality. It was more like dream come true and we hope someday we will be able to tour together.

What surprises we can expect from your new record?

The whole album is full of surprises! Musically it’s a very diverse record with a fusion of metal, synth and rock, ranging from soulful clear renditions to furious heavy metal growls. A true feast for the senses, you’ll have to listen to the album to find out more!

What would you like to say to the world through your music?

To us music is the power that unites and transcends all barriers. Our music deals with love, pain, the spiritual, the transience and the effort to escape the inner demons, as does life as such. On dark days in one’s life’s journey, we wish in our music is where you would find a ray of hope, the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

How is the music industry in India today?

Indian music industry is already renowned for iconic Bollywood and Indian classical music. But over the past decade, with the internet especially social medias and streaming services; diverse range of music genres are gaining popularity here. There are a few Rock and Metal acts from India playing in major European music festivals and touring overseas, which is really uplifting and motivating for younger generation artists. We believe soon there will be a change in the industry opening up to more international market.

The obvious question for you: How about a tour in Russia?

That will be absolutely wonderful! In future if we ever get to perform in Russia, we will put your name in our special guest list! :D

And what bands or musicians would you like to tour with?

Lord of the Lost! Others on our dream list would be t.A.T.u (if they ever reunite again), Depeche Mode, Ghost, Within Temptation, Kamelot, Amaranthe, The Gazette from Japan, Till Lindemann, Blutengel, Oomph!, Erdling and the list goes on & on!

You have a unique visual style. What was your inspiration for this visual style?

We draw inspiration from a lot of different cultures! Starting from Visual Kei; inspired by the Japanese modern rock culture & tradition and also the goth subculture that began in England during the 1980s carrying a number of different styles: Goth rock, dark wave and also modern steampunk.

An important factor for adopting this visual style is the adaptation of personality. Since our band members come from different backgrounds, we all have different set of personalities in real life. When we are in our attire, face paints and masks, it creates a deeper bond among us and we all become one united entity known as AROGYA.

There are so many bands of all possible styles. In your opinion, what should a musician do in order not to get lost in the background?

We believe that it’s very important to have a strong visual presence so that one stands out from the crowd, plus good music with lyrics that fans can relate with that will garner genuine followings. A musician has to understanding their musical space well and make sure they are providing something fundamentally different from others out there.

How does the realization come in your head that it's time to write something? Is it a spark, or  do you gradually accumulate ideas with nowhere to put them?

We will say it comes more like a spark and when we all sit together for a song writing session, it gets magical. Our vocalist RAIN produces the song structures which is blended and finely crafted by rest of members. After that our manager cum lyricist Janice comes up with lyrics and theme that goes with the emotion of the song. Every song creation, we go through much trial and errors but it gets the best out of us.

What is the most annoying thing about being a musician?

We love and respect our profession so there is no second thought of us being annoyed as an musician. Sometimes we are broken down with so many hurdles in life but still music is the only thing that makes us strong and keep us going. The ups and downs are all part of the journey.

What do you think of the current state of affairs, when musicians are required not only to write music, but also to know how to present themselves and promote themselves?

We in Arogya has established an artistic image and develop a unique brand to appeal to our audience.

We think that’s the biggest task for all musicians as the world is moving in such a fast pace and everyone is adapting with new set of technology and strategy to engage the audience. So we think it’s mandatory to present and promote yourself as a product in this era as there is a huge competition in the music industry. Before the audience listens to your music, they will definitely make judgement on your presentation. Therefore visual aesthetics  is a very important tool to uplift the band image and make a lasting impression.

Do you have any big, ambitious dreams associated with the band?

After singing with Out of Line Music, now we think there are possibilities for us in making things big. OOL is introducing us to a range of whole new audience which is amazing and having a producer like Chris Harms for an album is incredible. And for the band to be on world tour with own production team will be a dream...

What would you like to say to our readers?

We are honored to present ourselves to you as AROGYA. Thank you for all the love & support :)

Jenet Bonishi