AS FREE AS A REBEL

CE sits down for a chat with veterans of the ethno-rock band Motherjane, which has made a comeback with a new album — ‘Dobareh’ — after 18 years

- APARNA NAIR

ou’re not here in body / Yet your songs with us remain / Like waves that will not weary / To claim these shores again / (‘Fields of Sound’ from ‘Maktub’)

The lyrics from one of Motherjane’s hallmark songs are turning out to mirror the band’s own story. One of India’s pioneering ethno-rock outfit has had a rollercoaster journey — moving from covers to original music, witnessing members come and go, pausing for a while, and then regrouping at the end of 2022.

Now, the band is back. Ready to claim new ground with a new album after an 18-year gap since ‘Maktub’ (2008), the record that propelled Motherjane to global acclaim.

The new album is almost a sequel in spirit. “Maktub meant ‘It is written’. As a sequel, we initially wanted to call the new album ‘Rewritten’. But eventually, we settled on ‘Dobareh’,” says Suraj Mani, the band’s frontman and lyricist.

‘Dobareh’, meaning ‘again’ or ‘rebirth’ in this case, marks Motherjane’s third studio effort after ‘Insane Biography’ and ‘Maktub’.

When ‘Insane Biography’ was released, it was well-received in music circles, but did not make a big bang. ‘Maktub’, however, changed everything. It established Motherjane as a distinctive artistic force, with abstract yet evocative lyrics and Baiju Dharmajan’s splendid guitar riffs taking centre stage.

His raga-infused licks and solos, perched delicately on the edge of rock and Carnatic music, became central to the band’s identity. As a fan once commented: “Like a unique blend of filter kaapi and dark rum.”