Shor Police: ‘Creative Conf lict Leads to Interesting Results'

The electro-pop duo, comprising Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes, discuss finding artistic synergy, crafting the Shor Police Sound and the possibilities presented by India’s music landscape today

- NIRMIKA SINGH AND JESSICA XALXO

SHOR POLICE’S DISTINCT sound has been more than two decades in the making. Blending the boundaries of electro-pop with a multitude of genres — R&B, folk, Indian classical, jazz, funk, soul — the Mumbai-based outfit, comprising celebrated vocalist/composer Clinton Cerejo and powerhouse singer-songwriter Bianca Gomes, showcases a diverse sonic palette, influenced in no small part by its members’ artistic repertoire across the streams of independent, film and commercial music. “The secret to some degree of longevity in this business is to amass as much musical knowledge as you can, because this business will throw stuff at you when you least expect it,” says Cerejo.

While both Cerejo and Gomes first found their footing in India’s entertainment landscape through advertising — both artists have been the creative tour de forces behind memorable ads and jingles including the Vodafone BlackBerry Boys commercial, the Google Reunion ad and more — the duo first joined forces as they explored Bollywood. Known for their collaborations on the film soundtracks of 2012’s English Vinglish (“Manhattan”) as well as 2016’s Te3n (“Rootha”) and Kahaani 2 (“Lamhon Ke Rasgulle”), Shor Police perhaps first found its synergy on MTV India’s cult music series