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Shoestring: Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Few of you reading this might have heard of Bangalore’s Shoestring. For the majority of you who haven’t, Shoestring was started by singer/songwriter Manoj Jacob as somewhat of a solo project, with a little help from friend and lead guitarist Robert D’Souza. An album release and a handful of live performances later, the band is now completed by Jerome Coelho (bass) and Melwyn Fernandes (drums).
The band’s debut album, ‘Zaitz Farm Road’, was quite well-received by listeners.
“Well, to be honest about reactions [to the first album], I haven’t heard anything terrible about the music,” says Manoj, “Most folks liked what they heard… a different sound from India. I’ve had people calling me from Delhi and Mumbai and telling me [that] they loved the songs. Yesterday, an online RJ said he was going to dedicate a track from the album to his girlfriend. That was nice. That apart, my little niece is absolutely against anything but my music playing on the CD player. That’s kinda nice too. (Smiles)”
The album, which was extensively promoted by Manoj himself through online newsletters and the like, sold a respectable number of copies, despite the fact that the band doesn’t play live very frequently.
“We sold close to 350 copies. That helped us break even. After that we really haven’t tried to sell [the first album] any further.”
And why not?
“Well, we had to move on and do more music. It doesn’t make sense to write eight songs and then spend a year marketing it. We still get requests for the first CD, though, off and on.”
Shoestring are on the verge of launching their very own Web site. The site, which goes live on the 26th of January, will feature audio clips from the first album, pictures, as well as information about the band.
The launch of the Web site coincides with the release of Shoestring’s first single from their upcoming (second) album. The single, entitled “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, will be available for free download on ShoestringTheBand.com.
“The dispute over the line of control has claimed many, many lives over the years. Soldiers in battle. Civilians in the crossfire. ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ tells the story of a friend, a soldier, who fell to bullets in Kashmir. It’s an appeal to the Indian and Pakistani Governments to find a peaceful solution. It’s a reminder that life is precious, irrespective of which side of the border it’s on.”
The upcoming Shoestring album, recorded at Raveolutions Studios (Bangalore), will contain 10 songs. The members of the band are still thinking of names for the album, but the current favourite seems to be ‘Thirty Something’.
Says Manoj, “If you like what you hear, pass the word on. Without record labels to back us, that’s the only way original music in India will survive.”
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