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TIME


Contents
44

DIVINE & NAEZY:
TIME

ISHAAN NAIR

The poster boys of desi hip-hop narrate the story of their hard-won
success in their most honest interview yet
By Nirmika Singh

30

Jordan Peele’s American Nightmares
The Get Out director is planning to scare the hell out of you.
By Brian Hiatt


Contents

The Mix
08

Jungle Cross New

Borders
The U.K. soul band’s cofounder Tom McFarland on
coming to India, their latest
album ‘For Ever’ and his review
of the year gone by
BY ANURAG TAGAT

12

The Art of Being
Mino
The South Korean hip-hop star
wowed critics and fans alike
with his solo album ‘XX’; but
is he any closer to discovering
who the ‘real’ Mino is?...
BY RIDDHI CHAKRABORTY

16

Mosko’s Debut EP
‘Teeth’ is a Clarion
Call to the
Dancefloor
The New Delhi dance rock act
comprising guitarist Moses
Koul and vocalist Kavya Trehan
on the two years it took to
release their first record

18

Festival Review:
Orange Festival 2018,
Arunachal Pradesh
From guzzling orange juice to
going off-roading and taking in
a variety of music, the festival
has solidified its position….
BY PRASHIN JAGGER

22

Jonita Gandhi:
‘You’re Not Going to
Appeal to Everyone
The Indo-Canadian singer talks
about stagnation in current
Bollywood music, being part
of this year’s ‘Royal Stag Barrel
Select MTV Unplugged’ and
more…
BY DAVID BRITTO

Q&A

18

Rivers Cuomo
Weezer’s leader on the

Grammys, Toto’s “Africa” and
that wacky SNL sketch.
BY SIMON VOZICK-LEVINSON

Department
56

Playlist
Future makes a song about
fancy watches and exotic
cars sound like some kind of
psychedelic blues, Metallica
give a head-banging classic
some country shine, Bad Bunny
sings gloomy, wonderfully selfeffacing lines and more…

Reviews
52

Music
Soft Rock for
Hard Times
Three West Coast acts revive
the sound of Laurel Canyon
for a new age.
BY WILL HERMES

Online Exclusive
Vh1 Supersonic 2019
One of India’s biggest music festivals returns for a sixth

run from February 16th to 17th. The now two-day festival
lineup will feature the likes of American rapper Jaden Smith,
English producer Bonobo, Irish rockers Two Door Cinema
Club and more. Supersonic 2019 will also see EDM producer
Marshmello return as headliner for the second year running.

ON THE COVER

DIVINE AND NAEZY
Shot on Iphone Xs Max by Ishaan Nair
Styled by Neelangana Vasudeva
Assisted by Aabha Malhotra
Hair and Makeup by Jean Claude Biguine
All Clothes by Numero Uno
Rings by Curio Cottage

February 2019

|

Rolling Stone India

|3

PRASHIN JAGGER

35


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MY FATHER'S SON

RANBIR KAPOOR
ON RISHI KAPOOR

THINGS

THE CO-LIVING
STARTUP BOOM
THE KOCHIMUZIRIS
BIENNALE

ASHIM
AHLUWALIA

STYLE

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FOR INDIAN
CRICKET?

RUNWAY
LOOKS AT
HIGH STREET
PRICES

WHEN
VVS LAXMAN

ANNOUNCED
HIS ARRIVAL

SIHH 2019
PREVIEW

THE DOUBLE LIFE OF

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RANA
DAGGUBATI
AN ACTOR, A VFX SPECIALIST
HOW TO
INVEST
IN WINE

THE INTERVIEW

TO LOOK FORWARD
TO IN 2019

MASERATI LEVANTE •
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INDIA'S MOST EXPENSIVE •
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OPENS UP

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WANTS TO BE A PERFECTIONIST

BEST CARS & BIKES
OF THE YEAR

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THE INTERVIEW
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REPEATERS

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celebrating
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CAR SAFETY
SYSTEMS

MS DHONI

HOW THE FORMER
CAPTAIN SURVIVED
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TO MULK
MUSLIMS IN
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V-STROM
650 XT

DHRITIMAN
CHATERJI ON
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THE
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AND SONS

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AND ITS
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OF YOUTUBE

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THE BEST
WATCHES FROM
SIHH 2019

THE
DEFINITIVE
HALEEM
GUIDE

BEJEWELLED
WOMEN'S
WATCHES

FEMALE
DESIRE IN
BOLLYWOOD

THE COOLEST
BAGS OF THE
SEASON

THE INTERVIEW
CHETESHWAR
PUJARA

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72
HOURS
IN
MIAMI

BARBEQUE
LIKE A BOSS

"I'M AT PEACE AND IN
LOVE WITH EVERY SINGLE
PERSON WHO HAS BEEN
A PART OF MY LIFE."

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INDUSTRY

HOW WOMEN
ARE WINNING THE
INTERNET

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MEN
OF

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YEAR

TOMMY HILFIGER
AND HIS INDIAN
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KHAN HAVE
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COMPLEX?

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ANOUSHKA
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JAWA IS BACK
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HOW ELEVAR IS
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THE CRICKET BAT

THE

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BEST
WATCHES

HOT
IN
2017

MW STYLE

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THE BEST
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JOHAR
THE INSTAGRAM
FITNESS CRAZE
THE BEST HEALTH
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FARHAN AKHTAR

AS RELEVANT
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36 HOURS IN
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AKSHAY KUMAR'S
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THE SUPER
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HOW HE EMBRACES FAILURE

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ONLY WATCH
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SUSHANT
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ON NEPOTISM, STARDOM AND

THE
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SUBSCRIBER’S COPY

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T H E

GROOMING

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e 35

SH
O
PP
IN
Pag G

O
FF
ER

KING
KOHLI

"I DON'T WANT TO BE ANYONE ELSE"

• MERCEDES-AMG GT R
• HYUNDAI VERNA
• HONDA AFRICA TWIN
• BENELLI 302R

BOUNDARY
BREAKERS
WEB SERIES'
IN INDIA
WHAT ARE
HIPSTERS
EATING AND
DRINKING?

48 HOURS IN

BRUSSELS

BHUMI PEDNEKAR
IS HERE TO STAY

SMART
HOMES
WHEELS

• AUDI Q2
• BMW 5 SERIES
• PORSCHE PANAMERA TURBO

THE IRREPRESSIBLE

RANVEER
SINGH

THE YEAR OF

RAJKUMMAR RAO
ADVENTURE
TRAVEL IN
SWITZERLAND

THE FIFA

U-17

WORLD CUP

BHUVAN
BAM
INDIA'S BIGGEST
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR
THE BEST
OF 2018
MOVIES
TV SHOWS
GADGETS
RESTAURANTS
ALCOHOL
CARS AND BIKES

2018'S BEST
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STYLE

HOW TO
SLAY THE
PARTY
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THE DRINKING
MAN SPECIAL
TRAVELS THROUGH
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PARTY SPOTS
THE BEST
INDIAN WINES
THE YEAR OF GIN
HOME-BAR HACKS
COCKTAILS YOU
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THE INTERVIEW

AANAND
L RAI

NO CHILDREN,
NO PROBLEM
COUPLES GOING
CHILD-FREE

Men

of the

Year
SPECIAL

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The Mix

Jungle:

‘It’s An Exciting
Experience Going
Somewhere So Far Away
From What You Know’
The U.K. soul band’s co-founder Tom McFarland on
coming to India, their latest album ‘For Ever’ and his
review of the year gone by


down to his birthday on
February 2nd. He says, “It’s
going to be super cold in all of
those places and we’re going
to come to Mumbai and it’ll
be boiling.”
Soon after, from February
to April, the seven-piece band
– also featuring co-founder
Josh Lloyd-Watson – tour
through Europe, North
America and Australia. It’s

safe to say that everyone’s
coming to India for the
first time, though. “I think,
culturally and in terms of
that – we’re really excited.
I think people are maybe a
bit nervous about what to
expect but I’ve spoken to
some friends who’ve been to
India and played before and
they say the crowds are really
receptive to everything, so
we’re excited too,” McFarland
says.

The appearance comes on
the back of their 2018 album
For Ever, which released
four years after the hugely
successful self-titled debut.
While Jungle catapulted the
band into global stardom
for millions-viewed videos
such as “Busy Earnin’” and
“Platoon,” it became clear
that McFarland and LloydWatson were all about
projecting a specific visual
identity and aesthetic. Even
today, Jungle’s popularity
rides on their energizing,

feel-good choreography
and sublime storytelling, all
going over smooth, groovy
funk, disco and soul vibes.
McFarland says dance is a
“very important aspect” of the
group’s music. “I think we like
to imagine people in the real
world reacting in the same
way to our music that you’d
see in our videos. I think the

two are very inter-linked but I
don’t think they’re necessarily
always symbiotic with each
other,” he adds.
Whether it’s playing to
thousands at big-ticket
festivals or selling out indoor
venues, Jungle likes to “retain
an intimacy” when it comes
to performances. It’s one
thing to have seven members
to live up to the sound of
Jungle songs like “House In
L.A.,” “The Heat” and “Heavy,
California,” but McFarland
says it also helps each of them
realize there’s other people
to connect with on stage. He

adds, “I think for us that’s
the most exciting thing about
playing live music, just being
able to have a dialog with
your audience whether it’s
600 people or 10,000 people.
We always try and make sure
we have as much energy as
possible.” ANURAG TAGAT

CHARLIE DI PLACIDO

O

ver the
phone from
London, Tom
McFarland is
excited about
his neo-soul band Jungle’s
India debut this month for
more reasons than one. “So
we’re actually going to be
playing the festival on my
30th birthday, which is quite
exciting as an occasion as
well,” he says.
Jungle, who have seen a
global meteoric rise in acclaim
and popularity thanks to their

slick soul, R&B and funk
sound, will make their way
down to Nashik to headline
the 2019 edition of wine and
music festival SulaFest. And
the shows before that include
Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg
and Tokyo. McFarland is
having a laugh just thinking
about the way he’s counting


The Mix

A.R. Rahman

Uday Benegal

Anushka Manchanda

Nexa Music
Launches
Nationwide
Talent Hunt for
Emerging Indie
Musicians
Nikhil D’Souza

If you’re an original artist creating
English-language music, this is

your chance to collaborate with A.R.
Rahman, Clinton Cerejo and others

COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS (RAHMAN, CEREJO, D’SOUZA, MANCHANDA); PRANAB DOLEY (BENEGAL)

Clinton Cerejo


I

n a bid to promote
indigenous talent,
Maruti Suzuki’s
Nexa Experiences
has launched
Nexa Music, a nationwide
hunt for emerging artists.
The platform, created in
collaboration with digital
media company Qyuki, is
looking to support creators
of English-language original
music across the country.
Rolling Stone India has joined
hands with Nexa Music to
help curate the year-long
series.
Aspiring contestants will
need to share unreleased or
non-promoted original music

compositions on the Nexa
Music website after which
a jury, comprising Grammy
award-winning composer
and co-founder of Qyuki A.
R. Rahman and Bollywood
composer Clinton Cerejo,
will shortlist 24 contestants
who will be chosen for a
mentorship program at the
Nexa Music Lab. Out of these
24 contestants, only the best
four will be shortlisted and
guided by celebrity mentors
to create four more additional
tracks and music videos. In
addition to Rahman and
Cerejo, the celebrity mentors

that reaches audiences across
the world.”
R. S. Kalsi, Senior
Executive Director of Sales
and Marketing at Maruti
Suzuki India Ltd. stated, “We
are glad to announce this
refreshing new initiative to
create original international
music and discover aspiring
musicians. The launch of

Nexa Music opens new
horizons for musicians. It is
a matter of great honor to be
associated with global music
icon A. R. Rahman—the man
who has earned prestigious
international recognition.”

who will be guiding the
contestants are Mumbai
singer-songwriter Nikhil
D’Souza, singer/performer
Anushka Manchanda and
rock band Indus Creed’s
frontman Uday Benegal. The
final four candidates will also
get to tour and perform at
12 live events across India
with their mentors and begin
their journey to build a steady
fanbase.
“Nexa and my company
Qyuki share a common
goal,” said Rahman about
Nexa Music in a statement.
“We want to provide

“We are glad to announce this refreshing new initiative
to create original international music and discover
aspiring musicians. The launch of Nexa Music opens new

horizons for musicians. It is a matter of great honor to be
associated with global music icon A. R. Rahman—the man
who has earned prestigious international recognition.”

independent artists creating
original English music a real
opportunity to be discovered
and promoted on a global
stage. With Nexa Music any
deserving artist stands a
chance to collaborate with
some of the best bands in the
industry to produce music

From Left:
Samir Bangara, Cerejo, Maruti Suzuki India’s
Executive Vice President and Executive Officer
Tarun Garg, Manchanda, Benegal and D’Souza.

— R. S. Kalsi,
Senior Executive Director of
Sales and Marketing at Maruti
Suzuki India Ltd.

Rolling Stone India will
be joining the project as a
curator and editorial partner
to help spread the word
and find a wider range of
independent artists who

can make an impact on
a global audience. “Our
partnership with Qyuki

and Nexa Music couldn’t
be more fitting because we
all share a common goal: to
create a creative ecosystem
for independent artists to
flourish,” said Rolling Stone
India‘s Executive Editor
Nirmika Singh. “As the Indian
edition of the world’s greatest
music magazine, Rolling
Stone India is committed
to discovering and putting
the spotlight on emerging
talent. In fact it is the only
international title in India
that has been consistently
reporting on the subculture
of artists creating original
music in English, thus, telling
important stories that need to
be told.”
Qyuki co-founder and
managing director Samir
Bangara said about the
partnership, “We’ve created
an interesting collaboration

with perhaps the most iconic
magazine in music and pop
culture, Rolling Stone India.
They will help us curate a lot
of the talent and when we
talk about packaging its also
important [for artists] to be
covered editorially, get your
voice out there. So I think
we’re doing everything in our
power to sort of amp this up.”
ROLLING STONE INDIA


The Mix

The Art of Being

Mino

The South Korean hip-hop star wowed
critics and fans alike with his solo
album ‘XX’; but is he any closer to
discovering who the ‘real’ Mino is?
BY RIDDHI CHAKRABORTY
Understanding Song Minho is
kind of like catching lightning in a bottle; impossible
to do but the idea itself is so
dazzling, you need to give it a
shot anyway. Tall and blonde

with bleached eyebrows and
sharp features, Song—better
known mononymously as
Mino—cuts quite the intimidating figure. He’s intelligent,
polite and forthcoming on
every answer and there’s
an elegance to him that’s
instantly appealing. There’s
one little thing that proves
to be more charming than
any of this, however, and it
comes in the form of a little
note he sends on email after
the interview: “Thank you
for your interest!” it reads
cheerfully, accompanied by a
smiley emoji. “I hope we do it
again when Winner’s back!”
It’s simple but sweet and
suddenly there’s yet another
dimension to the chic, fierce
rapper we’re used to seeing
onscreen.
Before sitting down with
Rolling Stone India for a conversation in December, the
25-year old musician’s schedule through 2018 included the
release and promotion of a
full LP with his band Winner, a
Japan tour, a more extensive
Asia tour, a series of performances across his home

country South Korea, starring
roles in several variety shows
and a feature on YG Entertainment labelmate and his
senior Seungri’s viral hit track
“Where R U From.” November
was busiest for him with the
release of his first solo LP XX,
a 12-track feast of hip-hop,
tradition, emotion and culture. December finally closed
with yet another single with
Winner and a series of yearend performances in Korea.
February 2019

|

Rolling Stone

| 12


around him, as though deep
inside he knows everything’s
going to work out.
Over the past year Mino has
embraced a life of avant-garde with ease, stepping away
from his swag-heavy hip-hop
image and slipping into a
more elegant avatar. He seems
more comfortable and willing
to express himself in ways

outside of music. He’s always
had fondness for art but now
seems to revel in it, regularly
posting images of artwork he’s
created on Instagram, partic-

ing pace of birth, work, death.
It’s morbid, futuristic and
almost prophetical in its warnings about the pressure society
puts on young people, and
quickly gained critical acclaim.
Mino remains modest in the
wake of all the praise, saying,
“I do not know if I have had
any talent when I was young,
but I painted as a hobby since
I was a kid. So I have become
interested in art naturally. It
was a very good opportunity
to exhibit ‘Burning Planet’
with [eye wear brand and col-

“When I work alone… I get sensitive because
I am dissatisfied with any result. When I work
with Winner, it’s really a load off my mind.
Each member has their own roles, and I think
we fit in nicely with each other.”
ipating in media projects, exhibitions and editorials. Last
year, he displayed some of
his own artwork at an exhibit

titled ‘Burning Planet.’ The
pieces were a combination of
installation art with media
and performance art which
explored the idea of burnouts,
stress and humanity’s exhaust-

laborator] Gentle Monster. It
was a good time to learn and
experience many things.”
It’s this artistic and
emotional evolution which
seems to have had the biggest
hand in the creation of XX.
“I wanted to give a tweak to
my existing image, which I
guess has been heavy with

hip-hop and rap. I wanted to
start afresh,” he stated at a
press conference in November,
according to a report by the
Korea Herald. XX is an extension of his performance art—
dramatic and creative with
an ambiguous title to boot
(he’s explained he wanted his
listeners to have their own interpretations of it.) The video
for the lead single “Fiancé”
features imagery around birds,
dreams, fantastical landscapes

and more. In addition to being
involved in the entire concept,
Mino also contributed to the
set design—there’s a giant
mural of a bluebird featured
in the video which he painted
himself. Several fans as well as
popular YouTube channels like
DKDKTV have attempted to
decipher the meanings behind
it and he’s thrilled to see all
the various discussions. “It is
one of the things I enjoy the
most,” he says when I ask if he
ever watches these theories.
“Making parts that can be
interpreted in various ways… I
love watching them in various
interpretations.” Could he tell
us which theory got closest to
deciphering his work? “I will
never tell which one is correct
or incorrect for more diverse
guesses!” he teases.
“Fiancé” has also been
appreciated for its unconventional combination of trot, a
form of Korean folk music,
and trap. To do this, the track
samples Korean veteran
singer Kim Taehee’s 1969 track

“Soyanggang River Maiden”
and blends it with bassheavy, rolling trap and Mino’s
drawling rap. “There was no
intention to use ‘Soyanggang
River Maiden’ from the beginning,” Mino says. “When the
song was almost 80 percent
complete, [YG Entertainment
CEO and music producer]
Yang Hyun Suk gave me
an idea of putting a part of
‘Soyanggang River Maiden’
as a sample source, and it fit
perfectly into the message
and vibe of this song.” The
haunting sample had younger
fans enthralled and searching
through YouTube to listen
to the original track while
applauding Mino for putting
a limelight on Korean pop
culture and history. Because
in addition to the retro sound,

February 2019

|

Rolling Stone

| 13

COURTESY YG ENTERTAINMENT

While a bit of a break is
warranted after the whirlwind
of activity, Mino confirms he
has no plans to take it easy in
2019. “Winner will release a
full album this year,” he reveals
cheerfully. “I cannot talk about
our plan in advance, but we
are preparing a surprise gift
with a great musician!” The
four-member K-pop band are
working on their upcoming
third LP and have already
begun their tour schedules in
full force—they’re currently
on a six-city run of the United
States with stops in Seattle,
San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Dallas, Chicago and New York.
As an artist, Mino is full
of surprises with an evolution that’s been thrilling to
map. He started his career
as a rapper in South Korea’s
vibrant underground hip-hop
scene back in 2010 (when he
was just 16) but success took
a while to come along. He

debuted briefly in 2011 with
a group called BoM before its
premature disbandment in
2013, and then finally signed
with leading music label YG
Entertainment as a trainee.
In 2014 he got his big break
after participating in TV
channel Mnet’s reality-survival
program Win: Who Is Next
and ending up as a member
of the winning Team A–which
would go on to form Winner
and debut that same year. He
shot to fame quickly this time
around, gaining attention as
a solo artist after finishing
as runner-up on the fourth
season of South Korean hiphop survival competition Show
Me The Money in 2015. With
several eyes on him, he wowed
with a more bluesy, melancholic persona on Winner’s
2016 EP EXIT: E. That same
year he and YG Entertainment
labelmate Bobby announced
a duo project titled MOBB,
which showed off a completely
different, swag-heavy, fun-loving attitude, but in that EP he
included “Body,” a solo single
that blended sex and passion

with angst and regret. Winner’s discography as of late
has been bright, tropical and
electronic-pop and he’s able to
adapt to it effortlessly as well.
His career trajectory spells
‘chameleon’ and even in times
of trial there’s a sense of chill


the music video for “Fiancé” is
a fever-dream blend inspired
by the Korean Joseon dynasty
and modern-day angst. In
the clip the rapper wanders
between fantasy and reality,
dressed as an emperor as he
searches the past, present and
future for his one true love.
Is it possible that with
younger artists like him using
older genres like trot or paying
homage to their history in
music videos, it can help
young listeners appreciate
tradition a little bit more?
Mino reveals that wasn’t really
his intention at all. “In fact, I
considered this song for older
people than younger people,” he says, adding his plan
was to erase misconceptions

about hip-hop and ‘young’
music in the minds of older
generations. “Even if the genre
of hip-hop is popularized, it
is still hard to catch up with
higher age. So it seems like
sampling of ‘Soyanggang River
Maiden’ was a good plan for
this song.” “Fiancé” has indeed
added to the buzz around
rappers defying expectations
and stepping into traditional
musical and visual territories.
Hip-hop no longer has one
definition, and inspiration
can come from anywhere. For
Mino, the ideas for “Fiance”
and XX came from several
fragments of art. “I have so
many things inspiring me, so
I do not know which one to
say first,” Mino says. “Among
them, some works of (Italian
painter) Piero Fornasetti,
various plants—especially
blue roses—and the Japanese
anime Devilman were in my
mind. However, it’s my inner
self that affected it the most.
I stayed alone in the studio

every time so I could be deeply
involved in my work and I
looked back upon myself.”
XX as a whole has been
well-received thanks to its
use of complex metaphors,
puns and double meanings
in its lyricism, but for Mino,
making this record was about
finding his true self. “I got
down to work in earnest in
the beginning of 2018 for this
album,” he says. “It contains
various songs ranging from a
song written two-three years
ago to a song written two
weeks before the album came
out.” The rapper has written

and composed each and every
track, taking a dive into his
own psyche to unleash several
different sides of himself. In a
video teaser right before XX‘s
release, Mino explained he’d
made the album by “grating
[his] soul into it” and the
result is an LP that is diverse,
clever, saucy and undoubtedly one of the best hip-hop
albums of 2018. Lyrically, he

tackles everything from waiting for a lost love (“Fiancé”)
to calling out obsessive fans
(“Agree”) and bold eroticism
(“Hope”). He gets emotional on “Alarm” and “Her,”
exploring heartbreak, his
relationship with his fans and
self discovery. “I was getting
to love myself, and everything
[about that experience] is in
this album,” Mino tells me.
“I got a lot of thoughts and
experiences from it and I am
so proud of the production
process.”
It’s clear from the get-go
that wordplay is key; in the
vicious introductory track
“Trigger,” Mino uses syllables
in its Korean title to play on
the curse word ‘shibal,’ blazing
through verses of self-praise
with swagger, while on
“Rocket” he drops references
to art, Korean mythology and
more. It’s the realest taste of
what he’s truly capable of and
it surprises and delights in
equal measure. The impressive
roster of collaborators on the
record includes YG Entertainment’s biggest in-house producers Choice37 and Millennium, comedian and actor Yoo

Byung-jae and up-and-coming
vocalist Blue.D, among others.
There was one artist, however,
that Mino was particularly
excited to work with. “It was
all fun, but working with YDG
was extremely impressive,” he
says proudly of his collaboration with the Korean hip-hop
veteran on “Bow Wow.” “It was
one of my dreams from my
childhood.”
With XX being his first
massive solo effort, Mino
confesses there were hurdles
along the way that he hadn’t
expected. “The toughest part
was familiarity,” he says,
adding, “When I listened to
songs hundreds of times to
make a song, I always got
confused. That’s the hardest
thing to me.” Working alone

Mino’s 2018 included:
•Embarking on a Japan tour with Winner in
February
•The release and promotion of a full LP
titled EVERYD4Y with Winner in April
•A more extensive Asia tour in July
followed by a solo feature on Seungri’s

viral hit track “Where R U From”
•A series of performances at universities
and festivals across his home country
South Korea through the year
•Starring roles in variety shows like
New Journey to the West
•The release of his first solo LP XX in
November
•Another single with Winner in
December and a series of year-end
performances in Korea

means more pressure and he
says he finds it more peaceful
when he’s working with the
members of Winner—Hoony,
Yoon and Jinu. “When I work
alone… I get sensitive because
I am dissatisfied with any
result. When I work with
Winner, it’s really a load off my
mind. Each member has their
own roles, and I think we fit in
nicely with each other.”
Mino’s journey has been
wild, difficult, rewarding and
a little messy—we’ve covered a
lot of it over the course of the
interview, but it still feels like
we’re scratching the surface.

He seems to agree; there’s a
lot more he wants to consume
and learn and a lot more he
wants to show all his fans, old
and new. “I am always thankful to fans who have supported
me from the beginning and
everyone who has known me
since yesterday,” he says. “I will
try to put a little more of my
own personality and style on
next album, and I also want
to challenge something that
no one expected.” While the
search for the ‘real’ Mino continues, XX is a chapter in his
story that marks a significant
turn; he’s found a balance between the sexy rapper we see
with Winner, the exuberant
hip-hop dudebro he turns into
with MOBB and the expressive poet he is as a soloist. It
might not be lightning in a
bottle just yet, but it’s pretty
damn close.

February 2019

|

Rolling Stone

| 14

Ariana Grande:
God Is This Woman
At first, she seemed like a pop star designed in a lab. Then
tragedy struck, and she was forced to grow up in public

ON TOUR
NOW
Cher

W

THROUGH MAY 18TH

hen ariana grande first showed up on
her was pure showbiz, like the way she got discovered by Glothe radio, she came off like the ultimate
ria Estefan on a cruise ship karaokeing “My Heart Will Go
teen-pop robo-princess, a bubblegum
On.” She could team up with Nicki Minaj to demand oral sex
diva wearing a pair of kitten ears. She
in “Get on Your Knees,” then don a pair of reindeer antlers to
relished the role of the coy starlet, flashing her Mini Marising “Santa Tell Me” for the kiddies. She even managed to stir
ah pipes, Bardot ponytail and Edie Sedgwick fashion sense.
up controversy with a doughnut-licking scandal.
In her videos, she kept trying to sing with her fingers in her
But then she was forced to grow up in public with a tragemouth. Her smizing never stopped, even when delivering
dy: the terrorist bombing at her 2017 concert in Manchester,
the kind of dippy lyrics only Swedish producers could write.
England. She did more than just rise to the occasion — she ex(“I only wanna die alive” — really?) Yet she was so great at

uded gravitas and compassion, leading a benefit concert that
this role, nobody really asked for more. In a way, the moeven inspired a crank like Liam Gallagher to get up and sing
ment that summed her up was her 2014 disco hit “Break
“Wonderwall.” Sweetener combined her new maturity with a
SOUND AND
Free,” when she belted that ridiculous hook: “Now that I’ve
celebrity whirlwind romance with Pete Davidson of SaturVISION
become who I really are.”
day Night Live. When they split, she summed up where her
Who knew she’d blow up into a world-beating artist fighthead was at: “Remember when i was like hey i have no tears
ing to reshape the whole idea of how a pop star operates? It turns out
left to cry and the universe was like HAAAAAAAAA bitch u thought.”
that under the surface, Grande is gloriously weird at heart — watching
Her 2018 hit “God Is a Woman” seemed as far as she could go —
her now is like the scene in the horror movie where the prom queen
especially the video where she sits on top of the world and lovingwhips out an ax. And she keeps making history, topping the triumph
ly fingers it, while Madonna recites the Samuel L. Jackson Pulp Ficof Sweetener with the chaser “thank u, next,” which could have been
tion speech from Ezekiel 25:17. But she’s already left it behind. “thank
petty celebrity shade yet felt more like her philosophical statement.
u, next” was a Saturday-night special, dropped as a surprise right beAfter her massive 2018, she’s hunting even bigger game in 2019,
fore her ex went on the air with SNL. It was graceful, movwith her world tour and new music ready to roll. Noing, soulful, not just her best song ever but a Numbody can predict her next move. All we know
ber One hit that repositioned her as an artist.
is that Grande is finally becoming who
It doesn’t bring the aggro of a rap diss
she really are.
track, but it has the off-the-dome enHer new strategy is to drop
ergy of one, like Meek Mill roastsongs whenever she feels like
ing Drake in “Wanna Know”
it, or whenever she has
and Drake slamming back

something to say — a pop
with “Charged Up” and
queen flexing the sponta“Back to Back.”
neity of a hip-hop artist.
Ari’s been bragging
“My dream has always
that she wrote her next
been to be...obviousLP in a week — she’s
ly not a rapper, but,
summed it up as “femlike, to put out music
inine energy and
in the way that a rapchampagne and music
per does,” she told
and laughter and cryBillboard recently.
ing.” There was always
“It’s just like, ‘Bruh, I
something deliciously
just want to fucking talk
unscripted about her,
to my fans and sing and
even when every move was
write music and drop it the
choreographed — so many
way these boys do.’”
hints that under the veneer,
Ari always seemed like she
she was authentically crazed.
could have been designed in a lab
Now she’s letting it all hang out.
as the perfect pop droid, with the

In other words, as she once sang:
coldblooded poise of a NickelodeThis is the part where she breaks
on child actress. Everything about
free.

ROB
SHEFFIELD

KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES

PICKS

2018 was Cher’s best
year in decades —
she ran away with
Mamma Mia! Here We
Go Again despite only
showing up onscreen
three-quarters of the
way through the film,
then parlayed that
success into an entire
album of fantastically
flossy ABBA covers.
Now she’s bringing her
live fireworks to U.S.
arenas, complete with
an opening set from
Nile Rodgers.

Vince Staples
THROUGH APRIL 3RD

The Long Beach,
California, MC is one
of rap’s top live draws
— he’s precise with his
delivery and always on
point with his stage
presence. In
the past, he’s performed in front of
boldly minimal stage
setups, the better to
accentuate his lyrics.
On his latest tour,
which follows his excellent LP FM!, Staples
will bring the heat to
clubs and theaters
across North America.

Lucy Dacus
THROUGH
MAY 5TH

Dacus’ 2018 album,
Historian, was a
standout in a year full
of great indie rock,
alternately raw and
conversational as well

as deeply melodic.
Live, Dacus’ powerhouse voice means
she can command a
room without making
a lot of noise, though
she’s also known to
stomp on the fuzz
pedal. Take your
chance to see a young
songwriter who’s
worth the hype.

15


The Mix


Mosko’s Debut EP

‘Teeth’

is a Clarion Call
to the Dancefloor
The New Delhi dance rock act comprising guitarist Moses
Koul and vocalist Kavya Trehan on the two years it took
to release their first record

D

have been waiting for so long.
It’s not a million people, but
there were a fair amount
of people.” In the works
since late 2016, Teeth
features sparkling songs
like “Mosey Pants” and
“Drance 109” that were
written with bassist
Abhinav Chaudhury and
drummer Karan Malik,
while the commanding
groove on “Smooth” and
the half-chaotic “Ydek”
feature contributions by
drummer Suyash Gabriel
and bassist Amar Pandey. Following their previous show at Ridermania
festival in Goa in November,

Koul says Mosko will carry
on as just a duo without live
drums or bass, occasionally
inviting sessions players.
There’s a surging
energy that Mosko
brings on Teeth, which
puts Trehan’s inimitable
voice in control of all the
hooks, while Koul riffs on,
even feeding in complex

harmonies like he does
with rock band Kraken.
The songs will still be part
of their duo setup, which
includes Trehan handling
vocals, keys and a bit of
live mixing. Koul adds,
“It came down to ‘Let’s
just try to make dance music

that’s avant-garde.’ It’ll be a
keyboard with me, my guitar
and we’ll program the beats
on stage. We’ll build it up on
stage.”
With a few shows in the
works since the launch, the
release of Teeth has been a
learning process for Mosko,
who have been around since
2014. There’s certainly a new
perspective in it for Koul.
“One of the biggest learnings
has been that if a band doesn’t
function as a proper business
– with a roadmap and strategy, there’s no point it being
more than passion. It has to
be treated as a business,” he
says. ANURAG TAGAT

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

uring his drive
time commute
somewhere in
Delhi NCR,
guitarist and
composer Moses Koul is
talking about how he and vocalist Kavya Trehan – the core
members of dance music duo
Mosko – put their foot down
about their long-awaited
debut EP Teeth. He says, “We
thought, ‘We need to put this
out and if it doesn’t, we need
to call it quits.’”
Released on Apple Music
exclusively last month, Koul
says he and Trehan weren’t
even ready to compromise
on a few days delay. “People

Mosko at Vh1 Supersonic, Pune, 2018.


The Mix
FESTIVAL REPORT

Orange
Festival

of Adventure and
Music 2018,Dambuk,
Arunachal Pradesh

When our plane landed at Dibrugarh airport in
Assam, we could only see one strip of concrete that
was the runway, while the rest of it was brimming
with greenery, hinting at what the rest of the days
in the North East would look like. The travel from
the airport to Dambuk, Arunachal Pradesh—which
played host to the Orange Festival of Music and
Adventure last December—began in a long and
bumpy bus ride full of scenic views with patches of
low lying clouds. Right from arriving at the farthest
airport in the country to the second longest bridge,
Bomjir slowly arrived by the end of the night. The
long commute meant we arrived by the end of Day 1
and left before the end of the festival, missing a few
important hours of performances.
While documenting a festival, it’s ideal to stay
closer to the venue grounds to interact with
people and musicians. There was basic stay and
accommodation available for the artists and the
festival attendees, at the festival camping grounds
in Dambuk and we were hosted at Bomjir, roughly
a half-hour drive away from the venue, in a more
comfortable tent setup. The view outside the tent
was beautiful, with a river flowing by and a long
stretch of mountains in the distance.

The day began at 9:30AM with a view of oranges
being sold in bamboo bags outside the camp.
The plan was to have a look at the other activities
at Orange Festival which included 4X4 and offroading. Sadly, we lost our way and weren’t able
to make it and watch those activities. As the bus
approaches Dambuk, there’s a noticeable hustlebustle at the road itself, with the festival’s orange
and white branding visible everywhere. There are
women selling oranges there too, there’s some
jewellery, trinkets and stalls by locals there. The
moment you enter the festival grounds, you start
seeing camping sites set up and run by locals in
different areas of the festival. It’s a good 10-minute
uphill walk to the stages, all the while passing
camps and stay for people and musicians. There
was music playing at every camp’s sound systems,
feeling cozy and inviting.

Shillong band Tarik.

ALL PHOTOS BY PRASHIN JAGGER

From guzzling orange juice to going
off-roading and taking in a variety
of music, the festival has solidified
its position


Rafting, one of the
activities at the festival.

Two stages,
many moods

The festival had two stages, a
Day Stage and a Night Stage.
The day stage was a smaller
stage with a lovely thatched
bamboo roof that had artists
like Aarifah Rebello, Lydia
Hendrikje, Yugo, Suraj
Mani and Valerie D’Souza
perform. As we stayed at
Bomjir, and were trying to
see other outdoor activities,
the acts on the day stage
were missed. It was nice to
see artists hanging around
the stages checking out every
other performance. Day two
showcased quite a moodshifting spectrum, starting
with Mizoram band This
Chord opening the evening
stage with slow, mellow and
colorful sounds. They had an
impressive sound considering
they wrote all their songs
(“Caffeine,” “Closure” and the
funk-leaning “She”) in the
last month and are currently
producing their EP.

Shillong act Tarik got
on stage with their punk
sound making the crowd
yell “Aayiye Ko Ye” which
translates to ‘Mother said so.’
Their music was a lot about
standing up for ourselves
and making a point, along
with corny song names like
“Boro Plus.” Meanwhile,
“Model Police” was making
a statement about cops who
think they could do whatever
they want. Their sound was
very energetic with punchy
riffs and a bassline that stood
out in the mix while the
bassist sang as well. Their set
featured an all tongue guitar
solo, a spectacle that was
made even better thanks to a
‘HI MOM’ sign stuck on the
back of the guitar.
Homebred indie rockers
Yesterdrive battled a few
sound issues, but broke
the ice when their guitarist
Haggai Rongmei yelled out,
“Someone please buy me a
new guitar!” Their music was

full of happy melodies with
upbeat rhythms and choruses
with carefully strung words
that played up vocalist Molie
Lollen’s sweet voice.
Next up was genre
bending band The Bluegrass
Journeymen with singer
Nabanita Sarkar from
Kolkata who played a lovely

set that included bluegrass
numbers like “Carukesi”
and “Things in Life.” They
also performed a poem
by Rabindranath Tagore,
comfortably switching
between Indian classical and
bluegrass numbers.
The final act was Bombay
Bassment who had Mumbaibased Gillian Pinto on
backing vocals and bassist
Ruell Barretto was noticed
playing guitar as well. The
crowd was barely on the
ground through their set
and spent more time in the
air jumping, pretty much
obeying vocalist Bob Omulo
aka Bobkat’s lyrics. The

grooves of the bass guitar and
the fluid style of Bobkat gave
the audience an awesome
time as they danced away.

Molie Lollen
from Yesterdrive.

Out and
Outdoors

On day three, we managed to
go for some outdoor activities
like white water rafting,
scuba diving, parasailing
and lighting the odd fire in
the middle of the hills as
we were really cold. This
section of the festival was
well organized and manned
by National Institute of
Mountaineering and Allied
Sports (NIMAS).
We also got a chance to
browse through the food
stalls as the day stage kicked
off. The cuisine was from
different villages in the area
and carried their own flavors.
The most amazing orange

juice was also available,
freshly squeezed right in
front of you and ready to
drink. It was Rs. 100 a glass
and 200 a bottle, but it’s
definitely something widely
distributed fruit juice brands
should aspire to be.
The Day stage had
Mumbai-based singersongwriter Ramya Pothuri
performing her tunes with
guitarist-vocalist Ronit
Sarkar. The view of the
mountains in the day gave
you a great feeling about
being in Dambuk. The girls
from jazz/funk band Ladies
Compartment also joined
Ramya on backing vocals to
add harmonies to her songs.
Germany’s Lydia Hendrikje
had a set that was full of
variety and music from all

| February 2019 |

Rolling Stone

| 19

across the globe, including
songs in Portuguese,
French and English. With
her mellow voice and the
band playing songs like, “If
You Never Came To Me,”
“La Javanaise” and ”Rosa
Morena,” the crowd was
settling into the music as the
sun set.
The Night stage on
day three kicked off with
multi-genre bands such as
Ladies Compartment (whose
members Aditi Ramesh,
Ramya Pothuri and Aarifah
Rebello were also performing
solo material at the festival
on different days). Their
vocal harmonies with some
jazzy piano and slow moving
grooves in songs like “Logo”
and “Don’t Waste Your Time”
transitioned beautifully to
Kolkata-based acoustic/folk
band Fiddler’s Green. They
kicked off with tunes that
people resonated with like
“Dama Dum Mast Kalandar”

and “Resham Firiri.” Most
songs had vocal solos with
more childlike sounds made
as he sang. There was a
certain playfulness and
innocent attitude towards
their music and sound,
soaring throughout.
Myanmar’s The
Reasonabilists was a band
whose musicians were aged
from 17 to 23 years old.
A certain portion of the
audience was sufficiently
tipsy and started asking for

Bollywood songs, which
wasn’t very surprising. The
band couldn’t really hear
or understand much of
the audience banter and
continued playing their
energetic set. Their sound was
a high energy rock band with
harmonies and broad smiles.
The Many Roots Ensemble
picked up on the same energy
levels, bringing back the
world-fusion vibe of Fiddler’s
Green, albeit with more of a

jazz approach, MC Tod Fod
also joined them on stage with
some of his songs. Although
there were some sound issues
on stage with respect to the
guitarist, Subid Khan, it was
soon Chennai electronica act
Sapta‘s turn. They took day
three to another level, playing
tunes like “Take the Flow” and
more. They kept moving the
mood of the music, revelling
in jungle and drum and bass.
Breaking out of the regular
duo setup, Sapta featured
Shakti on vocals, with
Bharath Shankar on keys and
Jhanu on guitars.
From what we experienced,
the Orange Festival of
Adventure and Music
still gets points for music
programming, considering
they plan out a good flow
of different genres, but they
perhaps need to find a better
way around transport and
timings so that everyone can
make the most of their time at
the festival. PRASHEEN JAGGER

Oranges up for
grabs at the fest.

Bombay Bassment
performing to a
packed audience.


COURTESY OF KWAN

The Mix


Jonita Gandhi:

‘You’re Not Going to Appeal to
Everyone with Every Song You Do’
The Indo-Canadian singer talks about stagnation in current Bollywood music,
being part of this year’s ‘Royal Stag Barrel Select MTV Unplugged’ and more

F

or singer Jonita
Gandhi, music
has always been
part of her life
for as long as she
can remember. Growing up
in Canada she recalls how her

father, a musician, ensured
music was always around
her. She says, “Slowly my dad
started making me sing at all
these events and Bollywood
became a big part of my life.”
After initially getting
noticed for her cover videos
on YouTube, Gandhi has
gone on to become a sought
after singer in Bollywood
and has worked with likes
of composers A.R. Rahman,
Clinton Cerejo, Pritam,
Salim-Sulaiman and more.
Ahead of her appearance on
Season 8 of Royal Stag Barrel
Select MTV Unplugged,
which premiered last month,
Gandhi spoke to us about
stagnation in Bollywood
music currently, the country’s
independent music scene,
her future plans and more.
Excerpts:
This year’s MTV Unplugged
has Bollywood biggies Sonu
Nigam, Guru Randhawa and
the likes featured, how do
you feel being part of the

same lineup?
I grew up being the biggest
Sonu Nigam fan, like I am

still a fan obviously. But
growing up it was like next
level because I have always
aspired to be a versatile
singer and I felt he is the
epitome of versatility – he
can sing anything.
I remember during IIFA
2009, it happened in Toronto
and that was when I was in
between my university of
course, I was interning at a
bank and he had come for
that to perform. There was
this whole music panel and
I remember I was dying to
see him and I’m just like
emailing his team saying
‘Hi I’m a fan can I please
meet him’ and finally he
was not well so I wasn’t able
to meet him that time – I
was so upset. And now I’m
like literally sharing the
stage with him. He was my
introduction to Bollywood

and I couldn’t have asked for
a better introduction. A lot
of the credit I get now for
singing well live comes from
him.
Do you have any standout
MTV Unplugged performance
that was your favorite?
I remember really liking
Benny’s episode – shout out
to Benny Dayal, you’re the
best!
Coming from Canada and

moving to India – have you
faced any obstacles over the
years?
Of course it’s always tough –
even now there are struggles
and ups and downs. But I
feel I’ve been really positive
and really focused – so
I’ve never had an extreme
low, touch wood. I’m sure I
might because it happens to
everybody but it’s been a big
roller coaster ride I would
say.

“I feel now

in the last
year or two it
[Bollywood
music] has
become quite
stagnant
because it’s all
been remixes.”

Of late Bollywood music
seems to sound quite
repetitive and stagnant, what
do you have to say about that?
I think it is stagnant now,
over the last five years that
I’ve been here it hasn’t been.
At least for me because I
was still learning the ropes –
luckily I’ve worked with a lot
of different people and I’ve
sung a lot of different types of
songs and that’s always been
my goal. Plus I’m touring with
a lot of different artists and
I’m learning so much being
in different bands – but I feel
now in the last year or two it
has become quite stagnant
because it’s all been remixes,
right? Which is hilarious

because I started out as a
cover artist.
The country’s independent
scene is as talented as those in

Bollywood, but don’t seem to
get the same recognition, do
you think that gap will ever
be bridged?
When I first came I did
a collaboration with
[electronica/rap act]
ViceVersa – and I was so
happy to do it because then
my eyes opened to this whole
other scene. Everybody is so
multi-faceted and to bridge
that gap is not necessary.
I feel you can do things in
parallel – especially in India,
the audience is so vast and
there is so much variety and
diversity – you’re not going
to appeal to everyone with
every song you do. There are
people who like me for my
unplugged stuff and there
are people who will still talk
about that song I did with
P-Man called “Lose Control”

where I’m signing like really
low and full English. I just
want to explore, it’s exciting
now in our atmosphere, in
our music scene.
What else do you have in
store for the rest of the year?
I want to do more for my
YouTube channel and I want
to do more independent
music. Songwriting is
something I really want to
get better at because I feel I
suck at it (laughs). DAVID BRITTO


The Mix
WHERE WE BEGIN

MONO: ‘This Album Portrays A Story
About Parting With The Past’

The Japanese post-rock band talk about their just-released album ‘Nowhere Now Here,’ working
with producer Steve Albini and their India experience

W

hile Mono’s newest
album title Nowhere
Now Here might evoke

a sense of simplicity that’s unlike the
Japanese post-rock band’s deeply
emotional music, the theme is one of
transition. On their 10th album, the
veteran band traverse and transcend
hatred to find hope.
Guitarist Takaakira Goto aka Taka
says over email, “I left a story about
regenerating from the pitch-black
darkness which felt like ‘nowhere,’
then through dawn, welcoming the
new chapter ‘now here’.” Even at the
cusp of completing 20 years as a
band, Taka says MONO were faced
with troubling times, which included
founding member and drummer
Yasunori Takada leaving the band in
2017. They soldiered on, recruiting
drummer Dahm Majuri Cipolla and
tapped producer Steve Albini (whose
credits include Nirvana, Godspeed
You! Black Emperor and Mogwai)
and began work on Nowhere Now
Here, which includes vocals for the
first time (from bassist-synth player
Tamaki Kunishi on “Breathe”) and
over 30 orchestral instruments and
synth flourishes (“Sorrow,” “Meet Us
Where the Night Ends”) across
10 tracks.

Released via Pelagic Records in
Europe on January 25th, Nowhere
Now Here sees MONO at their
poignant best yet again. It’s something they’re backing up with their
relentless touring schedules. They’re
touring Asia, Europe and North
America all the way until June to
promote the album. “Now the band
is filled with fresh strong energy like
we were reborn. We really feel that a
new chapter has come,” Taka says.
In an interview with Rolling
Stone India, the band’s guitarist
talks about the making of
Nowhere Now Here, their visit
to India for Ziro Festival of
Music in September last year
and the Japanese music industry.
Excerpts:
It’s safe to say that MONO is
always going to be the one band
that keeps touring rigorously. But
what changes for you every time you
embark on a new tour, apart from
the music?

Sorry for not being able to think
of a right answer but even during
tours and off times, I’m always thinking about music so I can write even
better songs and can play even better

shows than before. I don’t have
much head space to think about anything else because I know our time is
limited in life. I always did it this way
since I was young and nothing will
change in the future.
A lot seems to have informed this
new album. Was there ever such a
difficult time in MONO’s past?
There were many tough times
in the past but this time was very
strong and miracle feeling. I didn’t
think we would welcome our 20 year
anniversary like this.
In order to continue as MONO,
it was the time for us to underpin
ourselves greatly. I have to say some
un-seeable great power just made
this work. Now the band is filled
with fresh strong energy like we
were reborn. We really feel that we
became what we should be.
You know, you’re of course bound
to face many kinds of problems if
you continue a band for 20 years. I
always think and feel that the ‘time
of adversity is when you can understand life’. We always got stronger by
swimming against the waves, and
the most important and valuable
thing in life is deciding what kind
of dreams you want to dream for

yourself.
You mentioned that “After You
Comes the Flood” was like the angriest song the band had ever written.
Yet, it seems to stand out, because
the rest of the album follows a
different pace, including the vocals
for the first time on “Breathe.” In
the writing process, was “After You
Comes the Flood” one of the first
songs you wrote for the new album?
Yes, for this album I started to
write from “After You Comes the
Flood.”
I left a story about regenerating
from the pitch-black darkness which
felt like ‘nowhere’, then through
dawn, welcoming the new chapter
‘now here’. Because of this, this
album is filled with completely
different energy compared to our last
albums.


If you cut the word ‘nowhere’ in
half, it becomes ‘now here’. I wanted
to express that by pouring the feeling
of love and positivity into that one
single space, you will be able to change
everything.
This album portrays a story about

parting with the past. From wondering a pitch-black darkness filled
with hatred, anger and a sense of
incongruity in the deep pit of your
heart, to facing yourself and fighting
through struggles, hidden light and
hope of what you wish to remain, then
eventually in the last scene “Vanishing,
Vanishing Maybe,” you part way with
the past.
“Funeral Song” seems to have a
horn section, is that correct? What
was the inspiration behind the song
and will it be performed live?
They’re trumpets. “Funeral Song” is
using different chords to the opening
track “God Bless” but on purpose,
using the same melody.
The album starts with fog-filledlike disharmonious “God Bless,” and
through many feelings and scenes, it
leads to “Funeral Song.” I wanted to
write a piece which was like welcoming a calm morning, after clearing and
saying goodbye to all the past in the
deep night.
I wanted to express the transition
of the state of mind which lacked
harmony and starts to harmonize.
You mentioned in an old interview
that often, Japanese bands tend to
start and finish in the country, never
going overseas. It was an interesting

perspective, because to many, Japan
feels like a self-sustaining scene,
where bands can survive and not
worry too much. What is it like right
now?
90 percent of the Japanese bands,
music industry and their surroundings
can’t be helped. They’re all just shitty.
They’re all so conservative towards
the sound which was popular overseas
two or three years ago and fusion with
poor quality J-Pop. They also dress up
like rock artists with trendy clothes,
change their hair color and do their
make-up. They’re more like TV talents
rather than musicians. All they think
about is their status, prestige and how
much money they’ll be able to make.
I don’t think this stance as an island
country will not change forever.
On the other hand, the other 10
percent are fantastic artists and
bands. That’s a fact. For the last years,
we’ve been running an independent
music festival called After Hours with
our trusted friends and all the bands
that play at the festival are very real.
They’re like us and our colleagues,
who seek true music and tour worldwide.
You worked with Steve Albini on

this one, like so many more MONO
PHOTOGRAPH BY Chigi

albums. What did he do differently
with you and the music this time, if
anything?
When we announced our drummer leaving officially, the person who
got in touch with us right away was
Steve. He wrote to us, ‘Is the band
ok? I look forward to seeing MONO
again.’ We replied, ‘We plan to have
a new drummer and record our new
album soon. We’re really looking
forward to it’.
After this, when we visited Steve at
his studio in July for the first time in
a long time, I requested to him, ‘We
want the new album to sound like
Nirvana’s In Utero’. It’s been 17 years
working with Steve and this was the
first time we asked him to make our
sound like certain someone. He’s a
really smart guy so he immediately
understood what I meant, that with
the new drummer, a different MONO
that’s nothing like before was born,
and we need the new band’s sound
to be even heavier, more rock and
emotional.
He’s one of our most important

partners and friends who understand
about MONO the most in
the world. I want to continue creating albums with him for as long as
we can.
When you played in India, what
was the overall experience like for
you? Does MONO like playing bigger
festival stages now, or are you still
happy with even a club room? Or is it
the best of both worlds right now?
Our first visit to India became one
of our unforgettable memories. We’ve
always wanted to play in India for a
very long time. We met so many of
our fans and truly wonderful people.
We also made many friends and it
truly was a fantastic experience.
But within MONO’s activity, it was
one of the toughest tour journeys
ever. The distance to Ziro was truly a
long way (laughs). Right after, we did
our European tour but by the time
we arrived in England, everyone was
exhausted. I like playing at both big
stage and small venues. I don’t really
mind as long as the sound and the
environment of the venue is good
for what we want to tell and express
through music.
What else is coming up through

2019, after the release of the album?
Will there be more music videos?
After releasing our album, we’ll be
busy. We plan to do a long world tour
for roughly a year, till January 2020.
This time will be our 20 year anniversary so we plan to do some special
shows as well. As far as music video
goes, I can’t say much about this right
now but I want to create more cinematic pieces that are different from
normal music videos. We’re currently
speaking about it. ANURAG TAGAT

Kanbe | February 2019 | Rolling Stone India | 31


The singerguitarist felt stuck
creatively and
typecast as
a bluesman.
To move forward,
he had to free
his sound and
tap into the rage
he felt living
in Trump’s
America

THE
ANGER
INSIDE

GARY
CLARK JR.
B Y PA T R I C K D O Y L E
Photograph by A n d re s Ku d a cki

I
70
ROLLING STONE INDIA
February 2019

t’s already past midnight, but Gary Clark Jr. wants to keep going.
The guitarist is standing in the center of a darkened room at Arlyn Studios, an unmarked building hidden behind a housing development in
South Austin. Clark has been hard at work all night teaching his band a
new song, “This Land,” taking breaks only to smoke spliffs and sip 90proof whiskey. Clark counts yet another take of the song — a thunderous blues stomper marked by synth-bass and a hip-hop beat — before unleashing a
flurry of wah-wah notes on his Gibson SG. He howls about living on “50 acres with
a Model A/Right in the middle of Trump country,” next to a neighbor who “can’t
wait to call the police on me.” He closes his eyes for the chorus: “Nigga, run, nigga,
run/Go back where you come from.” ¶ Clark wants to get “This Land” right because
he considers it the most important song he’s ever written. “It’s about being black in
America, in the South,” he says. Clark wrote it after a confrontation with his own