Overload marks 10 years with the release of Jeet

Jeet may just be one of the most ‘clean’ rock numbers Overload has produced since Humayun took over.

LAHORE:

While several bands dwell in the underground music scene, only a handful of musicians ever really make it to the fore. With its ear-piercing beats and loud percussions, Overload received mixed reviews from the audience but still managed to impress the rockers of the country.

With Pichal Pairee, Dhamaal, Neray Aa and Dhol Bajay Ga, they found a niche. And on August 14, the rock band which thrives on blending Eastern and Western sounds, celebrated its 10-year anniversary with the release of its latest number Jeet.

From being labeled a loud percussionist band, to two of its crucial members Mehmood Rehman and Meesha Shafi calling it quits, Overload has seen its share of highs and lows. With only three members remaining — Farhad Humayun (founder and lead vocalist), Sheraz Siddiq (founding member and producer) and Nasir Sain (dhol) — the band has evolved on different levels in the last 10 years.

“It really just reflects our journey together as a band. But on a broader level, it signifies the two decades we’ve been playing [music] together, which is a huge landmark [for us],” says 40-year-old Siddiq, who started off his music career in an underground band called Mind Riot with Humayun in the early ’90s. “At the time, Farhad and I were desperate to make our dream come true and had we given up, what would be left in our lives?”



Jeet might just be one of the most ‘clean’ rock numbers Overload has produced since Humayun took over as the vocalist. The single was mastered at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London — where the Beatles and Pink Floyd recorded most of their masterpieces — while it was ultimately produced here in Pakistan. The band has clearly gone all out to ensure that the sound, vocals and lyrics are spot on. With a subtle use of a dhol, Overload is keen on creating a nostalgic rock feel for the listeners.

Nasir Sain, who has been with the band since its birth, has also blended in with the band’s requirements. “The dhol is played in this song, but it’s done in a very subtle way,” says Humayun. “Even Nasir Sain, as a dhol player, has grown — when he is playing at a mela or in a frenzy-filled environment, he plays traditional dhol but when he enters the studio, he knows that he is now playing for a song.”

“There’s been an evolution within the band — we’ve been evolving every day,” he continues. “This song is very important because we are able to look at what we have been through [in the past].”

Humayun hopes that the listeners will be able to interpret the poetic lyrics — written by Tahir Shaheen — in their own personal way. “Every song is a move forward. Even if you are taking two steps back and looking at yourself in a certain way, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re still stuck in a time warp,” he explains. “It means you have the intelligence and heart to talk about certain things, which is what an artist is supposed to do.”

The past 10 years have been a rough journey for the rockers, admits Humayun. “Sheraz had two boys, I went through a divorce, my dad died, I lost the house I grew up in because it was too expensive to manage, I went into various businesses and shifted from drums to vocals — it’s been quite an awesome experience for everyone,” he says.

The band plans to release its next album by the end of the year.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2013.

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