MotherJane
Written by Nirav on October 24, 2008
Home >> Artist Profile >> MotherJane
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The last time we wrote about a band from the sub-continent of India, I told you I couldn’t understand a word they were saying lyrically, but I loved their music. That was Avial. This time I write about another band from India in which I can understand everything they are saying, and I love their music!

Now before you listen to basically any Indian rock (rock music coming directly from India, big ups Split Magazine), it’s good to be familiar with who the country is listening to currently and what is popular in the region. In India, Bollywood still runs the entire industry with musical-type ballads and very pop-based music. Bollywood is the Indian version of Hollywood, but it makes a ton more money and is pretty much a monopoly on the music and movie business. Breaking outside of that monopoly is hard for other genres of music (rock, hip hop, jazz, etc), and therefore it takes longer for artists from these genres to become popular and stream their way into the scene. What I’m getting at, is that India is right now listening to the bands and forms of rock music we used to listen to back in the 90s. Bands like Rolling Stones, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, U2, The Cardigans, Van Halen, Def Leppard, etc. I might be wrong here with all the band names, but I think you’ll get my drift. And the new stuff like Tool, A Perfect Circle, Opeth, Isis, etc is just making hedgeway - but it’s not as popular as some of the oldies metal and rock. So what you hear from India may have you thinking you’re listening to old rock music, but it’s not. It’s just where the country is in their music growth and that’s the cultural difference.

With that short history and cultural lesson in mind, Mother Jane truly shines in the field of Indian rock artists. Their music is quality, their lyrics are amazingly conscious, and they produce music you can totally zone out too! All the instruments blend very well together to bring a very full sound. You’ll hear Baiju (lead guitarist) shine out a little more than some other members due to his solos. They are on almost every track. Not good or bad, but they definitely stick out. Suraj (lead vocals) has some amazing pipes. His vocals have great depth and he can hit notes which many rock men shy away from (or can’t get to). John (percussions) does a good job keeping up the beat. I sense some real talent in him, but I haven’t really heard it come out in the two albums I’ve heard.

Long before religion, music is probably the first spiritual experience anyone is initiated into and this song is a celebration of the knowledge that our souls have been sung to.

The group has two albums available at their main site entitled Insane Biography (2002) and Maktub (2008). In order to download them, you can choose to pay upfront (however much you want, your choice) or pay later (again, however much you want) based on if you liked them or not. I think that is the most amazing way to promote yourself online! Treat your fans as conscious people who care. Let them decide what they are willing to contribute and allow them to give back. If they don’t, no biggie. They weren’t really your fans to begin with. If they do, then they’ll tend to give more than what you would have sold your album for in the first place. It’s win-win and you’re doing business the smart way - I love it!

Thanks Arun for introducing us to this great band and for allowing us to use your amazing theme for this site. You are truly da man!

Field of Sounds Music Video | Chasing The Sun Music Video

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