motherjane - the sound of Indian rock

Here are 5 Indian men who picked up blatantly western instruments in some thing as “confined” as a rock band and yet sound like theyve found a
divine blend between the east and west, in their lives

motherjane’s unique new sound balances the melodies of India, the forcefulness of rock and the brilliance of human insight.

With over 5000 rock bands, audiences in excess of 10000 attending more rock concerts and the quality of bands in India, music in India is at its most
exciting stage ever.

motherjane is the sound of a new India and one that is rocking with perfect balance
 “ a band whose music defines Indian Rock.”
- DNA Networks
“an interesting mesh of classic rock with a prog metal
lean and just a touch of Indian folk music.”
- progarchives.com

“quite simply one of the best rock bands in Asia.”

- Infinity Music Magazine

History
motherjane hails from the city of Cochin, in the serene state of Kerala in India, named as one of the “ten paradises of the world” and “50 places of a
lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler magazine. Its rich history of arts and crafts finds itself expressed through the music of this unique band.

1996: John Thomas (the college arts club’s secretary at St. Albert’s, Cochin) averts a potential disaster and founds motherjane to fill in for the Pro act
which suddenly drops out of the rock concert.

Featuring the combined talents of John Thomas(Drums), Clyde Rozario (Bass), Mithun (Guitars) and Laji (Vocals), the band goes on to make an
explosive debut wowing their peers within a week of their formation, with superb renditions of classics from bands like metallica, maiden, pearl jam
etc.

1996: features on “Bands out there” by Channel V.

1997: releases a 3 song EP that gets lost amongst the wilderness of Kerala, where many potentially great bands vanish in the 80s and 90s.

1997-99: loses the talents of 2 founding members who go in pursuit of their individual dreams. In 1999 the mercurial and talented Baiju takes over
duties as axeman & motherjane enters a partial state of limbo becoming a 3 member team with John & Clyde still holding on.
 
1999-2000: For over a year the band plays metal songs (without a vocalist!) at The Ancient Mariner” a floating restaurant in Kochi to an unsuspecting
& astounded audience that walks into the quaint pier like structure built in the backwaters. 

2000: Suraj Mani, chances into “The ancient mariner” and egged on by his friend, jams with the band. Almost coincidently at the same time a talented
young guitarist called Rex also moves into this loosely bound group.

2000 August: One of the most significant moment in the bands history as it starts to view its future as an original act.

motherjane composes their first song titled “Disillusioned” in 2000. The song is named as “Disillusioned” citing the bewilderment of the situation.
John (drums) wants to play thrash and death metal with the band, Clyde (bass) likes country music, Baiju (guitars) prefers progressive stuff and Rex
(ex-Rhythm) wants to play classic rock. Suraj, who has just joined the band as the vocalist cum song writer takes in his first moment of disillusionment
with the band and writes his first ever lyric.

2003-05: Rex leaves in 2003, Deepu joins on rhythm in 2005. motherjane as it exists today with Baiju (lead Guitars), Clyde (Bass), Deepu (Rhythm,
John (drums) & Suraj (lyrics & vocals) is born.
“one of the finest bands we have ever heard. Period.”
- All India Radio

“motherjane’s music compells repeated listening &

simulates deep reflection.”
- The Indian Express

“ phenominally tight... note perfect... tone perfect.”

-The Hindu

Milestones:
2000-02
In a country where bands get popular for their covers, motherjane composes and starts interspersing their 9 originals to live audiences numbering
over 100,000 all over India, earning a cult status.

motherjane releases debut album “Insane Biography” in November 2002 under Kan & Will Records (now, Aum-I Artistes Pvt Ltd).

2003:
motherjane’s song “mindstreet” features prominently on the Great Indian Rock compilation album 2003.

“Insane Biography” wins the award for the Best Indian Rock Album 2002-03.

motherjane features in the Asian Rock Rising Festival in Japan on November 1, 2003.
2004:
In September 2004, motherjane’s song Mindstreet became the first Indian rock song to get international audience vide radio stations in U.S, Mexico
and Canada. Songs Questions and Soul Corporations followed suit.

motherjane’s song Soul Corporations gets selected in an international compilation album titled “Geki Teki Metal” & releases under M&I Records,
Japan.

“Insane Biography” became the fastest selling Indian rock album.

2005:
Insane biography features among the 10 best & most influential Indian rock albums on a Rock street journal special issue.

Channel V and MTV catches on with motherjane & features the band in a series of shows called “V on the run” in 2005. Articles and special mentions
in Rock Street Journal, Rave, Infiniti music magazine, all leading papers in India and the first article of The Rolling Stones Magazine India among
many in the following years.
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Milestones:
2006
motherjane does 143 live gigs between 2003 and 2006 across the Indian sub-continent to collective audiences of over 600,000.

Through the hectic gigging season ending in 2006, the band starts composing newer material. Insane Biography continues to get rave reviews in India
and fair share of praise internationally. The new compositions reflect a growing Indianness in the sound – as the band would say it.

The band releases a single titled Broken. This is the first song motherjane releases digitally after Insane Biography. The song creates ripples with
Baiju’s guitar solo giving a feel of Indian instruments like the Sitar and Veena.

The Indian Book of Chronicles which regularly features prominent writers like Arundati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Salman Rushdie etc., publishes
motherjane’s lyric for the song “Maya” . This establishes the widely accepted position of Suraj as one of the greatest song writers in the country.

2007
Jack Daniel’s Annual Rock Awards introduced in India in 2007. With Broken being the only single released, motherjane has three nominations:
Suraj Mani – Vocalist of the Year 2007-08
Baiju – Guitarist of the Year 2007-08
Broken – Song of the Year 2007-08

Baiju wins the award.

motherjane selected by Senheisser to conduct a live workshop at the launch of the company’s Indian operations at Mumbai 2007.
2008
DNA Networks, a household name in the country, who brings artists like Michael Jackson, Yanni, Roger Waters, Sting, Deep Purple, Aerosmith and
recently Iron Maiden to India, rates motherjane in their journo as one of the top 3 Live acts in the country.

The country head of Harman Pro Group, the world’s largest professional audio company, watches motherjane performing at “Rock ethos” a festival
that saw 7000 odd audience and signs a contract with motherjane as India’s first endorsee. In a country that pre-dominantly caters to film music, this
counts as special recognition from the professionals of the industry.
“one of the most well produced Indian rock albums, with
some severely imaginative lyrics & musical concepts.”
- RAVE Magazine

“Exciting band, superb musicians & great performers.”

- VP Sound

Milestones:
2008
“Rock in India” features 5 of the top Indian rock bands along with Megadeth and Machine Head. Amongst a crowd of over 30,000, motherjane is
widely hailed as the band of the day by the fans and musicians.

motherjane uses endorsed AKG in-ear monitors and top of the line AKG 4000 vocal microphones at Rock in India which sees Motherjane wow fans
Live alongside Megadeth and Machine Head at the festival.

motherjane conducts a live workshop for Harman Pro at the launch of their various brands and tests out the new state of the art VI6 digital mixer
from soundcraft at a show conducted for the Indian partners of Harman. Attended by all heads of brands like AKG, JBL, BSS Audio and Crown
International etc etc.

motherjane is first Indian band to do a Live web launch of its new album “maktub” on their website www.motherjane.in and also premiere two videos.
Support and goodwill of the band is visible as many top Indian rock acts call in to wish the band along with fans.

More than 30,000 people worldwide view the pre-launch and launch itself. 7000 ringtones downloaded in the first 9 days on the pre-launch pages.

More than 1000 direct downloads happen on the site in 7 days as fans all over the world get their hands on an album that is hailed by many world over
as an path breaking new sound in Indian / International rock.

motherjane videos Fields of sound and Chasing the sun go on Youtube. “Fields of sound “gets featured on youtube India and as the music video of the
day by editor. 18,000 hits within 10 days of release.
Aum-I artistes present to you a band that is unarguably & inexorably redefining the sound of Indian rock – motherjane.

Baiju MD Clyde D’Rozario Deepu VS John Thomas Suraj Mani

Lead Guitars Bass Guitars Rhythm Guitars Drums & Percussions Lyrics & Vocals

motherjane is signed with and managed by Aum - I Artistes Pvt. Ltd. For gigs, Contact :
For Sublicensing, Promotion & Distribution of their works, please contact
+91 97414 97532
Aum -I Artistes Pvt. Ltd. suraj@motherjane.in
No.432, 4th Cross, 2nd Block,
for information, downloads, reviews, videos and above all -
HRBR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, the music, visit :
Bangalore, India - 560043 www.motherjane.in
Ph: +91 80 4168 7631 , Fax : +91 80 4168 7632
admin@aum-iart.com

2008 All rights reserved. Aum - I Artistes Pvt. Ltd.