By Ranjini Achuthan
To have a song loved by listeners even before it’s official release would be pretty special for a band. For Antariksh, Jee Le Zara is that song.
The band has been playing it live on stages all over the country for two years now and it has become an anthem of sorts, a crowd favourite. Varun Rajput, the frontman of the band admits that Jee Le Zara is very popular amongst the loyal Antariksh fans, so much so, that the audience sing along the verses and chant the chorus whenever it’s played on stage! With lockdown in place and a dearth of live gigs, the band has released this gig favourite which almost feel like a hopeful reminder, a wish for normalcy to set in.
Set in an anthemic vibe, the song is a clarion call to break the shackles of regressive, outdated societal mores that suppresses budding minds from pushing the limits and achieving their true ambitions and unconventional, brave life choices. Simple yet inspiring lyrics like “jee le zara, kar manmaaniya!” and a very hummable tune makes this one an instant energy booster.
The song, is a dedication to Varun Rajput’s father who passed away recently and the vocalist-cum-producer rues, “Although the lyrics weren't initially written with this thought in our heads, but now it almost feels like I’m singing the song to him. He loved traveling, singing, playing hockey, writing poetry and doing all he loved but ended up sacrificing his interests to save for retirement.”
Jee Le Zara has moments of calmness, high energy double hook line consisting of lyrical vocal harmonies and a rousing chorus section. The song is a pop rock in its true essence and the most surprising element of the song is an edgy dubstep segment that gives the song and the music video a dynamic layer of spunk and gutsy vigor.
Joshua Peter, the keyboardist and backing vocalist of the band has also done programming for the track. The song has been mixed by M Krishna Rao at Lotus Tree Studios and Gaurav Chintamani at Quarter Note Studios. Mastering has been handled by Steve Nagasaki at Nagasaki Sound, Las Vegas.
For the music video directed by Mohit Kapal and shot by Jason Vaz in four cities, the band has roped in an impressive cast of five inspiring personalities from around the country who have managed to defy the odds to pursue their dreams and achieve success in their own unique ways. A wellness writer, a poet-cum-teacher, a skateboarder, a photographer-cum-hoola hoop artist and a dancer-cum-fashion designer/stylist/art director/model/performing artist, are all seen playing their real-life selves; dusting off their inhibitions, stepping out portraying how they are living their life the way they truly want celebrating the present moment like there is no tomorrow.
Jee Le Zara is, in short, a youth anthem encouraging the new generation to live a life of free will and purpose without worrying too much about the destination. Check out the band’s social media page to know more about the song and the artists in the video.