By Ranjini Achuthan
MadBypass arrives in style with the release of their first rock n roll single “Mama I’m Sorry” that poses questions about life’s true calling.
MadBypass, the brand new alt-rockers in town, incidentally, started their journey by the name of “MyBadass”. For a bunch of unassuming beginners in the music scene, even something as simple as a name to their own music band needs to be measured and gauged for the majorly conformist public consumption. Owing to fear of ridicule and rejection, the band decided to chuck the provocative moniker and came up with “MadBypass”.
Fast forward to present, the fact that they are Young Turks at heart has finally shone through, as they have thrown caution to the wind by ironically naming their debut EP, “F*ck What They Think”!
The 4-piece band have managed to create the right buzz in the independent scene of Kerala, courtesy “Mama I’m Sorry”, the first single from the EP. It’s punk rock at its spirited best with throaty/raspy vocals by Kiran Paul, elaborate well-rounded lead guitar solo by Fred Martin with good support on drums by Jithin Jose and bass duties performed by Antony Raphael.
The track is fast paced with edgy lyrics that spouts youthful rebellion towards societal norms, peer pressure and conventions that break the free spirit and ambitions of dreamers who want to tread the path less taken and follow their passion. The track has been mixed and mastered by Abin Thej.
The band has also released a music video directed and shot by Drona Antony whose notable works include Fireworks by Skrat and Dreams Are Real by aswekeepsearching, among others. The video showcases the story of a man who decides to materialize his passion for music after years of slaving it at a corporate desk job that he has no interest in. “It’s a product of inactivity during Covid that made the availability of crew and cast easier and we didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity. We are glad about the warm reception that the video has garnered”, adds Fred.
With the growing “Bypasser” community in and around Kochi, the band is excited to continue putting more music in 2021. “There are 4 to 5 songs in this EP which are all almost finished and ready. We also have a second EP that is in the works and the goal is to keep building our bank of songs”, says Fred.
The band already has a reputation of being powerhouse live performers. Having started the journey in 2018, the band has played at various music festivals like Mareechika Fest, Fort Kochi Carnival 2019, Music2019 and more. “We love to be on stage and work the crowd up. The adrenaline and high that we get from expressing ourselves at live shows is the ultimate madness we strive for!”