As a band that was created as the offshoot of an idea to create a space where artists could collaborate and make material, ‘Signal W’ defines their story as a “wave.” This 5-year-old band has Devasheesh Sharma as the lead guitarist, Nihar Apte on the bass guitar, Joe Panicker on the drums, and Anukool Raman on the vocals and the synth. Initially, the band just had Sharma, Apte, and Raman working on a project. After a few demos, they were invited to play a show at the Humming Tree in Bangalore. Watching them perform, Joe Panicker of Aerate Sound invited them to record their music at his studio and filled in as a drummer and producer. Some of their other performances in Bangalore include the ones in Blue Frog and Upbeat in 2017.
Their sound encompasses various adjectives bounding vocals, synths, guitars, bass, and drums with various electronic elements. Most of their lyrical content is inspired by human feelings and emotions. They are inclined toward creating and discovering new sounds to incorporate them into their songwriting. As many influences as they have, they like to call themselves a ‘pop outfit.’
Their debut eponymous album was independently released in March 2019. What started as a bunch of songs they wrote for their gig slowly got fleshed out to the album we know and appreciate today. They offer most of their credits to Joe Panicker who was not only their drummer but also, as the band puts it – “an experienced producer who could bring our songs to life.” The album took about two years to complete and was mostly recorded in Bangalore at Panicker’s studio.
‘Whiskers,’ their most upbeat song on the album is a heartbreak song disguised as a peppy and dance-y pop rock tune. It also exemplifies the hook mentality of the band whilst preserving musical integrity to create a song that is slick and melancholic. When asked about a fun detail in the album or any of its songs, the band said that the sound of the shaker in the song ‘MEH’ was recorded using Anukool Raman’s bald head!
Signal W is currently working on their second album and we hope they release it soon.
