After two issue-based music videos, Strings experiment with their latest song that also features Natasha Noorani on vocals and is directed by Soheb Akhtar.
Strings, the music group featuring Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia, has that big unstoppable momentum, one that can’t be tempered with no matter what else is happening.
When the year began, Pakistan’s most enduring music group announced that after parting ways with Coke Studio (seasons 7-10) as producers, they would like to celebrate 30 years of the band’s existence and success with a new record called 30.
Since then, they have released four songs: ‘Sajni’, ‘Urr Jaon’, ‘Mil Gaya’ and the Cornetto-backed semi-butchered ‘Piya Re’.
In between, they also found time to co-judge Pepsi Battle of the Bands 3.
With the Pepsi gig now over, Strings remain committed to its promise of releasing more new singles; at least 8 songs.
With their fifth release, the recent ‘Hum Dono’, Strings have brought a strong doze of romanticism, the kind that the group is in some ways known for via its previous music videos, songs and or their interpretations by fans and critics alike.
Beyond that though, it is also a step forward sonically and structurally. As Bilal Maqsood continues to take a central role in arranging the music as well as writing the lyrics, which is also the case here, the band’s dependency on others is dissipating. At the same time, their willingness to make music and experiment with the digital age is a sign of how they have evolved.
‘Hum Dono’, directed by Soheb Akhtar – who previously directed the tribute video, ‘Titliyan’ for Strings – features the band against a somewhat rugged landscape, full of gorgeous shots, as well as Sabeeka Imam and Hasnain Lehri. It aims to tell the story of lovers, seduction, and their emotions but with a degree of nuance and restraint.
The video also employs smashing graphics, ones that elevate the entire experience. It’s more than a performance-based video or a concept-based video but lies somewhere in between, like previous Strings videos.
“When directors present us with a concept, if it depicts the songs exactly as is, it isn’t fun. We have a knack for pushing directors to think and go in a different space. Our songs have a tendency to gradually grow on you,” said Bilal Maqsood in an interview with Instep.
As for the song, ‘Hum Dono’, adding Natasha Noorani (who recently released her own EP, is a member of Biryani Brothers and co-founder of Lahore Music Meet) to the vocals is not just an intelligent but a beautiful feature within the song because it’s not your typical duet.
Hence, the addition gives the song a surprisingly inimitable edge. This could be the most textured song Strings have released from 30 so far - in many ways. But you will only pick it up if you give the song a few listens.
Speaking to Instep in an earlier interview, Bilal Maqsood, while speaking about taking on the role of lyricist in multiple songs, explained that it is not by design. “It is a natural process; it is not as if it’s a hard and fast rule that we only have to work with Abba (Anwar Maqsood). Sometimes the tunes that are being made start communicating and you start feeling very personal about it and you don’t want to give it to anyone else. It’s the same with ‘Hum Dono’. Sometimes you get selfish and you say ‘no, this is something I should do’.”
In the same interview, Faisal Kapadia also confessed that the reason the band did not play their new songs at Pepsi Battle of the Bands 3 was because they wanted to release their originals from 30, each as a single with a music video, with no elements of the song that could take a hit, particularly in a live music set-up.
“There are a lot of elements that go into making a song,” said Faisal. “And we went as judges, first and foremost. In a live performance, you may have to compromise on some of those elements. Therefore, it’s better you do the other songs.”
