“Our music is mystical and whimsical” - Danial and Wishaal

music interview

Chemistry, whether in romance or in music, can manifest in inexplicable ways. This is evident in the case of Tarbooze, a husband wife duo band, on their way to creating greatness in the music industry together. Danial Shahid and Wishaal Khalid are the perfect pair, just like their music; a delightful combination of thought-provoking lyrics and good voices. “We have known each other for seven years now, and two years ago we decided to form a musical duo and release what we were doing just for ourselves into the world for everyone to listen.

I am Wishaal, the songwriter for our band Tarbooze, he is Danial, the guitarist, the bassist and the producer for Tarbooze and also my husband,” shares Wishaal. “When we got married, we started doing covers together. I used to play the guitar and she used to sing but it was just a casual thing. We decided to give music more time and more of a chance and that is how it all began,” reminisces Danial. This week You! is in conversation with the husband wife duo behind the band Tarbooze, who share their likes and dislikes with our readers…

You! How did you come up with the band name?

Wishaal: When we decided on the name, it was completely random. He was saying random names out loud for the band. One of them was Tarbooze, and when he said it, it just felt right.

You! What is your EP about?

Danial: ‘Taraqiati Kaam’, our EP, was released with the thought that art needs to be enriching: the culture, the mindsets, to make us believe in ourselves. I think lately the music that has been coming out or the art that is being released, in my opinion is not enriching enough to add something to our culture, to change our thinking in a positive way.

You! Which is your favourite song from the EP?

Danial: ‘Aatish’, it’s very close to my heart.

Wishaal: ‘Toofan’ I have an emotional connection with it and also, I produced it.

You! What was your first experience with music?

D: It was with Junoon. I used to get free tickets to their concerts and I fell in love with rock music, especially. I started playing music when my school was offering music classes, and that is what really started it for me.

W: I was always a singing, dancing baby. I was exposed to Pakistani and Indian music very young. It kept evolving, but it always meant a lot to me. It changed my emotional state due to the emotional connection I had with it. But I only started playing music after I met Danial and he encouraged me to play, his presence in my life was a huge factor to play.

You! What is the writing process for your songs?

W: I was always writing poetry, so it was an automatic process of combing my poetry to make songs. When I first wrote a song it was just pure expression and it was coming directly from my heart. I didn’t stop to question whether it was good or bad, it was just honest. It just flowed through me. It didn’t occur to me although we are always questioning ourselves, whether we are good enough, should our music be out there? Does it need to be taken so seriously? But the answer has always been yes. The writing process has been set right now.

D: She is the master of words and I do the music, but we have encroached each other’s space. We are integrating each other’s talents. She’s producing music now and I’ve been helping in writing as well.

You! What is the theme of your EP?

D and W: Our songs are quite serious, very existential, and full of angst, protesting against things - mystical and whimsical. As we move through adulthood, looking at the state of the world and the reality around it. How blind we are to the beauty of life and how we suffer. These are lessons that life taught us and we learnt them by writing these songs.

You! Who are your musical influences?

D: Noori, Nirvana, Tame Impala, Misbah, Poor Rich Boy.

W: Growing up, Zeb and Haniya were huge influences on me; it was so powerful and fierce. Sufi music has always had a huge impact on me, their words and poetry.

You! Which song was the most difficult for you to write?

D and W: ‘Surkh’. We started from scratch many times.

You! What does music and writing mean to you?

D and W: The songs are personal but also universal. They are personal to us and our lives but at the same time, they are universal, they’re going to mean something else to someone else.

You! What has been your favourite performance so far?

D and W: KCR, Karachi Community Radio. It was so fun to play for the people there. It really felt like they were listening.

You! Best advice you received as musicians?

D and W: This was before a performance; it was one of our mentors Daniel Panjwaneey from Cape Monze Records. He said if you perform on a full stomach you’ll feel like the king of the world and if you perform on an empty stomach, you’ll never want to perform again.

You! How do you deal with creative blocks?

W: Nothing in nature blooms all year, then how do we expect ourselves to be creative all the time? I don’t see it as blocks but see it as life.

You! How would you describe your music?

D and W: Whimsical and mystical.

You! One thing you like best about yourselves:

D: My humour, I can laugh at anything. Most of the times it is in my head.

W: My tenacity and my courage. Never backing down, falling getting up again. However, bad it gets. Even if I’m crying before doing something, I still do it.

You! You are afraid of…

D: Losing or breaking my musical instruments or my tech things. I can’t even stand a scratch on my phone.

W: Pain.

You! Your most valuable possession:

D: My musical instruments.

W: My ukulele.

You! Your all-time favourite movie:

D: ‘Train Spotting’.

W: ‘The Fountain’.

You! Favourite Pakistani artists right now:

D and W: Janoobi Khargosh, Misbah, Nadir Shahzad, Poor Rich Boy, Natasha Humera Ejaz, Shorbanoor.

You! Do you have a hidden talent?

D: All our talents are public at this point.

You! What advice do you have for young artists coming into the field?

D: Don’t follow the rules, just create.

W: Keep criticism at an arm’s length; always take it with a grain of salt. The answers will come from within.

You! Who’s your biggest inspiration?

D: My grandfather from my mother’s side. His way of tackling life inspired me.

W: Carl Jung.

You! Define happiness in three words:

D: Expensive. Musical. Equipment.

W: My. Fifteen. Cats.

You! How do you spend your Sundays?

D and W: Socialising, lazing around, playing music together.

You! Your favourite place in the entire world:

W: The sea for the both of us.

You! What do you hope people take away from your music?

W: I would say that I want them to feel a lightness, people who are in pain, who are hurting, who don’t see light, I wish they would feel relief when they listen to it because that is what I felt making them. Music just seems to do that for me. Whoever needs it finds it.

D: I hope that they take away what we were feeling at the time. Our feelings that we can’t communicate with words, but through music.

You! Who would you like to collaborate with?

D: Actually the artist we wanted to collaborate with, we are working with them right now: Misbah. Other than that, Junoobi Khargosh, Poor Rich Boy are my top 2.

W: Haniya of Zeb and Haniya. I would love to work with Shorba Noor as well.

You! If you weren’t doing what you are doing today you would be...

D: I wanted to be an architect when I was younger or a videogame developer.

W: I wanted to be a lawyer when I was younger. I’d probably be pursuing in academia.

You! Where do you see yourselves in the next five years?

W: I want to be more of myself; I want to care less about what others think of me. I want to be driven by the goals that I set for myself.

D: Hopefully, doing music full time.