Dubai rockers Point of View release new single

They've been there, done that and are still hitting the high notes with their music. Dubai-based rockers Point of View (PoV) who have performed widely in the region as well as in India are known for their hard-hitting sound.

PoV frontman Nikhil Uzgare was also involved in what could be termed as Bollywood's first progressive rock song when he sang the title theme in the movie Irada.

The band has been officially endorsed by former Guns N Roses guitarist Ron Bumblefoot Thal who supported them for their debut album Revolutionize the Revolutionary a few years back. Then, earlier this year, the band hit a career high when they were handpicked to open up for Guns N Roses at their Dubai concert.

Since then, PoV has been actively working on the second album which will be released in mid 2018. But before that, they have lined-up some singles and the first one Just Like Me from their upcoming album will be released on Friday, December 22 at an event at Scarlet Cardinal, Sofitel Hotel, JBR Walk.

Just Like Me is a song about women empowerment. The song highlights the struggle that women go through while emerging victorious and strong. What makes the single special is the involvement of Bollywood music director Neeraj Sreedhar (of Bombay Vikings fame), who helped produce the track along with PoV guitarist, Arsh Sharma.

Sreedhar is expected to be there at the launch event which features performances by two local bands, and Wadeeah Al-Meshkhas of the rock band As Per Casper, who will join PoV for a special song. The free to enter event kicks off at 7pm. We speak to PoV's Nikhil to know more.

Tell us about the new single you are launching in Dubai.

Just Like Me is a new single off our upcoming second album. Our second album will be released sometime next year, but as a band we wanted to put out a few singles to give audiences a feel of what is coming at them.

Who wrote the song and who scored the music on Just Like Me?

I wrote the song while Royden Mascrenhas (guitarist) scored the riff and the music.

The song is about women's empowerment. Can you tell us more about that?

Yes, the song talks about women who have fought against odds - physical, mental and emotional abuse. Women have always been an easy target. But regardless of the situation, a lot of women have achieved amazing feats and have proved a point to the patriarchal society we live in. We have just released the video of this single online (ww.youtube.com/watch?v=QSvy7h40vhw).

How was it working with the experienced Neeraj Sreedhar?

For us, the icing on the cake was the magic touch that Neeraj Sreedhar brought to the single. Sreedhar is a leading Bollywood music director and has scored the music for the Bollywood film Irada. The title track of the film was promoted as the first progressive rock track in the Hindi film Industry. The song did well and we decided to get Neeraj to overlook the finalisation of this track as well.

Now that the single is done, when is the album going to be released?

The album will to be out sometime next year. We have the songs ready. It is now just a matter of tracking them and documenting them.

Anything else you want to share about Just Like Me?

All of us have fought our own wars. If anything, most of us have come out stronger. I believe it is important to share our stories. Even if your story inspires one person, and helps that person deal with an issue at hand, you have then done your bit. Just Like Me is all about that. It is important to inspire. It is important to feel good about yourself. And it is important to pat yourself on the back once in a while.

How has PoVs music been received so far?

We are thankful to be around for so long and we are grateful to our followers. I would say, we have been well received.

Dubai, Bollywood, what next?

PoV will always be a rock band! Bollywood is too mainstream for us, but yes, with me doing some Bollywood stuff, PoV is keen on bringing in our heavy sound into the industry. I am sure the industry will accept this sound as well. It is a fast maturing industry. On the International front we do have some gigs coming up in India and Nepal next year.

michael@khaleejtimes.com

• City Times