The indie-rock band, Long Distances came to be as a reminder of the vast spaces that have emerged between us humans, at a time when we are, ironically, more con- nected than ever. This comes from a bunch of seasoned and perky artists. They all have a solid body of work and their inspirations make them full of glee. ‘Good honest work, dessert, dead Russian authors, life’ says Aarifah, Apurv, Zubin and Gouri in the exact order.
Aarifah on vocals, Adil on bass, Apurv on the guitar/synth/mix, Gouri on harmonies/synths, Karun on drums and Zubin on guitar/production/songwriting together make Long Distances. They got together remotely at first and still meet to make music before retreating to their habitats again; maybe to find inspiration or stay true to their moniker Long Distances.
Their music speaks to the contemporary listener because it talks about the emotions we live and speak. Their new EP, How the Mighty Will Fall, talks about grief, longing, anxieties and acceptance but is packed with pop, synths and post-punk. They told us about the subtle political context of the music as well which makes it a fresh record to listen to.
THE SENSIBILITY
Zubin: Everyone in the band has their own take on things but we feel like we are an indie band that exists at the intersections of genres such as post-punk, shoegaze, dreampop and synthpop. I think we’ve reached a place where everyone can bring themselves to the table and it kind of works without having to stick to a strict sonic blueprint. Hard in the feels, soft to the touch.
HOW THE MIGHTY WILL FALL
Zubin: HTMWF was written in the period of time between 2019-2022, inspired by the unsettling context of the pandemic and post-pandemic years, the death of family members, love lost and gained and the general shit-show of a techno social landscape that we live in today. The songs explore all kinds of emotional states. Some songs like Bridge and Empire are a bit more political in nature (something not usual for shoegaze and dreampop bands) and we like that they are grounded in a political context.
CREATIVE PROCESS
Zubin: Our creative process as with many artists and bands these days is a completely hybrid one. We are constantly sharing ideas with each other remotely, then building off that and sharing back in constant feedback cycles. But we also do write together in person. Aarifah, Apurv and I did a lot of the production, vocals and guitar parts of HTMWF songs, together in Goa and Mumbai. What is really great is now that we have the full band, for the newer songs (mostly unreleased at this point). We have been jamming together and figuring out structures and parts in the jam room together and then testing it out in gigs. I remember on a song like 'Skin to Sea', which was initially inspired by the death of my dad, I had a couple of sections but was stuck with it so I handed it over to Apurv who then added two instrumental sections that added a great emotional depth. Then, Aarifah added melodies that really completed the picture. Aarifah and I sat and sailed the vocals home to say what needed to be said. It was a great example of us being at our most collaborative stage and also coming up with a song that one of us could never have written.
Aaarifah: When we get to the studio, we’ll definitely let you know. It’s been a mixture of one of us having an idea, sharing it with the rest of the band and then working through it together when we meet for rehearsals. Zubin usually kickstarts the process, and shares it with the rest of the band. (but newer songs like 'Respond' was written by Apurv and 'Out of Phase' by Karun)
This is an exclusive excerpt from our June EZ. To read the entire article and more such pieces, follow the link here.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 26.06.2024
Photography Ronit Sarkar