Unscripted is a band of six members who have always been involved in the music industry in one way or another. The band currently comprises Shamika Makalanda (producer/guitars), Saveen Makalanda (bass), Steven Shera (vocals), Charith Fernando (beats/drums), Malitha Dee (vocals/guitars), and Prashan Bastiansz (trumpet/keyboard/vocals). They entered the music industry back in 2017, and for them, it was just a matter of finding the right sound and direction with Unscripted, and their career took off from there on.
They recently released a few catchy original tracks – Is It Safe Outside, Free, and Hourglass – that have made the Lankan charts.
We at Brunch caught up with the band for a chat on their music, the meaning behind their latest songs, and more.
Following are excerpts of the interview.
Tell us about the title of the song ‘Free’?
The title of the song is a play on words. The main hook of the song talks about how nothing is for free, and therefore the title “Free” was decided upon as a playful pun.
Is the song talking about a specific incident?
The song is more of a broader description of the motions that one goes through when they are on the receiving end of mixed signals from a romantic interest. So it is not about a specific incident, but it describes someone being ambiguous about their feelings towards you.
The song had clips from live performances. What was the process of putting it together like?
The video is essentially not just clips from live performances; it is the actual footage of the live performance. Putting it together definitely was no small task, especially during these uncertain times. The video production was the brainchild of Saveen and Shyamal and it took a few weeks of planning to nail the execution. The writing process of the music took place with the entire band over a week’s worth of studio time.
Did you film any part of it during the lockdown?
No, these three videos were shot on one day that was roughly a week prior to the lockdown. We did our part by strictly adhering to the guidelines outlined by the health services.
Is this song part of an album to be released in the near future?
No, but there will be a studio version that will be recorded and released as a single in the near future.
How important do you think it is to write and perform original music?
We have been performing and releasing original music since 2017. Writing and performing original music defines you as an artist; it defines your identity and your message as an artist. In other words, it’s probably the most important thing you can do as an artist.
What was the inspiration behind the song?
It was a moody day and Shamika picked up the guitar to jam a few well-placed chords. The chorus was what was scattered by Steven initially and over the course of a few days, with added inspiration from the rest of the band, this masterpiece was born. So the inspiration was a mood rather than an idea.
You also released another song previously. Tell us about it.
The previous song was a cover of an all-time favourite track. The Doors need no introduction and the track Riders On The Storm surprisingly brought an unexpected sense of nostalgia for people who had grown up playing the famous EA Sports game Need For Speed: Underground. We featured our talented friend Irshad to perform two verses on the track to bring out a completely different flavour to this well-loved song.
Do you have anything else coming up this year?
We have another original named Hourglass that came out last weekend, which is also a live production done on the same day we recorded Free. We have so much music and content ready for this year, but we want to keep some of them as surprises.
You can listen to their music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and all other streaming platforms. Check out the band’s official social media pages for more releases to come!
Instagram: @unscripted_sl
Facebook: Unscripted
