I am sure that most of you have listened about the band “The Sketches”, because there is pretty awesome feedback on their work by the music listeners. So, we thought that we should have a One-On-one with the band so that our readers and the respected listeners can know them better.
Here goes the interview ; After the formal Greetings ;
PakiUM: SO , Lets start with the band, an intro about the band members , the crew and management ,like how things work in and outside the band?
The Sketches: “THE SKETCHES”
Saif contributes in the band as the vocalist and Naeem as the lead guitarist.
The Band line up is:
Jansher ( Rhythm Guitarist)
Awais ( Bass Guitarist)
Asif ( Drummer )
The crew of TEAM THE SKETCHES consists (which carries all the managerial and promotional activities ) :
Aziz ( Photographer/Web designer )
Kashif ( Art work )
Jansher(Web-Matters)
Awais(In-house Management)
BAND MANAGER : Danish ( Manager )
and various other friends. Without these friends “The Sketches” stood as a soul-less band.
THE SKETCHES is settled in Jamshoro, where we work to uplift all the matters relating to our band. We drive this musical vehicle with the fuel of team work and commitment.
PakiUM: Nice. SO,when actually did you step in the music arena? What was your first piece of work?
The Sketches: Exactly cant recall the time when we get into all this ,but it all started by the time we started knowing the mother nature, environment and things all around Uplifting us to express our feelings in form of music. Because everything around us make us feel the music. We think that the world is music itself too.
First piece of work officially recorded by THE SKETCHES was “BHOOL CHUKAY” and I guess there were some balled we both individually did during teen ages and at that time we didn’t even know each other well.
PakiUM: Wow! Thats great!
Who inspired you people to enter the industry? Did family support?
The Sketches: Our parents were at mid of their behavior; they neither allowed nor restricted us to go for this. We basically got inspiration from multi-colored folk and sufi singers, folk instruments of various cultures, nature, Jamshoro the city of darlings, Indus River Myths , and the list goes on and on.
PakiUM: How was it to produce songs with a folk back ground? I mean how did you people came up with such an idea?
The Sketches: Entire Indus Valley, from Kashmir to Karachi,has a rich background of folk tales, narrated by sufi saints and poets like Baba Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Sachal Sarmast. There presentation is enough to inspire all of us. We simply love this..
PakiUM: A comparatively awkward question, but there are other famous folk romantic tales other than Momal-Rano. Why not the other ones?
The Sketches: Well! This is not an awkward question! There is no any reason for going to choose romantic tale of Moomal-Rano despite of other tales. We are managing to meet to all, like Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal, Sassui-Punho, Noori-Jaam Tamachi,Umer Marvi etc.
PakiUM: Sieg Heil fellows!! Share a few lines on your album Dastkari. What were your expectations from fans and how did they come out to be true?
The Sketches: “Dastkari” returned us more than what we were expecting! actually we are amazed  from the feedback we got from our dear fans. It feels great when people play our songs in their car or load it in their music player, when we know since childhood they’ve been listening to international bands, artist etc. But I must add THE SKETCHES have supporters and fans  who are mature enough to grasp the feel within the music, appreciate our work ,communicate with us intellectually, and keep on promoting us and criticizing the weaker parts. Summing up, we are quite glad we have fans who understand our work.
PakiUM: Artists in Pakistan complain a lot about monopoly of record companies. Did you go through the same? What were the initial difficulties that your band faced? Does Social Networking helps?
The Sketches: We always look forward to talk about our own experiences. We can’t comment on people crying out loud about the monopolies of record companies in The Music Industry. On the other hand we can’t deny their very existence. We never thought of all that. We faced many difficulties which a new band has to face. We believe that without the difficulties , there remains no enjoyment. Sometimes difficulties add up crisp and passion to the effort.
Artists these days are known by their record label and it is true that we need to signed by a label in order to “EXIST“. If you disagree with policies which won’t suit your morals ,you are dropped from the label. So in this system we think artists have to struggle a lot.
No doubt, social networking these days do help the artists to promote their work but social networks aren’t enough for the artists too. He/She needs to be released by some label as music today is serious business. We thank GOD that we are doing music for expressing ourselves and for our self satisfactions, and not for being a jargon or something!
PakiUM: How do you take criticism? How does it help you?
The Sketches: We take criticism positively! But this attitude goes to criticism, not to Critic-Ism. We have tried to learn from our mistakes. But it drives anyone nuts when people apart of criticizing him, “shower” their personal BHARAAS on him. This turns us little red too 🙂 but in such a case we tolerate,enjoy and learn.
PakiUM: Define Music? What is Music for you?
The Sketches: May be we won’t have an appropriate answer. What ever it is, we love it.A little we believe that music is something which can’t be explained in lines. We might not able to express ourselves in words sometimes, but Music expresses you in a neat manner. I feel if there is anything like life on other planets than the source of communicating with them might be music. Music is not dependent on any language we believe. Music to us is source of communication and way of spiritual development too..
PakiUM: Your favorite artists?
The Sketches: We love to listen to many artists/band. Some of them are the great sufi and folks singers like ALLAN FAQEER and SUFI SOHRAB FAQEER (who sung Shah’s and Sachal’s Wai in an outstanding spiritual level) , legends like Abida Parveen , Misri Khan and Khamiso Khan(who were the pioneer of instrumental performance of ALGHOZA ),  Sarmad Sindhi (never been ignored to pay true dedication)..
Apart from all of the above ,being young, we are inspired by various pop and rock bands and artists like VITAL SIGNS, JUNOON,NOORI,MEEKAL HASSAN THE BAND, CALL, CREED, GUNS AND ROSES, ALTER BRIDGE, METALICA, STAIND, PINKFLOYED, LED-ZEPLLIN, BEATLES, JOE SATRIAN,BRYAN ADAMS , S.O.A.D and many others…
PakiUM: There is so much competition in music industry, where do you see yourself in the years to come?
The Sketches: Too early to say but we believe THE SKETCHES will exist longer to entertain its fans and lovers.
PakiUM: Thanks for you precious time The Sketches..
Interviewed by:
Salman Siddiqui(Author-Team Paki UM)
