INTERVIEW: Reverrse Polarity

Achievements:

1.Channel [V] Launch Pad Winner
2.1st band from India to be on cover of Rolling Stone Magazine
3.Featured on People’s Magazine

Alright we gave you people the complete introduction of the band that we are meeting today on Metal Wani as they had been on lil hiatus for sometime. We are extremly happy to have Reverrse Polarity bassist Jordan here to share with us their proud moments and tragic moments as well.

1. Hello friends! The very first question that struck my mind, when I heard of you guys, was how was the name: REVERRSE POLARITY chosen?

Jordan: Video games is a big part of all of us in the band and for quite a while the game world of war craft was very popular with us , one of the characters in the game "Magnus " has a special power called Reverrse Polarity which attracts objects from all around him towards him , this was something we were trying to express with our music the name was suggested and the name stuck ever since.

2. How and when did Reverrse Polarity actually hit the roads?

Jordan: Shikhar and Jordan used to be in a band called bitchslap ,after the band split in 2007 everyone parted ways but later in the summer of 2008 Jordan and shikhar met up and discussed a new project , soon through common friends they met gaurav and they began to jam and it took a few months to find the right kind of drummer and to our luck Jonathan stepped in and the band was formed 3 of September that year after writing 3 songs the band played their first gig alongside scribe and descarta at the ultimate Mumbai. We won launch pad and well that got us loads of love in the form of gigs, and various other things. with the love and support of blue frog and Channel [V] we have played some of the most amazing shows.

3. Within 5 months of being a band, Reverrse Polarity won the title of Channel [V] Launchpad. How and when did you guys gear up for the battle?

Jordan: Well to be honest it was alot of hard work we were on a 5 month old band and had 3 songs ready , we honestly did not think we would make it through considering the other bands were way more experienced that us , we were somewhat the underdogs of the competition and this was reality TV it was pretty confusing at first . but as we progressed through the rounds that’s where our band chemistry started to build , lyrics were coming easy and so was the music , We remember every day shikhar and Jordan would expect to get eliminated and gaurav would come and say you know what we are winning this round and we actually did , gaurav maintained his calm throughout and Jonathan was always ready even when we had less time to practice on the drums .in the end all our hard work played off as we build a pretty good fan base who till today recognize us as the boys in red or red demons. launch pad was a great experience for us as we got to meet allot of different bands from different cities and there was this brilliant give and take of knowledge that was bestowed upon us. in the end we learnt that if you want something really band and bring in hard work and dedication anything is possible. All these musicians helped us and we kept writing material in a span of 8 days jamming on our beds and on the terrace and eventually we made through till the end won.

4. You guys got a lot of exposure and recognition after winning Launch pad. How did the things change in your life afterwards?

Jordan: It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, to play gigs, making music throughout the day and I guess winning a competition is way easier than preparing for what comes after that, over night we reached our goal and now came the tougher part which was “ keep getting on that stage and giving it a 150%. Soon after launch pad Jonathan left for California and Hamza Kazi joined in his place to fill in for him, but with tight schedules and dealing with the real world we fell off the wagon for a while and it was a logistical nightmare ,as it is we were really depressed with not having Johnny around . But to our luck Vivek Gupta who was our most recent friend and one of the producers of launch pad joined the crew as the band manager and really helped us bounce back. So when johnny returned in 2010 we were ready with new songs and a whole new experimental sound .

We were really saturated with the whole journey as a band we had spent too much time together and we jammed all the time it was like we knew nothing else to do. We got really really tight as a unit. The time in the jam room was the best time in the world and we wrote and wrote..!

5. What made you guys employ 2nd vocalist? How did Viraj fit in?

Jordan: Viraj Is The most strangest member. He is one of our closest friend. We were a 4 piece band and wanted to try something new , we thought 2nd heavy vocals would work out perfectly. His use was really vital to gaurav and it helped him write a lot of songs in a way that expressed loud duality through them. His presence Is Our Family.

6. Major achievements after winning launch pad were: 1. First band from India to be on cover of rolling stone magazine, 2. Featured on people's magazine. Describe your feelings? 

Jordan: Regarding "feelings" wow!!! We can’t put it down in words. For appearing on the cover of rolling stones and featuring on People's Magazine, it was the biggest achievement we could ever want. Rolling Stones for any musician and well for us was freaking awesome!!!! Being on People's Magazine Got us a Separate Community Checking Us Out which was a brilliant start. This is something we will show our kids. We all dreamed of it but to actually live in that moment is something else.

7. June 26th 2011 was the black day in the history of Indian metal scene. due to a tragic accident in Delhi, Jonathan passed away. All the Reverrse Polarity fans were drowned in sorrow. What actually happened?
 

Jordan: To tell you the truth no one really knows what happened , there are several versions of what could have happened that night . It’s been a year and we still don’t have answers. We met every weekend and had the best times, Gaurav was the only one who also went for a random 3:30a.m. Vacation to so place to jump in a fresh water stream with Mr. Jonny Crazy Guy. He left for Delhi for some courses and was on the outskirts. Some building with some really poor architecture as Griffith(Jonny's and our younger brother) explained to us was where he fell and passed away. Gaurav and Viraj picked up his body from Bombay airport. On the day of his burial which was the world’s longest was definitely our most mind shattering and extreme experiences. Rahul Hariharan from B.M. played the snare as we put our brothers body down. With every sound of that snare beating, as we stood there for 45-50 minutes watching our own favorite, the most talented, the most loved and definitely coolest brother become one with earth caused a part of all of us to disappear with him. It had to a very extreme level also mentally derailed all of us. That day we lost our the spine of the band and shared the darkness. We still remember the words that Jonas mom told us and to this day we follow by it. Our aim was to project our work as a band and also to show the people what madness we have created together , keep his memory on with the name “REVERRSE POLARITY”

8. Throw some light on Justice for Jonathan.

Jordan: The news papers without any proof or waiting for the autopsy report decided to spread rumors of the occurrences of that night. We know Jonathan and we want the world to know the truth , Jonathan was an awesome human being and did not deserve what they did, he deserves justice , that page is for all those who support him.

Justice For Jonathan was letting the people and press know how baseless these stories are. The Test Results show Jonathan had no alcohol in his blood stream they completely bent the ways to inform you of someone passing away into their own entertaining story.

9. Gautam Beb took drum duties after Jonathan’s unexpected demise. How did things change after this?

Jordan: Drummers change a lot of things in a band. They are the pulse of the band, so for us to find someone who connected with us was a rough task, after 5 months Gautam came in the picture and we jammed to see we had something going on. And day 1 and that was it. Gautam is a goal-setter and a wonderful human-being, change is inevitable, they both have different styles and bring different things to the table, after such a big loss Gautam has been a great help reinventing the band. Of course there are lot of changes in the way our music sounds now, but it’s a pleasure watching Gautam and Shikhar kill it in the jam room. Gautam definitely makes the music of Reverrse Polarity Way Heavier than before. He is a part of our family now, a beast gone crazy.

10. The band faced several ups and downs but you guys kept fighting the obstacles and constantly reinvented yourselves. What was your strength during those days?

Jordan: The music! It teaches us till date that there is cause higher. What we faced as a band, only we can understand that. The music needs to be heard and the words need to be read is what kept us going on. Passion and dedication have always been the driving force of this band , we always feed of each other’s energy and that has always led us forward. We don’t treat the band like it’s a job, it’s like a family.

11. From where does the band draw its inspiration? What according to you makes the sound of Reverrse Polarity unique ?

Jordan: The band draws its inspirations through social and political issues, behavioral patterns, relationships, All these actions we experience are put together in phrased destruction, and the madness we hear is the collective sound of REVERRSE POLARITY. Each song is a private affair for us and there is a story to it. And with the amount of comments when a riff is bad or if beat is bad or if the vocals suck or if the bass is screwing up, we think we only make the music unique. Whenever someone’s slacking at jam they are basically screwed. It’s pretty hilarious sometimes. 

 

12. The band is currently in pre-production for their first album which is dedicated to its deceased drummer and brother Jonathan Fernandez. Whose idea was that?

Jordan: THE CREDIT OF THAT GOES TO EVERYONE FROM THE BAND, JONATHAN WAS OUR BROTHER AND THIS ALBUM WAS AS BIG A DREAM TO US AS IT WAS FOR HIM , HE DESERVES THE CREDIT TO THIS ALBUM WITHOUT HIM NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE EVER HAPPEN.

Dedicating the album to Jonny is not an idea. It’s something we just naturally spoke of when we were sitting at his house after mass with his mom. Me, Jordan, Shikhar, Our Manager Vivek, all of Jonny's brothers and sisters and his parents we at his house. 5 minutes ago all of us were under his building and could not gather the strength to go up and say anything. We were all numb with pain. Vivek finally gave us courage to go up. When we reached up we saw pictures of Jonny boy everywhere and we also met all of his family. None of us knew what to think at that point. The Music was over, The Beat Had Died and that day when Jonny's mum came and spoke to us we think we all felt ignited with a mission and never backed down. Today we are ready again and well dedicating the album to our brother as an Honor to have once played with such a talented musician of his kind.

13. We salute your spirit and affection for the departed soul. He might be listening to your prayers. Any message to him?

Jordan: In our heads we have conversations with him, thinking about the time we all spent together and the journey we took together, our message to him would be – We love you and you will always be the most integral part of our lives. You were the driving force that made us do the impossible. We will always keep you alive with us.

14. For a brief period of 2010, Hamza Kazi joined the bands on drums during Jonathans absence. How supportive was he? 

Jordan: Hamza is an awesome drummer , he was very co operative and understanding as well as very dedicated . We learnt alot from him. A pure genius and well he can blend just like the drums he plays and with him we experimented a lot and our sound diversified. We enjoyed truck loads of knowledge which we gained from him..

15. Which Indian bands that you always follow?

Jordan: All of us listen to a very wide genres. But collectively we follow Scribe, Bhayanak Maut, Skyharbor, Noiseware, Goddess Gagged, Circus, Cassini's Division, Jalabee Cartel, Shkabang,

 

16. What next is to come out of the box of Reverrse Polarity?

Jordan: Well Reverrse Polarity have always been about surprises , this is the 1st thing to come out of the box, after all this is our first album. But we are already heading in the direction of a new sound already. Who knows what comes out of the box next , but what we do know is that we are going to have a blast creating it.

17. We are really very happy to take a ride of complete history of Reverrse Polarity. Thank you so much. What is the last thing you want to say to us ?

Jordan: Always believe in music, because music is the only thing that’s still pure and can change your lives and the way you see things.may your 1st album ever cross the boundaries and reach millions of hearts so that Jonathan gets justice. We will pray for your success. Cheers \m/

 

 

Website: www.myspace.com/reverrsepolarity

Official Facebook Page Here

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Interviewed By,

Pallawi Sharma