In most bands, members work permanently with their own team. But breaking stereotypes, Riverman Band, is a sessions-only band where the musicians only get together for practices and gigs! The six-member band, known for their original compositions, labels their genre as ‘listener friendly’. In a candid chat, we find out more…
The band, which was formed in 2014, was initially a tribute band to Dwight Pattison, legendary rock and jazz musician and Luke’s late brother, from Kolkata. “Osi and I have been friends for a while, and wrote songs. Later, we decided to make music, and what better way than pay tribute to and perform Dwight’s music,” smiles Luke Pattison, the bassist.
“All of us have been formally trained in music. We are based on a very professional model where we rehearse for a few days before a performance, and then do our gig together,” continues the co-founder.
“Since we are sessions-only artistes, some of us do have nine-to-five jobs. Prashant, the vocalist works at Oracle while Joshua, Osi and Ruhee are full-time musicians,” says Luke, who also works at a corporate firm. Man By The River, Stay and Bring It On, the band’s singles have been very well received throughout the city.
The band who will be performing at OOHeaven with Mumbai-based viral solo artiste Vernon Noronha soon have already performed at a number of venues including Hard Rock Café, BFlat, BlueFrog, Extreme and even at Mount Carmel College!
“The band has greatly evolved. As musicians, we feel the need to constantly evolve in our music,” pitches in Osi Gomango, the lead guitarist. What exactly do they mean by listener-friendly music?
“There are a lot of symphonies and rhythms, as well as soothing mellow vocals. We want to enjoy performing as well as want our audience to forget their worries, at our gigs,” adds Pattison.
So what’s next? “We have plans of an album which has been on hold due to financial constraints. We have around six singles almost ready for release, and are hoping for an opportunity to perform on a larger scale,” says Ruhee Ahmed.
