Break the rules

First it was a tad difficult to follow the words of the song that the much-acclaimed Chennai-based band Junkyard Groove was performing. It was only when we could pay some attention amid the chitter-chatter of the regular crowd of Hard Rock Cafe that we could make out the words let you go. More than watching the band perform, what entertained the audience were the antics that founder of the band, Ameeth Thomas, was doing on stage — toying with the microphone, making weird faces and head-banging (more than occasionally).

Standing at the bottom of the stage from where he sent the audience on a roll moments ago, Thomas questioned us, “How kickass was thatIJ” Before we could even say anything he continued, “I always wanted to be a rocking musician and play kickass music.” With that he set a mood where we got to know a totally different side of the musician than what he chooses to present on stage. 

He told us about how he formed his band in 2005. Junkyard Groove originally started with Thomas, Siddhu (guitarist), Jerry and Craig. “Siddu’s sister was my friend and I saw him play with a band named Powder Me Ashtray. Jerry was referred to me by another friend and Craig used to play with this band called Blitz Screen. Our first gig was in Chennai. There have been a few line-up changes over the years but Shank and Sajith have been with me the longest. I noticed Sajith when he was 15 and playing at a gig and by the time he was 16, I had roped him in. And I met Shank through Sajith,” Thomas shared. 

Unlike many who have had to fight with their family to make their mark as successful musicians, Thomas faced no such “drama.” He told us that music had always been in the family and credits his older brother Arjun (also a singer) for introducing him to rock music. He reminisced, “When I was in class X, I picked up a few chords and started writing songs. By the time I was in college, I was in a few bands, including a cappella called ‘lambadi lungis and the Chorus Mangalams’, besides a youth choir. I used to bunk class to be part of the choir. In between I did give up playing for about a year but I missed it so much that when I took to it again in 2005 I ended up forming the band.”

The group disbanded in 2012. That was when Thomas released his first solo track Movie though he pointed out it was not an individual project, “Junkyard Groove and Ameeth Thomas are synonyms, you cannot take out one from the other. I was very disappointed when the band broke but that was no reason for me to stop playing and composing. life is full of ups and downs. When you fall, you get up and continue with the journey.” 

It has been a decade that he has been in the music industry and feels the scenario for independent artistes is improving. “We had to rely on competitions to perform. People would throw stuff at us when we played our kind of music. Now, if you don’t play your own music, you are not considered an artiste, just another cover band that plays at hotels,” he laughed.

Although Thomas refers to bands and musicians like Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, A Tribe Called Red, The John Butler Trio, Ben Howard, Gemma Hayes, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and Tool as be his influences, he claims the music of Junkyard Groove is groovy and soulful. “We do not classify ourselves as belonging to a particular genre. Neither is our music similar to any other band,” he told us. This is a motto that he has stuck with since Junkyard Groove began to generate some buzz in Chennai. “People were so used to listening to familiar tunes that they disliked our music in the beginning but that did not bother us. We were not out to please people, we wanted to make music which we could connect to. We wanted to share it with people,” he added.

Yes, the band had to face a lot of rejections in the beginning but Thomas feels that what makes them a hit is their unwavering faith in their “groovy yet different” music. “Patience and perseverance always pays of and lucky we had plenty of it,” laughted the vocalist.The band is currently working on their new EP Before I go and is looking forward to playing more live gigs.