Mikey McCleary, India's new all-female band W.I.S.H aim to recapture pop music

This writer was still young when 2002 happened It was the year when Devdas and Harry Potter The Chamber of Secrets were released a year when Avril Lavigne ruled the pop charts overseas In India amidst the sea of Adnan Sami Sonu Nigam and Band of Boys the first Indian allfemale band Viva emerged While the group disbanded with the fading of Indipop it left a marker Itrsquos what these new kids on the block WISH hope to emulateLaunching their first single Lazeez on March 1 the band includes Riya Duggal AKA Ri Simran Duggal AKA Sim Zoe Siddharth AKA Zo and Suchita Shirke AKA Suchi The four artistes have teamed up for a second run for the title of Indiarsquos allgirl pop band GenZers all the band is being mentored and produced by Mikey McCleary and his Bay Music House production in collaboration with Sony MusicldquoMost of us knew each other in some wayrdquo shares Sim ldquoRi and I are sisters Zo and I were part of a band that never really took off I had met Suchi back in summer camp at schoolrdquo Sim reveals Three of the gang mdash Ri Suchi and Sim mdash are Mumbaikars while Zo hails from ChennaiYet neither knew the other was being selected Ri was the first finalist from the auditions by McCleary that went on for several months through 2022 ldquoThe auditions had been going on for a while when we were reached out tordquo she shares adding that while the quartet knew each other it was only after joining the band that they truly discovered the chemistry ldquoIt took us a while to find the right group and find the chemistry With the four of us the group is way more organicrdquo Ri remarksThe band at a rehearsalThe key the group says is to have fun ldquoWe have grown up watching Destinyrsquos Child and Spice Girls Right now we are going to be launched as a girl band and there hasnrsquot been one in 22 years There is some weight on our shoulders But we have worked on this and are ready to show the world what we have in store for themrdquo says SuchiA preview of their soontobereleased track reveals a vibrant harmony with fun lyrics and visual style ldquoWe collaborate write and sing together It is a grouporiented projectrdquo Zo tells us Over the last two years the quartet has been working towards their project slowly building imbibing skills production and stage presence among other things Sim describes the track as the pop music you can dance to ldquoIt has Latin vibes and is a mixture of many fun and quirky thingsrdquo This was further sharpened and honed by the veteran at hand McClearyWhile Ri Sim and Zoe are familiar with the stage mdash having released YouTube and Instagram reels Suchi admits the experience was a novel one ldquoRight from recording to music videos and the shooting process mdash nothing like this has happened to me beforerdquo she notesLike all girlbands the quartet also shares a bond of sisterhood Ri and Zo take on the roles of the older siblings while Suchi and Sim bring up the sass Ri explains ldquoWe all grew up with sisters So Sim and Suchi are younger sisters while Zo and I are the elder sisters in the familyrdquo Sim says that mischief is a part of being the younger sister ldquoSuchi and I are the naughty ones We are always joking around We are not bullies but we tease them a lotrdquoThis fun they say translates into music ldquoThe first time when we were in the studio I was worried that the collaboration would end up in a muddle where too many cooks would spoil the broth But the synergy was just right Ri came up with the melody while someone else came up with the lyrics that spurred Sim to a harmony Somehow it all just flowed togetherrdquo says SuchiFrom their music to the fashion the diversity of their ideas was represented both sonically and visually ldquoThe video is a blend of Indian and Western styles as is the music But they are used in such a way that it is super fresh and unique It is very pop which I donrsquot think we have had in a long timerdquo remarks ZoWith their first single ready to open in March the band is looking to reshape the future ldquoWe also want to enjoy the craze that we want to bring to the audience when we perform We are just very excited about itrdquo concludes Suchi It sounds like a fun future to look forward toOn March 1Log on to Lazeez on Spotify Apple TunesHear it from the producerGirl bands and boy bands throughout the world have been an important part of the pop culture I observed that it was missing in India for the past 20 years One can only speculate why there hasnrsquot been a girl band for so long I would guess that because Bollywood has a combination of music dance and glamour it perhaps has dominated the entertainment culture in India I think the pop culture is coming back nowI auditioned a number of them through my contacts and by asking around in the music industry The line up went through many changes until we found the right combination What sets these four girls apart from the other competitors is that everyone is multitalented are good singers and good dancers but most importantly also have an individual look More than that they have the right mentality and dedication Itrsquos not just dancing and singing theyrsquove received physical training as wellI have been guiding the direction of it all musically It has been collaborative and we have experimented in all genres The music comes under the pop genre but wersquove had Latin influences EDM influences and trap influencesMy role as a producer is to know where their strengths lie and making those shine The next five months are going to be really heavy on creating content and a fan base After that the show season will begin and the band will perform at colleges and concerts around India I also have plans to make a TV reality show where the girls will live together in a house and fans can witness the drama of their lives Mikey McCleary