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Bahrain’s beloved award-winning Hotboxgroove band members are pouring their hearts out in their new track that will be launched to music lovers on Friday (October 6).
The 2023 Musivv Debut Recording Artists of the Year spent years composing the song Gutbucket based on the groovy group’s lead vocalist and lyricist, Joshua Pandit.
“Gutbucket is the story of two souls that are in love and are separating,” said the 30-year-old Indian expatriate from Gudaibiya. “There was this girl and we were very much in love. After being together for about a year, she moved back home very far away and eventually the relationship ended.
“Keeping in touch was hard and painful, considering the distance and the uncertainty of us ever being reunited. But we were still very much in love. A few months after we broke up, I received a message telling me of a difficult situation she had just faced. I felt so helpless and frustrated that I couldn’t be there for her when she needed me and couldn’t even imagine what she was going through. I received another message the next day telling me she was ok and back home safe. That night, Gutbucket began to take form and seven years later, it was complete.”
And although Gutbucket was written with Joshua’s very specific situation in mind and all the feelings that came along with it, the band believes that ‘anyone can glean whatever meaning they want from it’ as well.
“Every relationship you have in your life including your parents, wife/husband, children, friends, relatives, colleagues, band mates and so on is a gift from God,” shared Khalil Qureshi, 42, one of the band leaders from Riffa, who is currently serving in the US Navy as operations lead for entertainment on the base in Bahrain. The rhythm and lead guitarist is also involved in three other music projects – Posthypnotik, Native Tourists and Habitat.
“We keep trying to make them better, especially when it’s hard,” added Khalil, who conceptualised the name of the song and is the guitarist. “That’s what makes it all the more worth it.”
The song, recorded at Studio 77 Bahrain by recording and mix engineer Hani Taqi, also includes the talents of backing vocalists and choirs Abhinaya Thirumalai and Charlene Andrade, drums by Ryan John, bass and backing vocals by Ryan James and guitar and keys by Karl Roderick.
Szabi Nigo, who was also on the track, played the trumpet and piano and was part of backing vocals and choir as well. Rod Collins is on saxophone and Mohammed Naeem is on the trombone. The mastering engineer was Andreas Balaskas and it was mastered at Masterlab Studios in Berlin, Germany.
“Gutbucket is a blend of psychedelic soul and funk rock,” added Khalil. “The rhythm section blends the two genres smoothly and the song delivers. Josh’s smooth vocals is backed by Abhinaya and the solos in the song bring the organic vibe to Gutbucket.
“The fullness of the brass section is indeed felt. The guitar solos take you and lift you up. The choir comes in with the gospel feel. In short the sound of Gutbucket is a big band sound.”
The Hotboxgroove crew, which is made up of Khalil, both Ryan’s, Karl, Szabi and new additions Mohammed and Matt McKay, want listeners to heal from this song as it tells the story of an experience that all of us have faced at least once in a lifetime.
“We want our art to reach across the region and beyond, represent Bahrain and the island’s music scene,” added Khalil.
“We want to inspire others to write, record their own songs and just put’em out there for people to listen to the musical sounds coming from Bahrain.”
The seven minute, 50-second song will be available on their website Hotboxgroove.com and all digital streaming platforms.
Meanwhile, they are all working on their upcoming songs INDUS, which will be released in early 2024, and Silhouette.
They also have their own music projects that they are active in. Szabi is part of the Bahrain Philharmonic Orchestra. Karl and Ryan John have their Nu Metal band Kolahal. Josh and Ryan James have a reggae fusion band called Enshanti and Khalil is delighted over his upcoming solo project Quraish— his psychedelic rock band Posthypnotik and the trio project with Native Tourists.
Hotboxgroove will also be at Bahrain Jazz Festival 2023 on November 2.
For details, follow @hotboxgroove on Instagram.
