Avial (band)

2003–2008 performing live in 2019Rex Vijayan was the guitarist from the progressive rock band Motherjane in Kochi for five years. He met Tony John, then band-member of Jigsaw Puzzle, which also included Anandraj Benjamin Paul and John P. Varkey. Vijayan, Tony John and Naresh Kamath were, for a brief period, part of a dance-music troupe by Daksha Sheth Dance Company in Thiruvananthapuram. Avial was formed in 2003 with lead vocalist Anandraj Benjamin Paul, turntablist and backing vocalist Tony John, guitarist Rex Vijayan, bassist Naresh Kamath and drummer Mithun Puthanveetil. The band was named after the south Indian dish avial, which is traditionally part of Sadya, made with a mixture of various vegetables. Vijayan thought of the name with they representing a combination of various influences with their music, just like how avial is a dish blended with assorted ingredients, being the official explanation. They practised in John's home studio in Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram with new instrumentation and its original Malayalam lyrics. Vijayan is from Kollam while Puthanveetil is Kannur-based. Film-maker Pradeep Kalipurayath, creative head at Poorman Productions helped them shoot the song video and they uploaded it to YouTube in addition to releasing it in SS Music in 2003. Unsure whether it would get good reception and about singing in Malayalam, they waited for a year to begin recording their debut album Avial. "Nada Nada" went viral on YouTube and was well received. Prior to this, lead vocalist Anandraj Benjamin Paul migrated to the US with his wife, which led to John replacing him; bassist Naresh Kamath left because of being originally from the fusion band Kailasa with Binny Issac taking his place. The album sold over 45,000 copies, despite being entirely in Malayalam. They received six of the seven Jack Daniels Rock Awards in 2008 including song of the year, album of the year and band of the year in popular and critics' categories as well as the Footprints Young Achiever's Award. John said, "Language is really not an issue because the sound speaks for us. It is only the sound that matters." Record label Phat Phish Records and Doordarshan were co-hosting a reality show for rock bands, along with the musician A.R. Rahman. Avial was invited to perform at their opening press meet. During the press meet, Rahman praised the band and their song "Nada Nada". The 2008 concert was primarily a fund-raiser for the victims affected by the Bihar floods. Farhan Akhtar, a director-actor in the Hindi film industry, organised the concert. In 2009, an Italian five-piece act named A67 approached Avial through MySpace. Avial composed the song "Aana Kallan" in the 2011 Malayalam film ''Salt N' Pepper'', launching it in the music club Blue Frog in South Mumbai. "Aana Kallan" is a folk song and its lyrics were modified by Saju Sreenivasan. John said about them actually performing it in the film, "We wanted to try something different. This song is more or less like a teaser for our second album. Whereas the first album was total rock, the second will be an avial (mix) of styles with more focus on melody." In April 2012, Avial performed at the "Music, Arts and Dance" festival in Ooty. In March 2014, they performed at the second edition of Indie March at Counter Culture, Bangalore along with two other bands; this was their third show there. In September 2014, they performed live at Festember at the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. ==Musical style, image and themes==

The band refer to their style as "Alternative Malayali rock". John said, "Over the years, we've been listening to everything from the 70s, 80s and 90s, and our music is a mix of everything we've ever heard. There are just too many influences to name." Their single "Aana Kallan" is a modified version of a folk song, which is about the fraud swamis and liars, with elements of jazz, melody and funk—a lighter style compared to their first album. ==Influence==

Rex Vijayan is endorsed by Gibson guitars among other guitarists from India. The Hindu said, "In singing in Malayalam, however, Avial proves more than anything else that language isn't really a barrier for good music." The album Avial was also in their "Top 25 Albums of The 2000s", they commented, "It didn't matter that the songs had spent so many years in the cans – the band's sound, a brand of classic rock, garnished with elements of metal and electronica was fresh enough, but the vocals, sung in Malayalam further distinguished them from anything else around." Kerala-based thrash metal band The Down Troddence cited Avial as their main influence and inspiration. Rolling Stone India praised John's on-stage attitude and traditional attire. They commented, "John would only speak in Malayalam wearing his identity with a cool arrogance, and the audience shared his pride." However, they noted his "vocal flaws" after Paul's departure as lead vocalist during their first performance at Blue Frog, South Mumbai in 2011. They further said that none of John's flaws are present in the album or in any studio recording. They summed up the band as, "[Avial] will always be the band that shunned all norms – they released an all-Malayalam album as their debut and turned to their roots for lyrical and musical inspiration." ==Band members==

;Current members • Rex Vijayan – guitars, synthesiser (2003–present) • Tony John – lead vocals, turntables (2003–present) • Mithun Puthanveetil – drums (2008–present) • Binny Isaac – bass (2008–present) ;Former members • Anandraj Benjamin Paul – lead vocals (2003–2008) • Naresh Kamath – bass (2003–2008) • C.I. Joffy – Drums (2003–2008) • John P. Varkey – guitar, songwriter (mid 90s) ==Discography==

Studio albums Avial (2008) This was their first studio-album Avial, released on 8 February 2008. Track listing {{tracklist Singles {{tracklist ==See also==