MUMBAI: A musician can understand the requirements of another musician and this is true in Vibhor Hasija’s case. A keyboard player, who plays for the Tarkash band, Vibhor’s experiences, of being a band member, led to Yours Eventfully, an artist management company that caters to bands as well as solo artists. Started with an aim to groom as well as provide the righteous exposure to deserving artists.

In an exclusive interview with Radioandmusic, Yours Eventfully CEO Vibhor Hasija speaks about his brainchild, Yours Eventfully, the idea behind it, bands they handle and more.

Excerpts

Tell us about 'Yours Eventfully'? 

‘Yours Eventfully’ is majorly an A&R company, where we do mutually artist management, small-scale level corporate and social events with specific clients only.  

The idea behind ‘Yours Eventfully’ has always been to ensure, the right kind of artist gets the righteous platform to perform. We also assure that these deserving artists are able to grow in the due period of time so that they can get the right amount of exposure and thus make a mark in the industry. Also, we see to that the growth of an artist is not only in terms of bookings but a 360-degree development, in all domains like social media, production etc.

What  challenges have you faced at 'Yours Eventfully'?

We started in mid-2016 and there were different kinds of challenges, which were faced while forming the company. The first one was getting the whole team of artists together. So, managing bands is not about just one person, but about the whole team, who is working on, both, music and the passion part of the project. We, therefore, have to ensure that the team stays together and has the right, single direction to work. This is the most important thing, because if there are five people in a band, having different directions, then it’s pointless working together, as they will never be able to come to a point, where they will grow together. So, our first task was to get musicians together to make a band, production and then working on their social media.

The next challenge was the acceptance of bands in the market. Well, we were one of the few people, who started the trend of doing live bands in Delhi in clubs. Of course, it was happening, earlier, on a very large scale. But, since our inception, we were among the first few ones, who were doing, approximately, 100 to 150 shows in a month. Even today, we are proximate doing 60-70 club shows in a month. The idea behind this is opening up the pockets of artists we are working with, as well as making the client understand, what live music is and its working. We usually expect a band to dance and play commercial music, but it is important for a person, who is listening to a live band to understand their music as well as genre. This is because the job of a band is not just about making people dance, but, it is about the energy and experience they deliver during the performance. Thus, we make the audience aware of this.

What were the sources of fund? 

When it comes to funds, we have been funding the company by ourselves. We haven’t got any investors as of now, but are in the process. But, we were investing ourselves from the profits we make; we have been re-investing all the money in the company. We have come out as a very strong team, who works together, everyday and ensures the artist grows everyday.

Why did you choose to promote musical bands in specific?

The reason behind choosing to promote bands is that I, too, belong to a band. When I started my career, I figured out that I am the only person, who can take a band into the market to the next level and no one had taken the initiative then. Eventually, I found that I am fairly good at managing people, taking care of clients and conducting meetings. So, from there, we started and now we are managing solo artists as well.

Which bands are associated with you?

When it comes to bands, we manage Tarkash, Qareeb, Prahaar and an instrumental project called Made In India, which not only focuses on world fusion music but also plays a lot of Indian music. Our solo members are Vijay project (by vocalist Vijay) and a female artist called Pallavi.

Are you supporting bands of a specific genre?

A lot of bands, we manage, have a single genre, but the taste in music is completely different. As far as Qareeb band is considered, they are very good in soulful, Sufi and Bollywood numbers. Also, they make sure that the taste of their music is really unique. Tarkash, on the other hand, focuses a lot on energetic music. With Tarkash, we ensure that the client gets a mix of energy, Sufi, English etc. as it is a multi-genre band, boasting of some rich music.

What advice do you want to give to the bands that succumb to the commercial demand?

According to me, every band should work on original music like us, because the original content is the only success in the future. This is something, we foresee as an artist management company.

Has 'Yours Eventfully' extended its branches beyond Delhi?

We have already expanded to Mumbai, where we have set up our base, three months back. We have one of our key members working in Mumbai as well.

Where do you see Yours Eventfully, five years from now?

Five years from now, we may have our own I team. We also want to start our own festivals, though on a small-scale level, as well as move to bigger properties. The company is also looking forward to associating with bigger artists. But, our first and foremost task is to take our present artist to the next level. 

How has being a member Tarkash band helped you understand the bands and their functioning?

The experience of being a member of Tarkash has been phenomenal, something I can’t explain in words. But, the things, I have learnt, while playing as well as managing it, is unique and unmatchable. This is because when you play music in a band, you actually understand the requirement of an artist and the elements essential to the growth of a band. Also, It is very important to ensure that the growth is continuous, which is the only way; we can achieve excellence and success. Another positive part is that being an artist myself, understanding music was quite easy. Also, since, I could understand what people want.