It was found that Rounak Talur (13) and Daiara Talur (14) were sleeping in class. Not once or twice, but multiple times. Well, rockstars-by-night and students-by-day wasn't an equation that was going to work itself out. Especially after they formed the band V4 in July 2018, and roped in cousins Sruthi M (12) and Murali Guntuku (16) too. So their guide, philosopher and friend, and most importantly, their father Mark Talur sat them down to have 'the talk'. For a band that practises 10 to 12 hours a day, going to school would have be difficult, so a decision was made. All four would be homeschooled (which in retrospect, was a wise decision to make given the current pandemic) and continue to give their all to music. That's how their story began and we've gotta say that their decision was pretty spot on. How else could they have pulled off performing at Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi's 64th birthday celebrations or at the first virtual TEDxHyderabad event? Well now, they have arrived at a new chapter in their story. The band, which plays progressive fusion rock music, that has been singing the songs of other musicians since its inception, is coming up with their own tunes. And if you want a sneak peek, just like we did, check out the teeny-tiny glimpse of their first original composition they just put up on their YouTube channel The V4 Band. This will go into their first-ever album. Phew, that's a lot of firsts. But what else can we expect from Hyderabad's first kid’s band?
But first, the backstory
If you are a Hyderabadi, then you are familiar with the band Threeory, but if you aren't, here's a refresher. This five-member outfit is best known for blending Indian classical tunes with different kinds of world music and has a whopping 91.3k subscribers on YouTube. Co-founder and pianist of Threeory, Mark Talur, was the first one to learn about the quartet's intention to form a band. "It was our father's band and he inspired us to start our own band. It was he who gave us the vision for our band," says Daiara who takes charge of the conversation right from the start while the other three pitch in with their vehement nods, giggles and occasional inputs. Needless to say, all the four learnt everything they know from Chennai-born Mark. Reeling back to the present, Daiara, whose voice fills with excitement, tells us, "When we performed film songs, we slowly understood how we can compose our own songs. The ultimate aim is to compose for movies one day. We want to collaborate with other musicians, participate in a travel series across India and make people listen to our very own music, where music will become the unifying language."
Taking off
Zombie. It was this song by the Irish rock band The Cranberries that V4 first played. "Since we all live in the same house, it was impromptu jamming sessions that made us realise our united potential as we were already doing our thing before we started the band," explains Daiara who was the band's violinist until she stepped up to become the lead singer when they realised they needed one. Murali started with the keyboard but found his true calling once he had a guitar in his hand, while Sruthi who played the guitar soon switched over to the piano and bass. What about Rounak? "Oh, I would have been a footballer if it wasn't for the drums," he says.
The toughest lessons that the four young musicians had to learn was coordination on stage. "We can't plan everything at home, some decisions are taken on stage. Now it feels like we have developed our own language of talking," shares Daiara jovially. They've also learnt the attitude they should have —confident and fierce on stage and humble off it. And for all those who are wondering where they get their stage outfits from (especially Rounak who is known for his style), it's H&M and Cover Story. For a band that has given over 100 performances, they need to look sharp and at their best, you know! While we are talking about lessons, Daiara lets us in on the fact that it was music that helped her through a really rough period in her life. "Music gave me an identity and I forgot all about my insecurities. Thank God for the band," she sighs. Rounak too speaks up and says, "I literally had no patience in life. I used to break things, but now, I think I've learnt to be more patient," he says.
The four are making the most of their time right now by not just focusing on their album, but also on themselves. They are learning difficult pieces and concentrating on honing their own talent just as much so that together, they can be better than ever. "We want to inspire other children to follow their dreams and show that it is possible," says Daiara while the three nod vigorously.
Meet the members
Daiara
She speaks up on stage, fills in the silences between the songs and sings like an angel. She is also learning to cook and aspires to participate in MasterChef one day
Rounak
He is a pro on the drums, but he has other talents like rapping and beatboxing as well. He loves football and used to play it regularly before he started taking music more seriously
Murali
He is their resident guitarist and apart from music is really interested in engineering and all things electrical. He is also the go-to man for when the mixer is not working and other technicals issues like that
Sruthi
It is this pianist and bassist who composes the chords and that's where their original composition starts. This sweet girl wants to be a doctor and help others
Must listen
Cover of Ghungroo from War
Instrumental cover of Ilaiyaraaja's Aakasam Enatido
Cover of There Is A God by Lee Ann Womack
Cover of Priyatama from the movie Majili
For more on them, check out bit.ly/2CCj6tm
