Comfortably cosied on a sofa in Radio 7’s office, the group’s Essam Bachiri and Waqas Ali Qadri couldn’t look closer if they tried, sharing laughs over whether or not to wear sunnies during an interview.
Not so long ago, things weren’t quite so rosy. The boys (minus ‘I’m-so-chilled-I’m horizontal’ Lenny who missed his flight from Miami) told tabloid! that after hitting rock bottom last summer, they had finally accepted making it big in the music world wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
“It’s a business where egos take over,” said Bachiri, finally sunglassed-up.
Relationships
“We got things wrong and it made a difference where we didn’t think it would. Simple things like showing up to a concert five minutes before going on and leaving five minutes after finishing. We had to check ourselves and the relationships we were harming.”
Proving success isn’t always enough to keep the wheels turning, Outlandish, who had enjoyed record sales of more than seven million albums and singles across 30 countries, knew it was time for a change if they wanted to keep their dream alive.
“We became really wrapped up in the industry, the touring and the business side of things,” Qadri said.
“That’s not how we started and we got lost in it. We started out as friends not a manufactured boy band and negative influences affected our relationships which in turn reflected in the music as we drifted apart.”
Cracks starting to appear after three years of intensive touring from the United States to the Middle East. Moroccan-Danish Bachiri, Pakistani-Danish Qadri and Lenny Martinez, born in Honduras and of Cuban descent, had to get back to their roots.
“To keep the music alive we knew we had to keep the friendship alive,” Qadri said.
“It’s like any relationship in this world — you have to work at it and it isn’t always easy but it’s worth it. We did what had to be done and forced ourselves to sit down and address the issues.”
But with more than just a few creases to iron out, this new leaf meant painfully scrapping more than two years of writing and recording.
“As the friendships dwindled so did the good stuff,” said Bachiri placing his hand on his best friend’s shoulder.
“Individually we had all written and produced songs and had a bank which we made a decision to dump. It was a difficult thing to do but it represented drawing a line under the past and moving forward.”
Four months later, bursting with energy, Sound of a Rebel was ready to hit the shelves.
“This album wrote itself in many ways. The passion for music and each other returned and we did what we do best. The fans can really tell [the] difference and the feedback has been inspiring.”
Sound of a Rebel, from start to finish, is the boys metaphorically being pulled from a black hole, moments away from swallowing not just their success but their confidence and identity.
Good times
However, it wasn’t all tears and tantrums. Gigs at Wembley, soundtracks for Fifa video games and remixes of legendary Bob Marley tracks were juggled with exams, weddings and a busy international tour schedule.
“We had a lot of good times too,” said Bachiri lifting his head as if to raise the mood along with it.
“We have toured the world and seen the sights. We’ve had many beautiful people coming to our concerts and we wouldn’t change any of that for anything.”
His crown of jet-black hair dipping again, there was a noticeable pause.
“There was just this dark cloud which would follow us about and once in a while show its very ugly face. We fell into a routine. Then one day we knew we had to rebel against the routine.”
So while some might say the guys are being a bit hard on themselves, the lessons learned and confusion felt ironically kick-started something very special.
Best, worst and scary
“Fans have told us this is the best and worst album we have done which is so close to the truth it’s scary. It’s the best album by far but came from such a dark place to begin with,” said Bachiri.
Chomping at the bit, Qadri interrupts: “We write music for us. The way we want it to be. People either like it or they don’t, that’s up to them. We have a way of doing music and we’ll keep doing it.”
“Next is Outlandish doing country,” said a straight-faced Bachiri.
There is a really long pause.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen but if we want it to then that’s what will happen,” he added as everyone in the room exhaled simultaneously.
A Moroccan, Arab, Pakistani, Punjabi, Muslim and Latin American fusion, these boys have attracted attention from Arab music greats, including Egyptian singer Ehab Tawfiq, as well as landing gigs supporting Santana and Busta Rhymes.
It looks like this crew is back on the road to success but what’s to stop them from tumbling again?
I’m cut off mid-train of consciousness as the answer is delivered across the air waves.
As I sat wondering whether they could read minds, note-perfect Bachiri and Qadri broke into impromptu song.
Stopping dead, Qadri looked me straight in the eyes and said: “You can travel all over the world but sometimes the answer lies in your heart.”
Goose bumps covered my skin as I fell onto the soft, green grass of the positive side of the fence.
“This is Feels Like Saving The World,” he continued his gaze fixed.
“It’s about getting through a normal day with someone you love. It’s about building, strengthening and maintaining relationships. It’s us in a nutshell. The three of us. We killed our world and then saved it all over again.”
The latest single went on acapella.
