Intro The band Junkyard Groove

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What do you get when you put a drummer with heavy metal roots, a guitarist

with classic rock roots, a bassist crazy about Jazz and a very 'volatile'

vocalist, in one band?

JUNKYARD GROOVE

This band has carved its own unique niche in the Indian rock scene, fusing

rock with funk to give an uplifting style that reaches out to all ages; wowing

the audience with a tight, high energy, flawless, musical stage performance.

Ever since its conception in the summer of 2005, Junkyard Groove was

nothing but your silly sense of humour trying to be creative and once it got

rolling there was really nothing anybody wanted to do in terms of changing

direction or slowing down the pace of things.

With an inspirational songwriter in Ameeth and equally brilliant musicians in

Jerry, Sid and Craig the band came up with some "wicked" compositions with

truckloads of promise.

The competition held at Le Royal meridian Chennai saw the band land up in

second place, bagging the best guitarist award and probably the best

verbally outrageous band award, if ever one existed. From there on the band

tasted sweet victory at JIPMER winning best band, vocalist, guitarist,

drummer and own composition and the second best bassist and rhythm in

SPANDAN 2005. Next stop was one of the bands most memorable gigs at

NLS' Strawberry Fields, an extremely excellent experience, with loads of love

and respect to all the people who made it feel like home. Madras Christian

College came next and that saw very similar results with best band and best

drummer. But the main highlight of the evening was, that from the previous

show in Bangalore (NLS Strawberry Fields) the band grew a small fan base

which resulted in the audience randomly requesting for their songs. Next up,

home town competition at IIT Madras was great fun. The band made it

through to the finals and walked away with best guitarist and a fancy Fender

as a prize. Junkyard Groove came back to their favourite haunt JIPMER to

perform at the SPANDAN 2006 pro show.

A kick-ass performance at SHAMAL, Dubai saw them emerge victorious and

landed them a 3 year recording contract with Creative Kingdom Records,

USA. The band was the opening act at Dubai's Desert Rock Festival 2007

opening for the likes of IRON MAIDEN, INCUBUS and ROBERT PLANT.

Our websites:

http://www.myspace.com/

junkyardgroove

http://web.mac.com/

junkyardgroove

Contact us:

junkyardgroove@gmail.c

om

Arjun Thomas

(Manager):

9840955588

alittlesong@gmail.com

 

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The Guys

Jeremiah John (drums), a Dubai born Indian, left for India

to further his studies and to get back to his roots. Like any

other Dubai born Indian who uses this excuse, he

attempted drumming for a few bands, trying to find that

special something. After about 4 years of living in India

and about 4 bands later he realized that Junkyard Groove

shared the same passion as he did. He drives this message

home with his hard pounding yet soulful work on the skins.

One of a kind around the country and loves to break it

down to killer funk beats and once in a while, spits out

some gut wrenching thrash beats. There's no stopping this guy when he's on a roll. His

skills have been proven by his cupboard full of "Best Drummer” awards.

 

Craig Maxworth (bass), born and brought up in

Chennai, played bass for quite a few bands in his early

days, many of those days in which he saw a lot of

challenges. After his previous band split, he gave up

playing bass and resorted to the simpler life. But things

were about to change when he met Jerry and Ameeth.

Calm as can be, yet capable of snapping into a fit of

violence with that guitar of his. Liquid like bass lines and

funk underlined tones bring him down to fitting in just

right. A hard worker and a team player make him highly

appreciated by the rest of the band.

 

 

Ameeth Thomas (lead vocals) has played in quite a

few bands in the past and has a talent for song writing.

Like most of the other members in Junkyard Groove,

Ameeth's quest for the right band did not quite work out

until he found Junkyard Groove. Despite his eccentric

behavior on stage, he has a talent for making one listen

to what he has to say, which would turn out to be rather

entertaining, and would shape JYG's style.

He is open to any genre and fulfills the requirement of

any song thrown his way. An extremely enthusiastic

personality and has music in his family for years now. A

complete treat to watch on stage, the party kinda person with a party kinda job.

 Siddharth Srinivasan (lead guitar) has played in

numerous bands through school and college and finally

takes pride in playing with JYG. Influenced by funk and

blues bands, fits him in just right. Cool calm and

collected, his sound is unique and different. Takes a lot

of care, to ensure that he gets the best sound out of

those pedals. 10 points for JYG!!! Leaves sound

engineers confused when he tells them what he needs.

Sid, the youngest of the lot, leaves guitarists (much

older than him) spell bound. Whether it be razor sharp

riffs or cleverly crafted solos, he’s the kinda guy that

adds to JYG’s unique sound. A versatile musician he is

and can throw you into a wall of sound, letting you know JYG is in the house!

 

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What makes JYG so special..?

What do you find when you walk into a junkyard? Bits and pieces of things that are

believed to be of no use to anyone… But if you actually look hard enough, and work

hard enough, you can build something that is special, separate.. something distinct

from anything that previously existed.. This was the ideology behind the formation of

Junkyard Groove.

In Ameeth, we find a song writer par excellence.. The power of his lyrics lie in their

simplicity and honesty. Ameeth believes that the best songs are those that can even be

played and sung by someone having the most basic knowledge of music. This belief is

shared by the band at large and is reflected in all music that they write. At the same

time, they are careful not to compromise or under utilise the tremendous amount of skill

that each of them possess with their respective instruments.

Craig provides the back bone to JYG’s sound. He always manages to play just what’s

right for a song. Craig also has an excellent lyrical aesthetic, a very different kind from

Ameeth’s, but the two combined result in a nice variety of straight forward and

philosophical under tones to their songs.

Jerry, the beat machine of the band is the groove. With his tight drumming and high

energy on stage, Jerry is easily one of the best rock drummers in the country – not only

owing to his skill but also because he improvises using modern rock techniques, jazz

techniques and good old rock and roll styles of drumming. Jerry is also a good sufi and

classical Indian vocalist.

Siddharth, the youngest member of the band is noted for his excellent guitar solos and

signature riffs. Sid’s roots lie in classic rock and blues and these influences, in

combination with the rest of the band’s more contemporary leanings, lend JYG its

unique and fresh sound.

Always trying to push the boundaries of their musical capabilities, JYG at the same time

keeps in mind why the band was formed in the first place – to deliver music that crosses

all boundaries whether age, religion or creed.

Although they play rock music, JYG never forgets where they are from and who they

are, and this is reflected in their music… For example, in the song “Folk You” the hook

line is a South Indian fisherman folk song. The song is a tri lingual lyrical melange, with

English, Malayalam and Tamil refrains. Unlike most Indian bands, they are not afraid to

experiment with different sounds, languages and techniques – they even incorporate

hip hop beats in some of their songs! (JYG has recorded two hip hop tracks with another

artist, Eddy Money, on their record label, Creative Kingdom, U.S.A.)

Another major factor in Junkyard Groove’s arsenal is their live act. With tonnes of

energy, their ability to get the crowd on their feet and involved, and their crazy sense of

humour – a JYG live performance is a force to be reckoned with and one that you are

likely never to forget. Ameeth is infamous for his stage act and perhaps what’s best

about any JYG show is that it is entirely unpredictable. However, one thing you can be

certain of is that the whole band is giving you all they have and always trying to out do

themselves. So prepare to be entertained, be it watching members of the band fall off

stage, roll on stage or beat each other up!

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Creative Kingdom Studios has undertaken to record Junkyard Groove’s first

three albums commencing in 2007. The first album will be launched in

November 2007.

Creative Kingdom Studios is a world class recording studio facility based at

the World Trade Center in Dubai. It shares expertise with its sister studios in

Los Angeles and China. Creative Kingdom Studio’s offers some of the best

equipment in the UAE including up-to-date digital recording technology

including Logic, Cubass, Pro Tools and Nuendo. Why? Put simply, we believe

you get the best of both worlds - a classic sound and a mix that will stand

alongside today's productions. So, whether it's a warm organic acoustic vibe

you're after, a larger than life hip hop production or an in your face slab of

guitar rock, we have the sound to suit. Creative Kingdom has two control

booths cross-linked to a vocal booth and a much larger recording booth

capable of handling up to 6 piece bands. Incorporated into the studio is a

chroma key wall or “blue screen” equipped with Darim software to handle

live broadcasts or any other recordings requiring a virtual environment.

The album will be recorded, mixed and mastered at Creative Kingdom

Studios.

Joshua F. Williams is the producer and engineer for Junkyard Groove’s

debut album. 10 years ago he was in a pop punk band in Los Angeles called

Sold Separately that played Hollywood venues and managed to play the

Warped tour '98 with Blink 182, Pennywise, Eminem, and a whole lot more.

While playing in Sold Separately, Josh went to school at Citrus College for

recording arts. On graduation day from college he was no longer in a band

but had an internship at a studio called frontpage recorders. On his third day

as an intern Josh was asked to do some pro tools editing on a cartoon movie

about an Ogre and a princess Fiona. He was hired the next day. From there

Josh assisted artists like Bruce Springsteen, Alanis Morrisette, Bone Thugs

and Harmony etc... as well as Engineering music for members of 'N Sync,

Backstreet Boys, Fergie, Crooked I, Krayzie Bone, and many others.

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Junkyard Groove Milestones

Flames 2005, Le Royal Meridien, Chennai, India

(2nd overall, best guitarist)

Spandan 2005, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India

(Best band, best vocalist, best guitarist, best drummer, best

composition, runner up best bassist and drummer.)

Deepwoods 2005, Madras Christian College, India

(Best Band, Best drummer)

Strawberry Fields 2005, NLS, Bangalore, India

(Best Band, Best vocalist, Best guitarist)

Utsav 2005, Madras Christian College, India

(Opening act)

World Aids Day 2005

Saarang 2006, IIT, Chennai, India

(Best guitarist)

IMS Jamcat 2006, YMCA, Chennai, India

Spandan 2006, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India

(Headliners)

Cross Roads, Alliance Francais, Pondicherry, India

(Headliners)

IIM, Bangalore, India

(Runner up band, best bassist)

Strawberry Fields 2006, NLS, Bangalore, India

(Headliners)

Shamal 2006, Dubai, U.A.E

(Overall winners)

CEPT, Ahmedabad, India

(Headliners)

Saarang 2007, IIT, Chennai, India

(Headliners)

NIFT Cultural Fest 2007, NIFT, Chennai, India

(Headliners)

Cul Ah! 2007, Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, India

(Headliners)

Dubai Desert Rock Festival 2007, Dubai, U.A.E

(Opening act on Days 1 & 2 for Iron Maiden, Incubus, Robert Plant,

The Prodigy, Mastodon, The Bravery, Inflames, Stone Sour and Prime

Circle)

Wes Borland, 2007, St. Josephs College, Bangalore, India

(Opening act)

Flames, Le Meridien, March 2007, Chennai, India

(2nd Year Anniversary Show)

Voted “Best Band of 2006” by RAVE Magazine

Rock is BAC, April 2007, YMCA Nandanam, Chennai, India

(Headliners)

Rock is BAC, May 2007, YMCA Nandanam, Chennai, India

(Headliners)

Channel V Launchpad, June 2007, Hard Rock Café, Mumbai

(Highest scores pre-lim rounds)

JYG leaves for Dubai to record their debut album, July 2007 to

August 2007

Spandan 2007, JIPMER, Pondicherry

(Headliners)

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Junkyard Groove in the media

01/06 - The Hindu: Groovy ‘n’ happening

07/06 – The Hindu: Pondy musical extravaganza

11/06 - Rave Magazine: Desi rock goes to Dubai

11/06 – Post Shamal press release

01/07 – Desicritics.org: Interview with Junkyard Groove

01/07 – The Hindu: City band goes international

01/07 – Saarang: Junkyard Groove pro-show

01/07 – Sify News: Junkyard Groove to rock before home crowd

02/07 - NDTV.com: Junkyard Groove to open Desert Rock Festival

02/07 – Indian Express, Youth Express: Chennai band grooves!

03/07 – Rave Magazine: Band of 2006

03/07 – Sify News: It feels great to open for Iron Maiden: JYG

03/07 - E+ live: Rock On

03/07 – Ame Info.com: Zee Arabiya and Creative Kingdom Records, USA, present the Dubai Desert Rock Festival

03/07 – Emirates Evening Post: From garage to the big stage

04/07 – The Hindu: Bigger bandwith

05/07 – The Hindu: Bands of Boys

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Date:03/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2006/01/03/stories/2006010300560400.htm

Metro Plus    Bangalore    Chennai    Hyderabad

Groovy 'n' happening

National Law School's three-day musical extravaganza, Strawberry Fields, swept music lovers off their feet

Spread over three days, the first two days of the event was witness to bands coming in from Delhi, Pune, Calcutta, Chennai and Mumbai

THE WINNERS Junkyard Groove lived up to their reputation of never losing a competition and wound up with delightful licks of funk rock with some inspired

improvisations to walk away with the winner's cheque of Rs. 25,000

This band started off by almost getting lost in Bangalore and could be located only after a frantic search. But when Junkyard Groove came offstage with shades of a gorgeous sunset on their backs, they lived up to their reputation of never losing a competition and wound up with delightful licks of funk rock with some inspired improvisations to walk away with the winner's cheque of Rs. 25,000 on Sunday evening at the finals of Strawberry Fields, National Law School's three-day music extravaganza at Palace Grounds. They also won the best vocalist and best guitarist prizes.

This band from Chennai played exactly the kind of music one would expect them to play: groovy with lots of life and underlined funk tones. Now in its tenth year and its third year at the relocated venue of Palace Grounds, Strawberry Fields did live up to its reputation of being the biggest and the best organised college rock show in the country.

Spread over three days, the first two days was witness to bands coming in from Delhi, Pune, Calcutta, Chennai and Mumbai. Possibly the best part of the event was the fact that there was a wide variety of music that was showcased in the preliminary rounds. It ranged from melodic black metal that brought back memories of '80s Scandinavian/Gothic metal music by Mumbai band Demonic Resurrection to truly original music by Maximum Pudding who had a sax accompanying the guitars and drums. This eclectic range was reinforced by the refreshing and original tunes of bands such as Lounge Piranha, Joint Family and Rainbow Bridge. From among the fifty-odd bands on show on Friday and Saturday, the judges chose Junkyard Groove from Chennai, Morrisson Avenue from Chennai, Panatella also from Chennai, Demonic Resurrection from Mumbai and Inviktus from Bangalore.

The bash saw a 7,000-strong crowd turn up knocking at the gates of Strawberry Fields eager to see for themselves some of the best music around. The added attraction this year were the pyrotechnics and the fireworks courtesy VH1 to showcase a rock show that is organised by a group of music-crazy law students.

Demonic Resurrection followed Junkyard Groove with a tightly woven set of heavy black metal that got the crowd in a frenzy with heads bobbing up and down and hair flying everywhere. Deservedly, they won second place. The energy levels were boosted further with Panatella rocking the crowd with their brand of classic rock, the highlight of the set being a cover of the Beatles' classic "Come together" blended in with strains of Hendrix's "Purple Haze". Morrisson Avenue who received the cheque for the best college band (in fact, they were the only college band that made the finals,) showed a lot of promise and potential.

The grand finale to the evening was delivered by Pin Drop Violence from Mumbai, a nu-metal outfit that would fit the description of one of the most explosive live acts in the country. While belting out originals such as "In Dependence", "H.A.T.E." and "Get 'Em Off", the band managed to keep the adrenaline of the crowd pumping. And in the deafening silence of the aftermath of the show one could only look forward to the next edition while enjoying the memories of this one. After all it's not everyday that a band converts a rowing song in Malayalam to a funk rock number and blows the crowd away.

© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu

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Date:29/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/29/stories/2006072904080200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Others

Pondy musical extravaganza

Staff Reporter

Three bands will perform The team of `Nerverek' includes Arjun on guitar, Keshav on drums, Krishnan on bass and Rohith on keyboards

PONDICHERRY: Pondicherry's favourite place for music, the Alliance Francaise's Maison Colombani at the Fire Station-end of Suffren Street, will witness another music programme, `Crossroads' on Saturday evening.

Organised by Showcase Concepts, a company promoting cultural events, the programme will begin at 6 p.m. and go on till 10pm. According to Joe and Tapan of Showcase Concepts, three bands - `Mantra,' `Nerverek' and `Junkyard Groove' will perform. All the three bands are from Chennai.

Deepika Umashankar (Drums), Nithya Raman (Bass), Priyanka Krishnamohan (Guitars and backing vocals) and Rivka (Vocal) - members of the all-girls band `Mantra' will be here in Pondicherry on Saturday evening to enthral music lovers.

The team of `Nerverek' includes Arjun on guitar, Keshav on drums, Krishnan on bass and Rohith on keyboards.

To its credit, Mantra has finished recording its first three singles, `Lies,' `Framed' and `Insomniac Dreams.'

`Junkyard Groove' with Ameeth Thomas (vocal and guitar), Sidarth (lead guitar), Jerry (drummer) and Craig Maxworth (bass) plays `Groove Rock.'

© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu

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November Issue

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POST SHAMAL PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION!Dated: 22nd Nov 2006

December 15th 2006 saw the Middle East rock scene join together as one at the Dubai Country Club, to celebrate their very much stifled music scene and to witness the biggest music competition this region has ever encountered!

Up for grabs was a 3 year world wide recording contract with Creative Kingdom Records USA, a music video and a reality TV show to be made of the winning band through Zee Arabiya, plus the privilege of opening up for some of the biggest bands in the world at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival 2007.

Seven unsigned bands from in and around the Middle East took to the stage in this intense battle between India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt. All genres of rock music were played from metal, melodic, death metal, acoustic, alternative, funk and gothic.

The event was an intense 4 hours, with the crowd pulsating to the music.  At least 1,000 attended with bus loads turning up from Abu Dhabi to give their support. All cultures attended, here to support their countries, here to support their music scene.

The band’s standard of live performance and musical composition was high. The judges commented that it was a hard decision to decide on a winner, but there could only be one band that could walk away with this phenomenal prize…

Junkyard Groove from India were that band! Fusing rock with funk to give an uplifting style that reaches out to all ages, they wowed the audience with a tight, high energy, flawless, musical stage performance.

The next step for Junkyard Groove is to go into the studio, perfect their stage show for their first international performance at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival 2007, and  prepare for world domination documented through their own Reality TV show on Zee Arabiya!

SHAMAL takes place and has grown because of the gracious support of local business leaders, including CSM, Creative Kingdom Records USA, Zee Arabiya, DUREX, SLS, AAA, Al Laith, Red Eye, First Security, First Net.

www.desertrockfestival.comwww.shamalbattle.comwww.myspace.com/shamalbattle4ddrf

COPYRIGHT© CSM ENTERTAINS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2006-2007

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Interview: Junkyard GrooveJanuary 17, 2007kanjisheik

Some of you would recall my previous article on Desicritics about Junkyard Groove, the Chennai

alt/funk rock band that is well on its way to stardom. Well, I'd talked to them sometime back about

having a chat, and after the win at Dubai, I thought that this was probably the best time to do it. So I

chatted online with Siddharth, the lead guitarist [left], and Craig, the bassist [right], and mailed them a

list of questions which they promptly answered. Here is the transcript of the "conversation" that took

place:

Can you tell something about your background, and how you all met and thought of

starting a band together?

Siddhu: Well, I used to play with this band called "Powder in the Ashtray" before

Junkyard Groove. I met Ameeth at IIT Madras 2005 when Powder in the Ashtray was

playing (we won the competition that year). So it was Easter and I was at Ameeth's

place for dinner at a family gathering. We then decided to put a band together and

Ameeth had met Jerry and Craig earlier. So they were roped in to play drums and

bass respectively. From there on, we planned to take part at our first competition which was held at a

local club.

Junkyard Groove... Its a cool name, rolls off the tongue in a very stylish manner. Well, which one of you

thought of it?

Siddhu: Thanks for the compliment, man. Ameeth and myself were walking around my block one night,

just talking about what we were going to do- the big plans we had back then. Lol! And lots of band

names were being floated, and I guess this one pretty much stuck on. And besides our music is

synonymous with the name- you can find anything and everything in a junkyard. Our philosophy has

always been "Anything goes" when it comes to music.

Craig: I think Ameeth and Sid thought of the name together, however after the first

few shows, there were talks about changing the name, but then stuck with it to avoid

further confusion. I guess now, after such a long journey together it fits in just right.

You people have built a reputation of winning in every competition you've

participated in. How did that come about?

Siddhu: Well, I hope I don't sound bashful when I say this, but its not that we have won every

competition that we have played. Rather, we have never walked away from a competition empty

handed, but also most often we have won. I guess IIT Madras 2006 was one such time when we didn't

win. But never have we walked away empty handed.

Craig: Well there were a couple of shows were we came in 2nd, but yes we've always walked away

with something or the other every time. We'll, "How did that come about", we practice real hard, hang

out with each other as much as we can, and we're united, even though we fight a lot. Its only with JYG

that made me realize that, making a great band does not involve being good musicians alone, but

each one's individual goals and how far he is willing to go to achieve them, the way we gel with each

other, and realizing that there are no boundaries.

Well, lets talk about the songs then. All your songs- be it Twinkle Twinkle, Say Goodbye or Its Okay [to

name just three] have really amazing tunes. How did you guys go about creating them? Is one person

in charge of the process or do all of you contribute? And who does the songwriting?

Siddhu: Thanks again. Well, the creation process in our band is very simple- one person comes up with

a basic idea, like a bunch of chords or something, and the rest of the band pitches in and contributes

by coming up with their own parts for the song. So I guess its more of a band thing than an individual

responsibility.

Craig: All of us do contribute to the creation of the songs. They have amazing tunes cause, the

musicians that we look up to as Idols are simply brilliant. There have been a lot of influences from the

greats, like Dave Mathews, Coldplay, RHCP, GNR to name a few. One more reason is that our music

does not involve one genre alone. We are very different, in a good way. The song writing process

involves what you feel at that precise moment, and that makes it so magical.

I wanted to talk about the song Folk You separately. It has a brilliant amalgamation of three languages-

English, Tamil and Malayalam. How did you get the idea of converting a Malayalam rowing song into

rock? The song just blows people away. Tell me how you did it?

Siddhu: Ameeth was with a pop band before, and its still sort of unclear how or when he came up with

it. But when we heard it we liked it, and we all came up with parts for it. As I mentioned earlier, our

philosophy is that anything goes when it comes to music. So you can expect Junkyard Groove to come

up with more stuff that is out of the box.

Craig: Ameeth wrote that song so I guess he would be the best person to answer you. However I love

that song cause, even though we love the western style of music we think it is very important to stay

true to our roots. The world is starting to get so diverse, and so is the music.

You people must be in pretty high spirits right now after winning the Shamal: Battle for Dubai Desert

Rock Festival on Dec 15. How was the experience of performing in Dubai in front of all those heavy

metal fanatics?

Siddhu: Playing in Dubai was very nice . We were received very well by the crowd considering that we

were the only non metal band playing. It was a great experience and there were lots of nice people

whom we met, and we hope to meet them again. We frankly didn't know what to expect before we got

on stage, but once we got on stage we sort of got the crowd going and then we knew that things were

going to be just fine!

Craig: Absolutely! we are on top of the world. I am so proud of India, cause the only 2 Indian bands

grabbed 1st and 2nd place. We were scared before going to Dubai cause we heard that there are a lot

of metal heads, that might not appreciate our music, but it was so different. We were treated real

good. There were people in the crowd who were singing along, and that was such a comfortable

feeling.

And you people won big time that night, dint you? A 3 year recording contract with Creative Kingdom

Records, USA. A reality show by Zee Arabiya. A music video shot by Zee Arabiya. Whew! That's really

something, right?

Siddhu: Yes, it definitely is something for a small time Chennai band to land up winning so much. Hard

work always does pay off, I suppose. We definitely are very excited about this whole thing and I cant

wait to see where it leads us.

Craig: Yes the stuff that we're getting is like a dream come true. The people at Creative Kingdom and

Zee Arabia are amazing. We got the feeling that they are pretty serious about what they promised us,

and we feel reassured that they would be taking us under their wing. Looking forward to it.

So whens the album coming out?

Siddhu: I don't want to make any promises, but it should be done by mid 2007 or so. But then again

who is to say how these things work...

Craig: Cannot give you an exact date, but we would be going to Dubai as soon as Sid's exams are over.

So I'm guessing by the second half of next year.

Where do you see yourself in the near future, say, three years from now?

Siddhu: Well, I really cant see myself doing anything different from what I'm doing now. I love making

music with my band and that is how it shall be. I wouldn't want it any other way. Three years is a long

time but I'm sure I'm still going to be doing the same thing I love doing now. Just play all over the

place..

Craig: I see us in a position were we could give up our regular jobs and move in to music completely.

We'd love to be touring in other countries by then.

Almost all the people who have watched you perform live believe that you have the talent to be the

first Indian band to become famous, I mean really really famous. I think that's testimony to the

incredible rapport you create with the audience. Its like you were born to play. What do you say?

Siddhu: I say there's nothing else in the world that makes us happier than being on stage and playing

for people. Its simple- its because we love music and playing. The people whom we play for are one of

the reasons we play, because without their encouragement and support we would be nowhere at all.

But I'm only too happy to know how much people appreciate the work we do.

Craig: Yeah we came a long way in just a year and a half and we're going to keep moving on till the

"BIG GIG" happens. Sometimes its difficult for us to believe as well. But to put India on the map, as far

as rock music is concerned, JYG would be honored to be responsible for something like that.

Finally, before we end this interview, do you have anything you would like to say to the JYG fanatics all

over the world?

Siddhu: To the people who know us and like us, thanks a ton for everything, being there at our shows

and screaming your lungs out. Keep rocking, and if you're a musician, never ever give up on your

dreams!! They really do come true (atleast in our case). And to the people who don't know us-. WE'RE

COMING TO GET YOU!!!

Craig: Thank you guys for all your support! We have been deeply humbled by the response that we've

received. We love you!!!!

Date:20/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/20/stories/2007012018900200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

City band goes international

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Chennai band Junkyard Groove has just gone international. Come March, they will be opening for Iron Maiden, Prodigy and metal band Children of Bodom among others at the Desert Rock Festival (DRF), Dubai.

The band, which has funk, rock and jazz roots, entered an international competition `Shamal 2006', held to find the best, unsigned talent in and around the Middle East for the DRF. Bombay band Pindrop Violence was the only other Indian band in the eight finalists. They came in second. The DRF 2007 will be held on March 9-10. Log on to desertrock.festival.com for more details.

© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hinduback

What do you get when you put a drummer with heavy metal roots, a guitarist with classic rock roots, a bassist crazy about Jazz and a very ‘volatile’ vocalist, in 1 band?

JUNKYARD GROOVEWith AMEETH on vocals / rhythm guitar, CRAIG on Bass, JEREMIAH on the skins and SIDDHARTH on lead guitars , the band’s slowly carving its own unique niche in the Indian Rock scene fusing rock with funk to give an uplifting style that reaches out to all ages; wowing the audience with a tight, high energy, flawless, musical stage performance.

Ever since its conception in the summer of 2005, Junkyard Groove was nothing but your silly sense of humour trying to be creative and once it got rolling there was really nothing anybody wanted to do in terms of changing direction or slowing down the pace of things.

With an inspirational songwriter in Ameeth and equally brilliant musicians in Jerry, Sid and Craig the band came up with some “wicked” compositions with truckloads of promise.

The competition held at le Royal meridian Chennai saw the band land up in second place, bagging the best guitarist award and probably the best verbally outrageous band award, if ever one existed. From there on the band tasted sweet victory at JIPMER winning best band, vocalist, guitarist, drummer and own composition and the second best bassist and rhythm. Next stop was one of the bands most memorable gigs at NLS’ Strawberry Fields, an extremely excellent experience, with loads of love and respect to all the people who made it feel like home. Madras Christian College came next and that saw very similar results with best band and best drummer.

But the main highlight of the evening was, that from the previous show in Bangalore (NLS Strawberry Fields) the band grew a small fan base which resulted in the audience randomly requesting for their songs. Next up, home town competition at IIT Madras’ SAARANG ‘06 was great fun. The band made it through to the finals and walked away with best guitarist and a fancy Fender as a prize. A kick-ass performance at SHAMAL, Dubai saw them emerge victorious and landed them a 3 year recording contract with Creative Kingdom Records, USA.  The band will be the opening act at Dubai's Desert Rock Festival 2007 opening for the likes of IRON MAIDEN, INCUBUS and STONE SOUR. The next step for Junkyard Groove is to go into the studio, perfect their stage show for their first international performance at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival 2007, and prepare for world domination. First up is SAARANG ’07s ROCK SHOW.

Visit their webpage http://junkyardgroove.googlepages.com/

© Saarang 2007, IIT Madras | Credits back

Junkyard Groove to open Desert Rock Festival

A Chennai based rock band, Junkyard Groove, has made international headlines in the rock music circuit.

The awesome foursome has been selected to open the Desert Rock Festival in Dubai in March where big names like Iron Maiden and Incubus will perform.

The band has also bagged a prestigious contract with well-known American record label Creative Kingdom.

This Chennai based four piece band has a drummer with heavy metal roots, a guitarist with classic rock roots, a

bassist crazy about jazz and a singer and song writer who dares to be different.

"There are a lot of metal, rock, folk and carnatic bands. They do stuff others don't do. We add other languages and so on and manage to get the correct blend. When it comes to song writing, I just keep it simple," said Ameeth Thomas, Vocals and Rhythm, Junkyard Groove.

"We add a lot of fresh sounds. That is our USP," said Siddharth Srinivasan, Drums, Junkyard Groove.

Be it killer funk beats or gut wrenching thrash beats, razor sharp riffs or cleverly crafted solos, their compositions are lapped up where ever they perform.

"They are a unique band. They don't play the usual songs. Just too good, man," said a fan.

Come March, apart from the on stage magic, these young Chennai performers will have a reality show and a video shot by Zee Arabiya.

http://www.ndtv.com/ent/musicstory.asp?slug=Junkyard+Groove+hits+headlines&id=6001

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Junkyard Groove to rock before home crowd

Monday, 29 January , 2007, 12:30

With Ameeth on vocals/rhythm guitar, Craig on Bass, Jeremiah on the skins (drums) and Siddharth on lead guitars, the band’s slowly carving its own unique niche in the Indian rock scene fusing rock with funk to give an uplifting style that reaches out to all ages; wowing the audience with a tight, high energy, flawless, musical stage performance.

Ever since its conception in the summer of 2005, Junkyard Groove was nothing but your silly sense of humour trying to be creative and once it got rolling there was really nothing anybody wanted to do in terms of changing direction or slowing down the pace of things.

With an inspirational songwriter in Ameeth and equally brilliant musicians in Jerry, Sid and Craig the band came up with some “wicked” compositions with truckloads of promise.

The competition held at Chennai saw the band land up in second place, bagging the best guitarist award and probably the best verbally outrageous band award, if ever one existed. From there on the band tasted sweet victory at JIPMER winning best band, vocalist, guitarist, drummer and own composition and the second best bassist and rhythm.

Next stop was one of the bands most memorable gigs at NLS’ Strawberry Fields, an extremely excellent experience, with loads of love and respect to all the people who made it feel like home. Madras Christian College came next and that saw very similar results with best band and best drummer.

But the main highlight of the evening was, that from the previous show in Bangalore (NLS Strawberry Fields) the band grew a small fan base which resulted in the audience randomly requesting for their songs. Next up, hometown competition at IIT Madras’ Saarang ‘06 was great fun. The band made it through to the finals and walked away with best guitarist and a fancy Fender as a prize.

A kick-ass performance at SHAMAL, Dubai saw them emerge victorious and landed them a 3 year recording contract with Creative Kingdom Records, US. The band will be the opening act at Dubai's Desert Rock Festival 2007 opening for the likes of Iron Maiden, Incubus and Stone Sour.

The next step for Junkyard Groove is to go into the studio, perfect their stage show for their first international performance at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival 2007, and prepare for world domination. First up is Saarang ’07s rock show.

"© 2004 sify.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed."

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YOUTH EXPRESS

February 16, 2007

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March Issue

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It feels great to open for Iron Maiden: JYGT Francis Sundar SinghSaturday, 03 March , 2007, 16:37

What do you get when you put a drummer with heavy metal roots, a guitarist with classic rock roots, a bassist crazy about Jazz and a very drunkin vocalist, in one band?

Ever since its conception in the summer of 2005, Junkyard Groove was nothing but your silly sense of humour trying to be creative.

Junkyard groove is Ameeth on vocals/Rhythm, Craig on Bass, Jeremiah on the skins and Axeman Siddharth.

They are a bunch of young blood with a passion for music, a genre that they sometimes call Indie funk. The quartet does everything with a mission, that is, to be on top. And they have every reason to celebrate, going by their winning moments at various cultural events and performances.

The foursome from Chennai have been selected to perform at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival (DDRF) 2007, an event that is construed as one of the mega events in the music scenario. Incidentally, they become the first ever Indian band to play along with the likes of Iron Maiden, Incubus and many more.

In an exclusive chat with Sify.com, a couple of days before the band’s departure for the event, Ameeth Thomas, the lead vocalist spoke about the upcoming projects of the band.

How is the feeling on being the first Indian band to get selected for the DDRF?

It feels great, it’s a once in a life time opportunity and with this we move on to better things. But what we are really excited about is the three year international record contract with Creative kingdom USA.

What was the criteria to enter the DDRF?

Basically, we sent in a demo with a bio, photos and US$90. And you needed to have three songs minimum.

You will be opening for Iron Maiden and Incubus on both days of the fest, how is the feeling?

It feels great that we are opening for both days of DDRF. More than opening for Maiden and Incubus it’s playing for the same crowd.

What’s your preparation for the festival?

Nothing much, do what we love doing, play to our best. And we have been playing a lot of shows, which should help.

The band is just only a year and a half old and it has already gone global. What do u think is the reason for it.

I can’t really place a figure on it but to me I think it’s the fact that all of us want it badly enough that we have committed our lives to it. Another thing is that we are friends before musicians and there is a special chemistry between us and we work well as a team.

Your first international appearance was at Shamal recently, which you eventually won. Will this ease the pressure of playing before a mixed crowd in Dubai?

We are always tensed about every show that we do till we get on stage but this one is going to be a little different because it’s a new crowd . But that is not going stop us from having fun.

Your performances in India, especially Chennai have helped you reach this level. Which performance do you rate as best till date?

Bangalore has been good to us but the best we all agree is IIT Chennai recently in January 2007 with the biggest crowd and the most energetic crowd we have played to.

It is said that your music style is indie punk. Can you elaborate more on that?

I wouldn’t call it indie punk, rather it’s more indie funk. Honestly I don’t know what we are.

You have won a 3-year recording contract with Creative Kingdom Records. What will be the exact role of the band?

What any band would do that is record and promotes the album and tour as much as possible.

Ameeth the vocalist seems to be the lyricist of the band. What about contributions from other members?

I do write most of the songs but now the whole band has started writing songs and the music is the combined effort of all four of us.

Do you still perform covers or stick to your own compositions?

We play more of our won stuff but we do some covers the ratio would be like 90 percent our music and 10 percent covers

When can rock music lovers in the country expect an album from JYG?

We go into the studios April end this year, so we should be out with the video and album by June end or July beginning.

What is the band’s immediate focus after the DDRF?

The immediate focus would be to record the album.

Any other competitions or opening acts in the offing?

We do not play competitions any more only show downs. If we open it’s only for international acts and there are a few things in the pipeline.

Will you be a regular feature at the DDRF?

We really wouldn’t know that.

All the best for your future endeavours and hope the band brings more laurels to the country.

Thank you so much we need all the help we can get.

"© 2004 sify.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed."

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Zee Arabiya and Creative Kingdom Records, USA, present the Dubai Desert Rock Festival

Junkyard Groove, Zee Arabiya's winning band during Shamal 2006, is set to perform the opening act at the upcoming Dubai Desert Rock Festival (DDRF) on March 9-10.

United Arab Emirates: Wednesday, March 07 - 2007 at 12:19

In addition, Zee Arabiya will film, produce and air a 'reality TV show' based on Junkyard Groove's preparation for DDRF 2007. Commenting on Zee Arabiya's support for Junkyard Groove, Manoj Mathew VP - Marketing & Corporate Communications Real Media - Zee Network said, 'We are thrilled to have Junkyard Groove as the official band for Zee Arabiya to inaugurate the upcoming festival. This is a very talented group and I foresee them reaching great heights in the world of rock music. The Dubai rock festival is a great platform for them to showcase their talent in the presence of some of the most distinguished rock bands in the world. Our support for them is completely in line with the channel's mission, to become the voice of today's generation youth in the Middle East'.

Zee Arabiya is expected to film various grooming sessions for the band during their stay in Dubai, prior to the DDRF. Participating in this 'making of the band' will be Ameeth Thomas on vocals/Rhythm, Craig Maxworth on Bass, Jeremiah John on the skins and Axeman Siddharth.

Elias Mouawad, Director Special Projects of Real Media-Zee Network said: 'Desert Rock is all about bringing artists, audiences and supporters together in a dynamic, unique and highly interactive environment which is geared to promoting the very best in live rock music. Such a platform is perfect for Zee Arabiya to promote its own vision of developing local musical talent in the region'.

This year, the Desert Rock will be a 2 day event with a line up of 10 international bands in total including Iron Maiden, Prodigy, Stone Sour, In Flames, Mastodon, Lauren Harris, Robert Plant

Junkyard Groove

related stories  Zee Network RSS feed

1. Zee Cinema goes Arabic 2. Real Media - Zee Network and

Zee Arabiya to be the official TV channels for the Media and Marketing Show, Dubai, 2006

3. Zee acquires 50% stake in Ten Sports

4. Zee Arabiya's much awaited reality show VJ HUNT goes to air

5. Real Media - Zee Network becomes the official media partner for Global Brand Forum

6. Zee Arabiya supports university initiatives and career fairs

7. Zee Arabiya announces summer training programme for youth across U.A.E.

and the Strange Sensation, Incubus, The Bravery, and Prime Circle.

Since its inception in 2004, DDRF has now become known - locally, regionally, and internationally - as the Middle East Annual Rock Festival. The event will also have additional attractions to keep fans busy and entertained throughout the day including, among other things, crazy rock hair designers, temporary airbrush tattoo artists, graffiti boards for budding artists to make their mark, and vendors of various rock paraphernalia.

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Date:02/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2007/04/02/stories/2007040200300100.htm

Metro Plus    Bangalore    Chennai    Coimbatore    Delhi    Hyderabad    Kochi

Bigger bandwidth

City band Junkyard Groove is back after a rocking show at the Dubai Desert Festival. SUDHIR SYAL on their journey beyond boundaries

PHOTO: N. SRIDHARAN

NEW FACES OF ROCK Members of Junkyard Groove

Meet Chennai's rock band `Junkyard Groove'. Fresh from their performance at the Dubai Desert Festival, and as we find out well on their way to global stardom.

Ameeth Thomas, Siddharth Srinivasan, Jerry Abraham John and Craig Maxwell — these are names you might want to remember. Why? Well, because now they have the deserved right of calling themselves `Rockstars.' So, it was confirmed, when we were waiting for them to show up at the agreed upon venue. While awaiting the rest of the members arrival, Siddharth (Axeman), the lead guitarist of the band, told us with a half smile on his face, "They are rockstars now, it wouldn't be so cool if they came on time."

Winning accolades

And deservedly so, an opportunity to open for bands like Iron Maiden and Prodigy in Dubai, a recording contract from a top label and now even a reality show based on them, very few Indian rock bands have gone as far as the Chennai based `Junkyard Groove'. And to think it all started hardly two years ago, they have really come a long way. As Siddharth remembers,

"We were all looking for a band to play with, Ameeth had come over for Easter and we threw around the idea of starting a band. Then we found our drummer in Jerry, everything fell into place quite quickly after

that." So quickly, that within six months of the band forming, it had won top accolades at rock fests held at JIPMER, MCC and the National Law School.

Alternative funk

As Ameeth, lead vocalist and someone who is renowned in the Chennai rock circles for his on-stage histrionics, tells us, "The difference from the beginning has been our sound; it's not rock, it's not pop, it's not jazz; in fact we are still looking for a name for it.

Alternative funk is the closest we have got to it!" Some of their more popular songs are `It's ok', the song which started it all off for them, `Say goodbye' and `Folk you', a song which is a medley of English, Tamil and Malayalam.

But so many bands from Chennai that have claimed to be different have become exceedingly popular in the city and then seemingly disappeared from the scene. Ask them what their big break was and their answer in unison is `Shamal'. As Ameeth tells us, "Shamal is a contest, held in Dubai, which attracts the best in musical talent across Asia. On a lark, I sent in our tape and the next thing I knew we were all in Dubai looking for a place to stay."

Winning at Shamal got them, amongst other things, a recording contract for three years with top recording label Creative Kingdom USA, an opportunity to play at the Dubai Desert Rock Fest with world renowned bands such as Incubus and Iron Maiden and a TV reality show which will be aired on Zee Arabiya.

And they still haven't recovered from the experience. Jerry Abraham, drummer of the band, tells us, "Everything from our stay in Dubai to the arrangements at the venue was so professional.

The experience of playing at the same event with top bands like Iron Maiden was simply unbelievable."

The band will be going back to Dubai in a month to record their album which they plan to launch mid this year and to begin shooting their TV reality show for Zee Arabiya.

Most recently, the band enthralled a packed stadium at Saarang — IIT Madras, a performance which all of them still refer to as their most exhilarating yet.

The only confusion the band now has is in finding a name for its debut album. `Four in a billion' and `Nicer in a minute' are some of the names being tossed around. Everything else is very clear. They want to create quality music, they want to perform live, they want to put India on the World music map and, most important, they want to enjoy themselves.

Going by their beginnings, they seem to be well on their way...

Junkyard Groove's music can be heard online on www.myspace.com/junkyardgroove1

© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu

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Date:01/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2007/05/01/stories/2007050100270100.htm

Metro Plus    Bangalore    Chennai    Hyderabad

Bands of boys

Youngsters went wild with excitement as their favourite bands performed at a show in the city

BOYZONE At the Buck's Theatre

When they get into top gear, some rock musicians remove their shirts and continue to perform. Call it what you will, but it works with young rock fans. The youngsters, who had gathered at the Buck's Theatre for BAC's (Band Association of Chennai) second concert, went wild with excitement when Junkyard Groove's (JG) lead vocalist Ameeth flung away his shirt. When you ride the crest of a wave, anything you do only adds to the aura surrounding you.

Having opened for Iron Maiden and Prodigy at the Desert Rock Festival (DRF) in Dubai, their stock has gone up. But even before DRF, JG had captured the hearts of rock fans around the country. With songs rooted in funk, rock and jazz, their compositions are counted among Chennai's achievements in rock music.

Treat for fans

When they sang some of their best — Folk You, It's ok, Say Goodbye, Twinkle Twinkle and Save You — the audience went almost delirious. So much so, they ignored the MC's warning. Early on, head-bangers were ordered to keep a safe distance from the plank in front of the stage because it was set over waste matter and could not stand too much weight.

JG boasts a great combination in Ameeth (vocals and rhythm), Siddharth (lead guitar), Craig (bass) and Jeremiah (drums); each one is capable of an extra trick. When Ameeth broke his guitar, Jeremiah entertained with a solo effort — a light-hearted Malayalam song. Siddharth proved his versatility in a duet with a Priyanka.

Earlier, Stereotrip exploded on stage with its own list. This band is just off the block and already has 30 original songs to its credit. This self-reliance is largely attributed to lead vocalist Kishore Krishna, who is also the band's songwriter. The ideas behind the songs send you onto the back foot. The group began with `Plastic Hippie' ("as usual, our first song is about revolution") and things got murkier as they proceeded through `Pyromania' (an unhealthy interest in fire) and `Rubber Sword'.

Nineteen-year-old Kishore seemed to have the right lines for every occasion. Stereotrip's problems with tuning seemed interminable and when a young fan asked them to get on with the music, "It's okay da!" said Kishore, "That's the other band, dude." He was referring to JG's song "It's ok". As part of BAC (which comprises 20 bands) these bands know one another very well. A sense of camaraderie among them was noticeable. The first band to perform, Null Friction, stayed till the end to cheer Stereotrip and JG. One of BAC's objectives is to "eliminate inter-band rivalry".

Null Friction, a school band until last year, presented a mix of original and cover songs. Shreyans caused a flutter when he `strummed' the guitar with his lips midway through a song. This three-member band (Shreyans, vocals and lead guitar; Abhishek, bass guitar; and Ansh on the drums) are sold on Guns `n' Roses and Pink Floyd (they performed `Sweet Child of Mine' and `Another Brick In The Wall'), but they are always willing to experiment. Their original compositions — `Somehow', `Always Kept In The Dark', `Stuck Up' and `Reason To Rise' — are more than what you would expect from a boy band.

PRINCE FREDERICK

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