The F16s announced their forthcoming EP Is It Time to Eat the Rich Yet? out on 22 October via House Arrest. The announcement came with the lead single I’m On Holiday, accompanied by a playfully surreal lyric video. The lead track can be construed as a classic case of denial and delusion behind familiar themes of love and tenderness.
The F16s have been prominent figures in the Indian independent music scene for over a decade. The four-piece band featuring Abhinav Krishnaswamy, Sashank Manohar, Joshua Fernandez and Harshan Radhakrishnan have undoubtedly developed their own unique brand of eccentric and danceable alt-pop.
I’m On Holiday is available all major streaming platforms here.
Speaking about the single, the band said, “of all the factors on earth that could separate romance and lovers from each other, no one expected it to be a lockdown/quarantine. A song written in the hope to muster up the courage and perseverance to see each other again and the desperation of holding on to a relationship crumbling from detachment and an intangible lover. So, jumping on board the lockdown anthems that every artist decided to serenade about seemed apt. Ours is just a little rosier and with a prophecy that the lockdown will never be lifted thus on Holiday, forever”
For over ten years, The F16s have been churning towards an ongoing refinement of their vision. Over the course of doing so, their audience has grown, reflecting a maturity of execution. This was highlighted further in a recent brand engagement with consumer electronics company Oppo wherein the band got more screen time than the product and Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor in the unboxing for the Oppo Reno6, with The F16s being at the heart of the film. Ranbir also claimed the Chennai boys as his new favourite band.
While their 2019 release, WKND FRNDS, illuminated the world the band had built for itself, their forthcoming EP, Is It Time to Eat the Rich Yet? shines a harsher light on a different world that the band have been thrust into. Through extended periods of economic uncertainty and a corresponding focus to develop their craft, this music explores alienation with lyrical wit intact – “dancing to our doom” – via sonics that pull listeners in almost by the juxtaposition of the sentiment.
As the band states, “… this is a joyful celebration of the human condition under duress.”
WWM – What is the song, ‘I’m on holiday’, about?
The F16s – A song written in the hope to muster up the courage and perseverance to see each other again and the desperation of holding on to a relationship crumbling from detachment and an intangible lover. A prophecy, that the lockdown will never be lifted and we’re on holiday, forever.
WWM – The video looks very interesting. Tell us about it’s conceptualisation.
The F16s – A friendly brainstorm snowballed into the final concept. Helmed by Sashank, we rustled up a few dear friends who aided in our vision, friends in Mitra and Shantanu who were instrumental in helping the video take the course it did.
WWM – What genres is the EP Is It Time to Eat the Rich Yet? influenced by?
The F16s – It’s psych-rock with the melodrama dialed up.
WWM – What’s one anecdote that you’d love to share about making I’m on Holiday.
The F16s – There was potential for government intervention that would have impeded us in finishing this and presenting it to you. It didn’t happen, and we have what we have.
WWM – Do you have any up-coming performances you would like fans to know about? Is there anything else you would like to announce for your fans or anything you would like them to know?
The F16s – About performances, we’d play it close to the chest considering how things are. That aside, there is still more music to come, sooner than later.
