Shadab Shams

Tell us something about yourself.

I’m a twenty-year old musician. I have lived in Dhaka my whole life, and have been playing music since I was only ten years old.

What inspired you to start singing?

When I first saw Michael Jackson’s performance, I was mesmerised. That inspired me to start singing.

Can you tell us how you got associated with ‘Attic’?

Attic was founded by me, my brother and our guitarist. We were all from the same family, so it was sort of like a family band. We have been playing together since our childhood. That’s how I started Attic.

‘Attic’ has a very unique music style. What inspired you to have such a different take on music?

When we first started, our songs were mostly similar to hard rock. We then slowly transitioned into the indie-rock genre, which mainly took place because of our taste in music. I must say that we’re very fortunate to have a band where all the members have a unique, yet similar music taste.

Why don’t most Bangladeshi bands making English songs receive as much success as you did?

I actually haven’t heard many bands from Bangladesh making English songs. Since the beginning of Attic, we have been writing songs in English. We chose to write in English as we felt more comfortable with it, having listened to English songs since our childhood.

Did you have any mentor?

The only mentor I ever had was my uncle. He was the one that got us into music, and taught me and my brother how to play the guitar.

You are a vocalist, and can also play the guitar. Do you play any other instrument?

Yes, I do. I sometimes play the synth or the keyboard for Attic.

Do you have any upcoming project that fans should look forward to?

We are releasing a single very soon, and that is going to be the first single of our debut album. Hopefully, we will be able to release it before the end of this year.

After the release of ‘Echoes In Your Attic’, your band received a lot of positive feedback. What was your reaction to that?

Honestly, it was very unexpected. I never thought that we’d receive that much support in such a short amount of time. We were very grateful to get such a response, and it inspired us to make more music. We were just releasing our first EP back then, and the positive reviews really helped us in the process of making our debut album.

What qualities should an upcoming musician possess?

I think that all upcoming musicians should explore their talents to the fullest. They should all learn to be patient and confident about the music they are creating.

What is the life of a musician like?

The life of a musician is very interesting. I like the music scene we have in Dhaka, and at times, when it’s very lively, you have to actively take part in it. I really enjoy that.

What is your favourite musical memory?

If I have to pick one, it would be when we won the ISD Battle of the Bands, back in 2015. The reaction of the crowd was truly amazing. At the end of our performance, we received a standing ovation. That really meant a lot to us.

Do you have any message for the readers?

Please stay tuned with all of Attic’s social media pages as we will be very active there, and have new material coming very soon.