As 2015 draws to a close, good news keeps pouring in and Pakistani musicians continue to win international accolades. In fact, this year alone saw far more Pakistani artistes on concert tours than in the preceding years.

The band Soch recently topped the Bollywood charts with their latest single Awari. They’re also recipients of the prestigious IIFA Award (2015) for Best Music Album as one of the composers. Images on Sunday spoke to the Soch boys Adfnan Dhool and Rabi Ahmed on their latest music, present Pakistani music scene, their upcoming plans, impact of Nescafe Basement and a lot more.

What is new with Soch these days?

We’re currently working as music directors for a couple of upcoming Pakistani movies, along with our own music. We are also performing at concerts both locally and internationally. You can expect a lot from us in the coming days.

Tum hi se ae Mujahido, a collaboration with former Vital Signs singer Junaid Jamshed has just been released by Soch.

It was an honour for us to collaborate with someone like like Junaid sahib. We got to learn a lot from him and the response is amazing so far.

Your compositions for the film Dekh Magar Pyaar Se received a great response from audiences. What guidelines did director Asad-ul-Haq give you?

Asad was very clear about the kind of music he wanted for the movie. He wanted the music to compliment the visuals and help move the story forward and that’s what we kept in mind.

Is work underway on an album?

Honestly, no. We have so much going on at the moment that we are unable to take the time out for an album. But we would definitely want to release an album at some point.

How has Nescafe Basement been for Soch?

It gave our career a big boost and helped us establish our name in the industry as a mainstream act. Xulfi has been our mentor throughout the journey, and it was the experience of our lives.

Awari which you performed on Nescafe Basement was picked by Indian director Mohit Suri for the soundtrack of his movie Ek Villain. It also became one of the most popular albums of the year and received numerous nominations. Can you tell us how the song got selected and then rearranged to suit the movie?

Mohit basically came across the song online and approached us directly as he was interested in featuring it as a part of the album of Ek Villain. He requested us to tweak the lyrics and include female vocals to suit the setting of the movie. The response has been phenomenal from fans worldwide.

Your take on the present Pakistani music scene?

We are happy with the way our music industry is shaping up. Movies, specially have given our musicians another platform to showcase their skills. There are new opportunities coming up and even TV music shows such as Nescafe Basement are helping upcoming talent get the recognition they deserve.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, November 29th, 2015