'The Others' – Pak's youngest band takes over music industry by storm!

Zoya roped in for playback vocals in 'Waar'

In a crisis-hit country like ours, and with a prevailing feeling of melancholy when the city is plunged into darkness and the cruel month of June takes its toll severely, the brawny survival instinct of which we Pakistanis are known for comes alive as if from nowhere. We look out for social calls, means of entertainment and a deluding yet hopeful realisation that tomorrow will be better. Somewhere between all the hot and humidity, the dark of the city, the mismanagement of everyday lives and a rising sense of deplorability, there's a singing sensation alive in our very own city, which can make you forget the hard-hit realities. They say there's a fantasy hidden in every reality, and a reality awaits every fantasy if strove hard for! Such is the state of Pakistan's youngest band 'The Others', which sounds too good to be true. They are making a reality of a fantasy they had. Daily Times caught up with 'The Others', where they shared their future aspirations, how music is thicker than the air we breathe and the thin line between super stardom and fame. Seventeen-year-old guitarist Zoya Uzair and her 11-year-old brother and drummer Ali are the youngest music maestros the country has ever experienced.

"Music is a way of expressing oneself. Where I am at life at the moment, it just means everything to me. I will never stop," says Zoya. It's surprising to see how much talent and ambition we possess in a country, which has a hard time providing the basic necessities to us citizens. "The passion is constant. I would listen to old songs sung by legendary music maestros and then their modern renditions and would try coming up with my own version, wanting to sound as good if not better." There is a feeling of a silent ambition rising in Zoya when you meet her. Her personality engulfs you and makes you want to realise that everything is possible when you believe that age is but just a number. It is just one of those feelings when you look at a person, sense a profound spark, that could either be innate and not genetic, or self-induced and not cocky.

When asked on her choice of music in terms of genre and commerciality, Zoya said, "Music as we all know possesses no language. It is beyond race, ethnicity and dialogue. It is what it does to you and how it sounds at the end of the day. I would listen to any song by any artist, think it up in my head as to how I can mould it and bring my own blues touch and soft rock to it. That is exactly the kind of genre I feel very comfortable with in terms of performing and singing."

We asked Zoya if Ali playing on drums was mandatory for her to perform or if she could do without the constant sound of percussions and drums while she played her guitar and submitted herself to her fabulous crooning, she replied, "It is just something about the beat of the drums and the sound that the percussions make which gets me going." Ali nods his head in agreement.

"I almost always prefer drums playing at the back when I sing. It makes me perform better," she maintains.

We asked Zoya about her current and upcoming projects and she replied with an excited smile, "The best thing happening for me at the moment is being roped in for this huge project. I am going to give playback vocals to Bilal Lashari's much-anticipated directorial venture 'Waar'. It is really exciting and happening for me right now. I am getting to learn a lot and be amongst music stalwarts of Pakistan. It is crazy, unbelievable and humbling at the same time."

There we have in the form of the youngest crooner of our country providing an exciting element to the upcoming film 'Waar'.

When asked how she manages her studies and her music band, Zoya says without a moment's delay, "Oh, it is really simple. All I have to do is to balance both intelligently. I try giving equal time to both my studies and my band and so far have been really successful. It is almost as if someone up there is helping me juggle both accurately. Also, I plan on going abroad to pursue my interest in music and take up a course studying it thoroughly. So I have to learn to manage both this very moment, otherwise it might be a bit of a hassle later on."

We wonder how 'The Others' will be able to keep up and maintain their current status, which they have under the current climate, when Zoya goes abroad to study and learn and Ali would stay back to finish school. "Well, sooner or later, we might have to separate. This I am sure of, given our age difference and goals. But, then again we plan on continuing 'The Others' for as long as we can since we have so much fan following and have appreciation amongst the masses in such a short period of time. Also, separately, we will definitely be doing our bit in performing and proceeding with our dreams of making it big in the music world. We did not start all this to stop."

Here we experience an ambitious and a determined approach by two very talented yet immensely young artists. We ask Ali if he feels the same about continuing separately after they have to circumstantially, and he replies in the affirmative.

"I have always been very creative and into arts and entertainment for a long time. Music is something, which I had an instant knack and hang of and which came very naturally to me. I agree on my father being persistent in instilling this in us owing to his own love for music, but it grew on me like an itch, which just had to be scratched."

We were in awe when Zoya and Ali performed for us without professional tuning of their instruments or wire support.

"I'm not saying I want to be the next Taylor Swift or QB. All I want from life is to remain content and satisfied with whatever I do, and keep belting my heart out with what I love doing the most - singing and performing. Also, my family's support is instrument and the main key in providing me with inner bliss to continue with all this," Zoya states.