Mikey Mccleary

“Intezaar has got a nice mix of feelings — it is uplifting, and also thoughtful. It felt like it had Lucky’s sound, but it also has something new in there,” McCleary tells us over a Zoom call. Sitting beside him, his old mate, Ali philosophically noted, the time was right. “We knew that it was the right time, nature almost compelled us to connect together.”

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The duo will now release 10 singles over the coming year. While the songs were initially to be released as an album, the composers chose to go the individual route. “People are not as album-centric, as they are about individual releases,” McCleary explains.

Screengrabs from the video Intezaar

Intezaar, surprises you with its sonic range with multiple instruments layering Ali’s poetic expression. There is also a lovely jugalbandi between the trumpet and an electric guitar. The song also underlines Ali’s philosophy of love, life, and waiting through its poetry.

“There may be significant changes poetically (compared to our earlier works). Musically, we have stuck to our roots, and contemporised it,” the composer said. For Ali, it is a matter of letting the elements take their course. He said, “It is just that now nature is guiding the whole thing, and I am going with the flow.” Both agree this is a fertile time for music producers and composers. “Many more people want the integrity and originality that come without having a brief. It has that freedom, and audiences are seeking that integrity again,” McCleary says adding that, “It is exciting.” The two are also opposites in many ways. While one prefers working in the studio, the grind of the creation process, the other prefers the energy and vitality of live performances and collaborations. Does that ever lead to friction? “We disagree all the time. I have to fight him,” Ali laughs, “We talk things out, and then we find common ground. If there was no friction, you wouldn’t get fire.”

McCleary turns philosopher this time saying, “There has to be the sand in the shell, the irritating little thing, which helps to create the pearl.”

For now, Ali is enjoying his live performances and tours. The singer has just performed in Dubai, and Bengaluru in 2022, and has a tour around the country planned, while McCleary continues to juggle multiple projects over the coming year.

Will they collaborate again on another project before the year ends, we ask. “I don’t plan these things. When the music happens, it happens. I am enjoying the space, and enjoying the music we are putting out together,” is Ali’s musing response.