Three chords and the truth

That's all Zane Rodrigues promises anyone who cares to listen to his brand of country meets blues meets rock and roll and plenty more. Natural, given his Anglo Indian roots exposed him to copious amounts of pre-Woodstock and Woodstock artistes as a young boy. Influenced strongly by Nick Drake, Creedence Clearwater Revival and a family of musicians, the 27-year-old started turning thoughts into lyrics when he was 22.But don't expect too much when you look him up on YouTube. Chasing perfection, Zane has pulled down many of his songs for poor video quality or simply 'feeling incomplete'. "Sinner Man and Home are the only two of my 29 tracks you'll find online," he tells us unabashedly. While Sinner Man is about love being complicated and sex, easy, the latter is one of his "more optimistic songs" from when he was in love. "It's about how you don't need four walls to feel at home," says Zane, whose music and lyrics are inspired by life - even if just four lines long!
Earning a living as a musician, Zane, a college dropout, has performed at nearly every live music venue in the city. "But I don't think I've ever made a rupee from my own music. I stick to covers when I'm playing as an entertainer and have performed my own songs for an audience just four or five times." One of those rare instances, was in April, when Zane earned himself a fan following at Sofar (Pune), whose handpicked audience is a niche, music-loving crowd. We expect similar listeners at Gyaan Adab's Salon this evening, where Zane will be playing from 7 pm. "I've been trying to finish a few of my 'incomplete' songs for this performance. So whoever comes to Gyaan Adab will hear some new stuff," he promises, adding that he's also trying to come up with a song list that flows evenly between the phases of his life they were inspired by. This, to achieve the only purpose he hopes his music will serve - to connect with those who lend a ear and stir up emotions and memories they can relate to. We'll be there, will you?