Pahenlo Batti Muni, an indie band known for its alternative music which ranges in genre from folk to heavy rock, has been gaining momentum of late. When you attend their gigs it’s not difficult to tell how quickly their fan base is growing. The five-member band, which occasionally expands to a seven-member band, has already dropped four of their songs, and many fans have had the exclusive ticket to hear four to five more. Their music plays with the strings of your heart and the band still feels very approachable—there’s nothing not to love about them. There’s one very interesting fact about the band though that not many people know: Two of the five members in the band—bassist Kus Jung KC and drummer Lav Jung KC are twins. The 24-year-old duo started jamming together when they were only 12. And in between while they have pursued different lives with different inclinations, for almost two years now they have been playing together with Pahenlo Batti Muni as what they like to call the ‘invisible backbones’ of the band. In this conversation with the Post’s Abha Dhital, Lav and Kus talk about growing up together, the bond they share and what music means to them. Excerpts:

Do you come from a musical background?

Lav: We don’t come from a musical family. The only person we could remotely look up to was a cousin. He played every now and then. We loved him, we learnt a lot from him in terms of how to live, and how not to.

When did you start playing together?

Kus: We were probably 12 years old when we started jamming together. We both used to play the guitar then.

And now?

Kus: I play the bass, he plays the drums.

Did you always know what instrument you wanted to play?

Lav: The choices we made were accidental. I started playing drums because this one band I played for was in need of a drummer. And Kus switched to bass for a similar reason. Now these define us, but we both play other instruments too.

What is it like, playing together?

Kus: It’s spiritual. When we play together, it feels like we are right where we belong. We share this

spark that’s unlike anything else.

The way we connect through music just feels right. In fact, we decided to pursue music together because

we realised it brings us this sense of peace and satisfaction that nothing else does.

Lav: We’re each other’s biggest critics and the best support system there could be. It’s only fair to say that as much as we connect through music, any conflict we have these days also arises when we are playing together. We disagree just as much as we agree with each other.

Kus: True, but you see, growth is only possible when there is conflict of interests. It’s only then that we push our personal boundaries. The funny thing is, we have also always been very competitive. We study each other a lot. We learn from one another all the time.

Lav: And on stage, we are this super solid team. Both bass and drums play vital roles in band music. They are the backbones that are not easily visible and any mistake could break the show. Hence, when the sound system is horrible and we can’t listen to what we are playing, we just look at each other, follow one another’s cues and make sure we are in sync. 

How often do people mistake one of you for another? How close are you in character?

Lav: As far as the looks go, sometimes even our mother gets confused between us.

Kus: But like they say, looks can be deceiving.

Lav: We are quite different in nature. Kus is the quiet, introverted, and the more spiritual one. I’m the talkative, mischievous, and the extroverted one. I’m adventurous, he’s rational. I am a talker, he’s a listener. I dive head first, he weighs out everything.

Kus: I don’t like leading. Having arrived in the world first, Lav often paves the way for me. He leads. But I observe everything and everyone. I am the wallflower that’s always soaking in the surrounding. I need to understand and grasp things before I can opine about them.

Lav: While we are more friends than brothers, I can’t help playing the big brother. I’m always looking out for him. I’m the one that gets into trouble among the two. He’s fool-proof.

What’s the one value that unmistakably ties you two together?

Kus: Family. We are nothing without them.

Lav: It’s always family first. With our parents divorced, we grew up in a household led by loving women—our mother and our grandmother. They are our lifeline. They define us. We are who we are because of them.

Do they like what you play?

Kus: Well, they don’t necessarily understand what we play. Sometimes they wish we played more pop-music. (laughs) But they are supportive. Mamu always makes sure that we are well-groomed for any public appearances. Even today, she made sure that we looked really good for this interview. And Muwa is our favourite critic.

Lav: Muwa is especially very supportive of our music and she’s equally honest when it comes to giving us feedback. When we play at home, if we mess up, she catches it and points out the mistake right away. Or sometimes when we sound horrible, she lets us know that we are making more noise than we are making music.

It’s always a blessing to have a family that has your back in an industry like this. In Nepal, musicians go through a fair share of struggle, it’s not easy. What does your future in the industry look like … is it promising?

Lav: It’s not an easy industry. I feel like if you want to pursue music full time, you need to have your priorities straight. You need to be prepared for the lows and the blows. Sustainability is always an issue. Passion is important, but so is survival. We are still exploring what works best for us. I mean sure, music will always, always be a part of us, but will we pursue it full-time? We’ll have to see.

Kus: We’re glad that the Nepali music industry has come a long way. It has opened its arms for all kinds of experimental and alternative genres too. But, there’s still so much room for improvement. That’s one reason why I am studying sound at the moment. I want to get into the intricacies of music to understand what can be done better and how. There is so much education that’s lacking when it comes to music. It might be some time before we dedicate all our time to it, even when we want to do so now.

What do you wish was different in the industry?

Lav: The way people look at band musicians. They don’t understand how much effort goes into bringing everyone together and playing with the same goal. They don’t see the beauty in collaboration. They are not ready to bear the cost of encouraging a band. It’s so much easier for the industry to support a solo artist compared to supporting a band. The head-count is obviously small and so are costs and responsibilities.

Kus: Musicians need money. But more importantly they also need other sources of encouragement and motivation to keep going. In this age, I also feel like we need more musicians that the younger generation can look up to. We need good music.

Lav: I second that. The boom in the music industry has been both blessing and a curse. We are seeing more and more clumsy lyrics and lazy music these days. There’s also a lot of hate that’s spreading. Many ‘super hit’ musicians tap into darkness and resentment. And we feel like music should put light on the good. It should inspire.

Do you invest in producing meaningful music?

Lav: When we grow old we want to know that we have left behind a legacy. We want to be known for good music. We don’t want to be just another neighbourhood musicians, playing just another popular song. It’s important to produce something that we love and something that the audience can grow to love.

Kus: The music industry is thriving on a culture of quantity over quality, accompanied by early gratification. Not many are working hard enough. I feel like getting easily pleased with the music you produce is equivalent to not growing at all. We keep each other on our toes and strive to be better than we are, everyday.

It’s amazing how aligned your views and visions are.

Do you ever plan to form your own two-person band?

Lav: Of course. We will definitely have a two-person band some day. Not sure when, but some day. We are learning and exploring at the moment.

Kus: Definitely. Our musical journey wouldn’t be complete until we have our own little band.