Music that saves lives

The Guide chatted up with a band known for their anti-tobacco stance

Music bands have been accused time and again of spreading bad habits among their followers. Be it smoking, drugs or alcohol, the hedonistic lifestyle is one of the key takeaways for most from a rock star's life. Hence, it comes as a surprise when one chances upon a band that carries a strong anti-tobacco message.



Tough on Tobacco is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Sidd Coutto and was formed 1.5 years ago. "The band members are young but they have been performing for quite some time. I was playing since I was 16. I started off playing the drums in school but now I play a lot of instruments," he says.u00a0u00a0The band includes Sidd Coutto (vocals), Johan Pais (bass guitar), Jai Row Kavi (drums), Gaurav Gupta (guitars) and Pozy Dhar (guitar).

The band tells youngsters not to start smoking because it's hard to quit once you start and it's just not worth it. The band believes that if even one adult says no to tobacco because they heard them, they'll be justified in their cause.

Their music is a mix of Pop, Rock, Reggae, Disco and Hip-Hop. "I'm a song writer and I work with all genres of music. We are very entertaining on stage, and we play only originals," he adds.u00a0

Besides all this, Sidd also composes for ad films and does jingles apart from composing for Bollywood films. He has worked on a number of niche films but admits that working in films is a full-time occupation. "The Bollywood experience has been good. One is tied up 24x7 and I was practically living in those films," he laughs. Now, he is involved in composing the background score for a telefilm.

Speaking of his inspiration, he reminisces, "I remember when I was 14, I heard Pearl Jam's album 'Ten' and when I was 16, I watched Pentagram live. These two experiences are my defining moments."

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