Touring indie-folk guitarist to showcase dark roots at Crux

Originally published March 26, 2008 in The Orion.
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The looming darkness of an unexpected death hovered over Imaad Wasif while he was recording his second solo album. As he came closer to finishing the album, his fear of leaving his house and entering the recording studio grew.

Wasif is not a thug rapper or an insecure, rookie musician. He has been playing music for 14 years and was a touring musician for indie-rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Wasif's concern with a sudden death comes from the anxiety of parting with his music, he said.

"Completing the album meant that the creation had completely been purged from me," Wasif said.

With the help of producer Tom Biller, who has worked with Kanye West and Silversun Pickups, Wasif survived the recording process, he said.

Wasif and his backing band, Two Part Beast, will tour the West Coast in support of the album "Strange Hexes." The tour, with bassist Bobb Bruno and drummer Adam Garcia, will stop at Crux Artist Collective on Sunday.

An agonizing reality can be heard on the album through loud, distorting guitars and dreamy vocals. The melancholy tone of the music is reminiscent of psychedelic rock of the '60s. The ghostly songs are not like the fast and catchy melodies Wasig played with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Wasif, who has mutual friends with members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, spent most of 2006 and 2007 touring with the band as a second guitarist, but there was no crossover between his music and that of the band, he said.

"It was a strange serendipitous crossing of paths," Wasif said.

He doesn't think the experience influenced his music, but instead allowed him the opportunity to share it with large audiences, he said. Wasif opened shows in the United State, China and Korea with his solo set.

Wasif noticed he gained a few fans through his work with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but he is unaware of how most people find his music, he said.

Sean Cummins, Crux music director, did not know of Wasif's stint with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs before booking him a show, Cummins said.

"I doubt most people know who he is, but I think that a good chunk of people will enjoy his music," Cummins said.

Some members of Chico's People of the Oaks, who will be opening for Wasif on Sunday, are familiar with Wasif's music and are excited to share the stage, said bassist Zach Ahern.

"Knowing that a band is professional before playing with them is a definite plus," Ahern said.

Wasif enjoyed touring with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but tried not to get caught up in the superficial aspects of success, he said. Wasif's separation from fans reflects his desire to better understand a pure existence behind music.

He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, but spent time in India at the age of 5, Wasif said. In India, he was exposed to spiritual and classical Indian music.

Wasif moved to Coachella Valley where he continued to explore spiritualism through his childhood, he said. The desolate desert contributed to his feelings of teenage alienation.

The isolation led him to music and allowed him to bond with other teenagers with similar musical tastes, he said. He formed his first band, Lowercase, and became part of a fascinating scene of bands that would play shows by setting up generators in the desert.

Wasif has been in several bands since his days in Coachella Valley, but the desert's influence can still be heard in the music he plays today. The drums on "Strange Hexes" sound distant like the wind on a hot night. The lyrics in the song "Seventh Sign" paint a scene of desperation, "Because we've known true happiness, we can only get colder." Wasif pauses between stanzas, as if he is waiting for the next lyrics to come to him.

Following the practices of Indian musicians, Wasif devotes time every day to writing music, he said.

His daily rituals are part of meditating practices for being in the alpha state, he said. In the alpha state, a person is relaxed and rid of fear and anxiety.

Playing with a full band will help him reach the alpha state while on tour, he said. Wasif has toured by himself, but playing with his band makes shows more intense and fun. Each musician experiences the live show at different levels and help Wasif from diving into a serious state.

"They help me keep things light," he said.