Page 23 - Rolling Stone - India (December 2019)

P.O.D.

Talk India Debut This Month

The American rock/metal band’s frontman Sonny Sandoval
is to take in all the sights and sounds at the Orange Festival
of Adventure and Music, Dambuk

ometime in the year On a song called “Hollywood,” for us to check off and say we
2000, Hollywood actor off their record The Fundamen- did it together as a band. So
SAdam Sandler brought tal Elements of Southtown, the we’re super excited for this,”
together reigning rock/metal band warned of the conse- Sandoval says with a laugh.
bands like Deftones, Incubus quences of trying to get too Known for songs off Satellite
and P.O.D. to promote his new famous too quick. The band such as “Alive,” “Youth of the
comedy movie Little Nicky. For did enjoy a lot of mainstream Nation,” “Boom” and reaching
a TV appearance, the bands got success with two platinum the boiling point on songs like
together with Sandler (armed selling records – …Southtown “Southtown,” P.O.D. have a
with his own acoustic guitar) to and 2001’s Satellite. But since career-spanning set in store.
play their tunes. then, even as trends changed You could just expect songs off
Nearly two decades later, and fanbases shrunk, P.O.D. 2003’s self-titled album Paya-
P.O.D.’s vocalist Sonny Sando- seemed to have been happy ble on Death and 2006’s Testify.
val laughs when he recalls the with where they were. Sandoval For every mid-2000s fan who
event. Sandoval says over the says, “In this industry, you want followed them throughout their
phone from somewhere on the to try things – everybody careers, songs off 2015’s The
road in Sweden, “It was Adam from a label to others have an Awakening (“This Goes Out
Sandler saying, ‘Dude, I’m a opinion of what your band To You”) and Circles (2018) are
P.O.D. fan, I’m a Deftones fan, should be. So at some point you likely to be included as well.
I’m an Incubus fan,’ you know? want to please people here and Sandoval says, “We have so
He was really handpicking his there, but then you say, ‘I’m not much music, it’s always difficult
soundtrack. That’s what kind of trying to please these people to cram into an hour or a hour
made it a great collaboration.” any more.’” and a half. We’ll see. I looked it
Sandoval quickly returns to his It’s fair to want to be a pop- up on the website and it looks
original point about music dis- ular band that will play sold like a super fun fest. We’ll see
covery and how that’s changed. out shows and sell records, what they want. We can play
For a band like P.O.D., whose but it shouldn’t be to “play anything from the ballads to
song “Sleeping Awake” also this game.” Sandoval explains, heaviest to reggae music. We’re
featured on the soundtrack to “You really come to terms just an eclectic band in that
2003 sci-fi/action blockbuster with saying, ‘Hey, I can only way.”
The Matrix Reloaded, Sandoval be who I am. I’m not going Another timely addition
says music today “doesn’t feel to change.’” Sticking to their to the set at Orange Festival,
authentic.” He adds, “It’s just guns, P.O.D. have somehow Dambuk might be “Bullet the
feels… very Hollywood, a lot of found themselves on the radar Blue Sky.” Covered on their …
it is fake. It’s more of, ‘Let me of the Orange Festival of Music Southtown album, P.O.D.’s
just take what’s hot, because and Adventure in Dambuk, India debut coincides with
we’re in cahoots with this Arunachal Pradesh. Booked by Irish rock giants U2’s first show
label and this manager’ and New Delhi agency Six Degrees in India as well. Where U2 will
they’re all really making money Arts, the band will headline play the original song off The
together. It’s never really this the festival on December 15th. Joshua Tree in Mumbai, P.O.D.
grassroots, authentic feeling.” For Sandoval and the band – might crank up their version in
It’s only apt that he mentions guitarist Marcos Curiel, bassist Arunachal Pradesh. Sandoval
Hollywood, considering the Traa Daniels and drummer says, “We’ve actually been
rap, nu-metal and reggae-in- Wuv Bernardo – it’s amongst playing it on this tour, which is
fluenced Christian band spoke the signs that keep them funny. It goes over very well.” KEVIN BALDES
about this way back in 1999. going. “It’s a bucket list item ANURAG TAGAT

December 2019 | Rolling Stone | 23