Like A Band is one of six acts to grace the stage at Celebrate! AWARE’s 25th Birthday Party. Drummer Muhammad Siraj explains the band’s electro-funk sound to AWARE’s Debbie Sim.

‘Like A Band’, seriously?
The name represents how different all of us are in the band. Sharon (vocals and keyboards) loves indie, Eugene (guitar) likes the blues, Brandon (bass) is all about funk and the disco era while I, Siraj (drums), am more into the rap rock craze. We couldn’t really agree on one name that represents all these dimensions. So when an ex-member suggested this name, we said: “Why not?”

You didn’t mention any of your influences on your MySpace profile. Can you name a few?
Let’s see… John Mayer, and The John Mayer Trio, Crystal Palace, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Roots, The Black Keys and The Killers.

In your bio you say that your sound is like “golden beavers chomping trees”. Please explain.
Well, have you ever heard or seen a golden beaver chomping a tree? It looks awesome and it sounds crazy.

[Laughing] Of course! You guys are pretty new, yet have already performed for the Youth Olympic Games, Gap and KFC. What do you think has helped you secure such high profile gigs?
Hmmm….unique music! And having the right contacts helps as well.

Well, we’re thrilled you’re giving your time to sing at Celebrate. What made you decide to support AWARE?
Basically, myself and the other Like A Band members feel we’ve been really fortunate. So if we have a way to give back to the society why not use it? Plus, we get to earn some karma points right?

Giving back to society is definitely great karma. So what does AWARE mean to you?
Honestly?

Yes!
Well, I believe AWARE is a place for women to gather together to share and discuss how to make the women of tomorrow face fewer problems than they face today. The rights and voices of today’s women will affect the women of tomorrow. I think that is a very noble cause.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Siraj. Lastly, tell us, what can the crowd expect from your performance at Celebrate?
Be prepared to hear some familiar tunes and a few of our original tracks from Like A Band. Clap your hands, tap your feet, singalong and just have fun.

Read other interviews with Lunarin, Baracuda Batucada, MICappella and Aarthi Sankar.