Rhythm of Love: In conversation with Sweven

Soaring above the rest, Sweven, a five-member rock band from Pfütsero is capturing listeners with their unique rock gospel compositions.

The band draws inspiration from Gospel music, they strongly believe that music has the power to connect with souls and the ability to express oneself.

Read on to learn more about them…

Eastern Mirror: Please introduce us to Sweven and the role each member plays?

Sweven: Sweven meaning Vision/Dream formed in 2017 is an experimental band currently based at Pfütsero. The band draws most of its inspirations and influences of writing from the Gospel music scene.

The band comprises of Velhoukhro Venuh on vocals, Wekulhi Khupfu on guitar, Kezuwelo Mero on guitar, Vekhosa Lasetso on Bass and Vekhoto Rose on Drums.

Eastern Mirror: How did you all meet and begin the Sweven journey together?

Sweven: We did not have permanent members at the initial stage of the band. We were either playing in different bands or mostly involved in church music. We came together for the first time as a whole band to perform for a particular concert back in October 4, 2017. The Sweven journey started there and ever since we have been playing together as permanent members till present.

Eastern Mirror: How did the name “Sweven” come about?

Sweven: At first we were performing under the band name ‘Arcane Dreams’. We decided to change the band’s name because we had new members and also realised we were playing under a name which none of the present members named. We needed a name that was original in which all the members could get involved in to create a spirit of oneness amongst us, something we can call our own.  

So, we chose the name ‘Sweven’, which means a vision or dream. We performed officially as ‘Sweven’ for the first time at Hornbill International Music Festival on December 4, 2017.

Eastern Mirror: How do you want people to reach out to your band?

Sweven:  We strongly believe that music has the power to connect with souls and the ability to express oneself through the gift of music.  With this belief in mind, we want to connect with people and let them reach out to us through our music.

We released an Extended Play (a collection of six original songs) back in 2019. We have also released two official music videos on our YouTube channel (Sweven Nagaland). People can also reach out and interact with us through our social media pages like Facebook, Instagram and  YouTube channel, where our contact details are also available.

Eastern Mirror: What is your take on the music scenario of Nagaland? Issues that you strongly feel about music in Nagaland.

Sweven: The music industry is rapidly growing in Nagaland. At present we see lots of potential in music as a profession because both the government and non-governmental institutions are creating platforms for musicians in the state and working towards making it a sustainable profession. But sadly, it is still focused on some particular districts.

Nagaland is naturally blessed with many good musicians but many of us are still struggling to get exposure because of lack of opportunities and platforms. Many musicians are still organising their own shows without any sponsorships and taking losses. On the other hand Organisers or Events fail to pay musicians.

We are very fortunate to have a task force dedicated solely towards promoting arts and music in the state. We hope to see them reaching out to all districts and provide even more opportunities to musicians across the state.

Eastern Mirror: Working as a group may not be easy as each individual may have different ideas and tastes. Did you face any issues?

Sweven: Yes, we share different ideas and tastes and sometimes we struggle to put these ideas together. But, so far we haven’t had any issues that would hinder the band’s growth. After being together for many years, we have built a sense of mutual respect whenever we bring different ideas and work on them. We put together different ideas and work collectively on our songs or projects as a team.

Eastern Mirror: What is the ultimate direction of the band?

Sweven: Making more music and we hope to reach out to more people.

Eastern Mirror: Upcoming projects

Sweven: Currently we are working to release more official music videos on our YouTube channel.  At the same time we are working on some unreleased songs. We also have plans of organising a concert in the near future.

Eastern Mirror: Any message for your fans?

Sweven: Dear Sweven family, THANKYOU! Your love and support has brought us this far. Please continue to do the same. Please keep supporting our local artists as well.

We hope to see you soon!