Indie-Funk Band Action Forever Shares Distressed Single “In the Dead of Night”
Sim Bansal of Action Forever grew up in Brantford, Ontario. His obsession with music began at age five and, for the next two decades, his natural talents were fostered by a musical family upbringing and constant exposure to a unique and eclectic mix of influences ranging namely from 80s pop, to progressive rock, to jazz and Indie.
For years, he has been working on a body of original fringe-pop music for a four-piece band, now being released under the name Action Forever. The music, while lively, electric, melodic and danceable, explores darker themes such as loneliness in a digital age, abusive relationships, loss of identity, and mental health.
The semi-autobiographical track, “In the Dead of Night,” is a reflection on the obvious downsides of being in a long-distance relationship – not being able to hold your partner in your arms, look into their eyes, or hear their real voice next to you. For Sim, he started to believe the seed for the song, in part, came from a feeling of codependence. Upon analyzing what he’d written – at the moment, sort of quickly and instinctively, those lyrics struck him as more troubled than romantic.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Dear readers, firstly, thank you for your time and attention – scarce resources these days. I’m Sim: bandleader, writer, singer & multi-instrumentalist of Action Forever. I grew up in a music-heavy environment and was obsessed with the guitar, engaging in self-study for about 18 years. I then studied in an applied music program while playing with a variety of bands. Action Forever is the result of my writing & playing abilities finally becoming honed enough to create music that closely reflects who I am. I promise to deliver nothing less, going forward.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
“In The Dead Of Night” is my second single release, following last November’s debut “Loveless Love”. It loosely tells the story of someone separated from their lover by a great distance, and the toll it’s taking on their relationship. I tend to want to try to be “clever” or “cryptic” but with this one, I just wrote the song as it flowed out, not questioning any decisions. At its roots, it’s an earnest expression of my last relationship but upon reflecting on the lyrics more recently – I wrote the song over a year ago, now – the lyrics point at codependence.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
I typically practice a lot, particularly drums, guitar, and bass. During the less structured parts of practice, I try to shut myself “off” and let ideas flow out, then take note of things that resonate. However, nothing gets serious until there’s a melody – that’s where I start. In Stephen King’s On Writing, he likens coming across a “good” story idea to a paleontologist finding a genuine fossil in a digsite. I loved this analogy, because, for me, writing music is very similar: you dig, and dig (practice), and when you’ve finally found something of value – a melody, or a lyrical phrase – you have to then use your entire arsenal of skills and tools (craft) to extract it, clean it up, and see where it fits into the bigger picture. For every fossil there are usually about 1000 rocks, so it’s usually quite a time-consuming process.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
This song is actually part of a 9-song album I’ve recorded, which I’ve decided to release as singles, throughout the course of the year. While there is no video for this track, I am working on one for the release of one of the next two songs to come out. Action Forever will also be playing its debut gig at the Burdock Music Hall in Toronto on April 4th as a 4-piece band.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
Definitely. I had spent months upon months buried in my home studio, writing and recording almost everything on my own, and by the end of the project, I’d lost all objectivity, I became exhausted, wracked with doubt – typical artist stuff. However, later, sitting in my mastering engineer’s studio, hearing all the songs completed, front to back, blasting out of immaculate, hi-fi gear, I felt a particular sense of completeness I’d never experienced. It felt like a musical exorcism had just taken place and I was free to move on.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
I’ve been really interested in the work of a british artist called Puma Blue. He’s becoming quite big in Europe but does not have too much of a Canadian presence. I’d love to see that change. He’s fantastic. Check it out.
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