“All of us are looking for second chances to be ourselves.” Suraj Mani tells us when asked about the story of the record and in case of Dobāreh it is prophetically true.
Motherjane has been relevant for as long as I can remember. Growing up for both my generation as well as for the one immediately preceding mine, Motherjane was considered one of the staples of the scene at a time in the early 00’s when rock still dominated the sonic landscape of the country.
The band’s music is a powerful and intricate fusion of progressive rock, alt metal, and oriental philosophical thought.
Motherjane paved way for other bands to emerge in the scene. Together with Avial and Thaikuddam Bridge, Motherjane stands as one of the strongest to ever emerge from the South of India.
Their vocalist, Suraj Mani, describes Motherjane as “a brotherhood of poetry, Carnatic soul, and progressive rock.” Insane Biography and Maktub are still stellar records. Mindstreet was so popular that it used to be shared endlessly via Bluetooth during the older days.
Most thought that Motherjane was over and Dobāreh – a word that signifies “again” is a perfect title for a comeback.
Do Good Don’t Be Nice is as good of a title as it is a song. Power guitar playing, intentionally long riffs, lyrics that are actually trying to reveal a deeper tale. The solo is a little too long for 2026, but a rock listener would be gratified thoroughly.
Home is a song that could have proved to be just as good in any time as it proves to be still. The guitar playing here is legendary. The album is some of the hardest rock in India in 2026 and purists would be deeply happy.
Old fans will be delighted, and new fans will be welcomed to the club. Paint is outstanding in scope. Gody Guard is fun, funky and a little tongue-in-cheek too…
Suraj Mani says: “I have used the reunion of Motherjane as a vehicle to explore an undeniable human need to reconnect with its internal compass. It has found expression in a 9-song album that explores different concepts that I believe we had to appreciate to make this comeback.”
When I Was Me is the most powerful song on the record. Full of longing and reflection for a loss of individuality that feels irrecoverable. There is a lot of what made Motherjane influential here.
I’ve been dreaming of
Things about myself
Remembering how I felt
When I was me
The truth is that Motherjane continues to be the master of a genre that it made itself. They are inimitable. “The title track, Dobāreh, points out that there is no second chance that does not reflect who we are.” Mani reveals. The song takes from the verses of the previous songs and arrives as an epic climax joining it all.
Paint is the standout song for me.
The best way to start a painting
Is to place a dot and watch it grow
In lines, curves, blurs and edges
In shapes and forms that ebb and flow
“I truly believe that rock is the music of protest and change and hence it will never die. Every now and then it goes underground, especially in societies that are slightly privileged, but its spirit keeps breaking through artists doing all kinds of music.” Mani feels.
Till a frame opens us to somewhere
Where it stops and turns, as if to say
All life is good waiting to be great
Forget your net, leap and play
“Rock is music fueled by an overt passion and in a day and age when everything is so convenient and available at the click of a button, people may have become a lil jaded by the constant dopamine hit.” He continues almost prophetically. “That has generated a sea of music that is peppy without depth. And with ai, I believe that the emotions associated with music will sink into further ennui until the opposite becomes necessary for people to feel alive. Decay… points at a worrying softness and my proposal is that rock has not reached there, society has.”
They are planning to release Dobāreh on vinyl. “If there are our fans out there who are going to encourage us with orders, we will press our first two albums as well.”
