Rooftop Hues is the whimsical debut from Atlanta pop-rock band Koyal. Ramblin’ Wrecks all of them, the five-piece used to go by HowellZero, named after their dorm’s basement at Georgia Tech where they first started jamming. Once the band started taking their passion for music seriously, they rebranded themselves as Koyal in tribute to the Asian songbird that has long inspired poets.

The two founding members, Pooja Prabakaran and Sultan Sayedzada, first met on campus during their freshman year in 2017. It quickly became apparent they possessed complementary skill sets that would become critical to the formation of the group. “She knew I did music stuff and played the piano. I knew she sang and wrote poetry,” Sayedzada recalls.

Drummer Henry Wallace and guitarist Akash Moozhayil were the next to jump onboard, but the lineup wouldn’t be complete until bassist and producer Joao Victor Morgado joined the ranks. A tight creative bond was formed and the five musicians soon became close friends. “Henry was the beat that made our band whole, but Morgado was the missing piece we didn’t know we needed,” Sayedzada says.

Although the members range between 19- and 22-years-old, their early memories of music were formed by classic rock icons like the Doors and Dire Straits. You can hear those bluesy influences emerging throughout the EP, especially on opening track “Bad Idea,” which was written on a road trip to Nashville. It’s a percussion-driven head-nodder that explores unhealthy passions and succumbing to desire. In many ways, it’s like the beginning of a doomed relationship that plays out throughout the EP.

Other tracks delve into soulful R&B (“Yesterday”) and moody pop (“La Croix Boy”), making Rooftop Hues a diverse listen. And while hip-hop didn’t quite register in my own reactions to the record, Prabakaran and Moozhayil insist the connection is there. “In the ‘La Croix Boy’ ad-libs, I was channeling A$AP Rocky,” Prabakaran says.

“Our live cover of ‘Starboy’ was closer to Atlanta culture [than anything on Rooftop Hues],” Moozhayil adds. “Our primary taste in music is not hip-hop, but we do appreciate it.”

Although Rooftop Hues runs just four tracks, Koyal had six producers work on the record, which helps explain its range of sounds. “One of our producers, Prosper Lesur, is from France,” Prabakaran reveals. “I met him two years ago when I went to an underground jazz club, and we just stayed in touch. Two years later, we collabed on a song. It still blows my mind that someone in Paris produced our song!”

Other collaborators include Nashville producers Alex Haase and Nathaniel Pittman, as well as password:password bassist Merritt Treaster, a longtime friend of Prabakaran.

COVID-19 hampered a lot of the band’s expectations following the release of their EP. They had several shows lined up and Wallace had incorporated a drum solo into “La Croix Boy” that would have been a blast to play live when the song was still fresh. Still, the group has tried to maintain a positive perspective. “They canceled non-essential businesses, but music is always essential!” Wallace exclaims. “There’s a small chance we’re locally known around Tech. That’s exciting, but putting out music is fun.”

“We’re seeing where things go,” Moozhayil says. “The point of putting out music is to share it with everyone else, hoping somebody else likes it.”

With that in mind, Koyal has started working on their next project—a full-length album. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic and social distancing, they’ve already written 8 or 9 songs. “I don’t have a drum kit in my house, so I’ve been drumming on pillows,” Wallace says. Someone in the room mishears pillows for pills, but Wallace laughs it off, insisting he said no such thing.

“We’re not that kind of band.”

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