Caravan Dream are Hadi Assoum, Radi El Zouhby, Rami El Zouhby and Oleksandr Banashko; a four piece multinational Rock band formed in 2019 in the Middle East while living as expats in Qatar. The band is an embodiment of many eclectic musical influences ranging from Rock, Pop, Psychedelic Rock, Funk, Hardrock and Metal, all fused together in an incredible musical melting pot of credible pop rock. Celebrating the release of their debut album 'Fantasy', we sat down with Hadi.
You are called ‘Caravan Dream’ - how did you get the name and what is it that brought you all together as a band?
Caravan Dream symbolizes for us the tendency to escape the routine and speedy lifestyle that we are living while being busy satisfying ‘the machine’s’ loaded bucket of requirements. Most of us are taken by duties, jobs, catching trains, barely having quality time to spend with our loved ones and ourselves. Like on a caravan, we tend to be on the move slowly without a specific destination or agenda, and away from the system pleasing; where the biggest emotional investment would be in the journey which matters way more than the destination. It is a dream, a Caravan Dream that we are trying to verbalize in our musical experience.
The band members have many diverse influences - from all genres too- does this create any conflict within the band or is it a good thing?
In fact, this is our actual wealth and main asset in the band. This diversity is enriching our music and expanding our musical library and vocabulary. Having this gem in hand, it opens the doors for diversification in our creative process of both writing and performing. Our diverse influences are the top-quality ingredients in our recipe! We absolutely love it.
How would you describe your music?
Every track in the album has its own story and musical outline, but if we are to summarize the common denominator of what we do we would describe our music as uplifting, reflective, easy listening, organic. Most importantly we are bridging music between different generations while we retain the instruments soundings of a rock band as naturally as possible without imposing an over-produced outcome. At the same time, we aim as much as possible to colour the songs with a modern feel that blends within the music of our era. It is tricky these days to maintain depth, quality of lyrical flow, musical sophistication, while being in the Pop musical genres without slipping into over-produced and digital music which would deprive musicians from being themselves and from enjoying that sacred feeling of performing and being all creative on stage.
Where are you all based now and what is the music scene like there?
We are currently residing in the middle east, specifically in Qatar. The music scene has been active in the recent years there is growth in the industry here, however while most of the population consists of a rotation of expatriates in here, you would find more cover bands around and very few original music being produced. We hope to trigger a change during the period we are here and to encourage artists more and more to write their own material. We aim to be heard miles away in countries where our genre would have a significantly bigger crowd like in the UK, the rest of Europe and the US; nowadays it is not an easy thing to do, however we are both hard workers and persistent!
Your debut album 'Fantasy' has seven tracks on it. Can you give or readers a run down explainer on each song?
Written in different circumstances and with different inspirations between 2020 and 2022, the seven tracks are shortlisted from a long list of demos our drawer.
‘Moonlight’ is feel-good pop-rock track outlining a romantic adventure that this person is experiencing on a night out by the shoreline. It expresses a high level of getting lost in time and living in the joy of “now”, the ecstasy of falling in love.
‘Fantasy’ is the reflection of what ‘Caravan Dream’ is! The Escape from the dull, stressful, and grey world to another colourful and floral one. The song is arranged in a Disco / Funk Rock format but maintaining the popish feel with an interference of a screaming guitar instrumental in the middle highlighting the escape! A music video was released recently demonstrating the same storyline.
‘Constellation’ is big sounding of orchestral accented strings that accompany a steady drum and bass groove. The climax of the song involves multilayer of exploding vocals topping up the strings, guitars, and the rest of the band. The story of this song could be briefed by the connection, the glue, the love, the bliss that two people or more can feel creating their own universe with a great space-like intensity and width.
‘Lines’ is what we always call in the band as the black sheep of the album! It is more of a Riff Based rock tune, with a bit of darker chord progression. However, the circus-like baseline on verses, the lyrics, and the funk break in the middle translate the philosophy of the song which find it and interesting story to share with everyone, it is by far our deepest thoughts on the album. Looking at the aging ‘Lines’ on people’s faces we verbalize how important is not to wait and postpone living till later, and to enjoy it now, not to live and work for the future that is just a probability.
‘Home’ is maybe our most emotional and melodic ballad expressing our most sentimental and warm message about that moment we feel home. Many things make people feel home and secure, somebody’s smile, seeing their pet, a cuddle from someone they care about, hearing a song, a long walk with someone. Home is a simple straight forward piano, guitars, drums, bass and back vocals glues all together in harmony with an echoing lead vocal.
‘Rock And Roll Girl’ was originally written of Sophia (Hadi’s little daughter.) The song is protective and empowering at the same time for all women of the world, a call for them to just be and to shape their world they want it to be. Yes, in 2022 there are still horrible stories we hear from around the world about different type of social abuse of women in all aspects. It is Caravan Dream little input to the world expressing ourselves in a positive vibes emotional rock track saying to all the women of the world : We support you!
‘Into Your Maze” is an alternative / indie rock song with an overdrive guitar throughout the track. This song talks about a self-conflict that most a lot of people usually face as a love-hate relationship with their addictions to work, cities, partners, drugs, alcohol, almost everything. We love them but we need the space and we run away from them. It is a maze !
A self-filmed and produced music video for Into Your Maze is available as well online.
Can we expect any headline or support tour dates from the band this/next year?
We are busy working with our team on 2023 touring plans during the spring and summer with some tentative shows are taking shape in different countries in Europe (France, Spain, Ireland & UK) now with couple of potentials showing up for support tours in the US. However, our focus is our busy calendar for the rest of 2022 where we’re booked at significantly big concerts and festivals that will be taking place at the Football World Cup 2022 in Qatar. We are excited and looking forward to playing at the fan zones around the country for tens of thousands of people from around the world.
Listen to 'Fantasy' below.
CARAVAN DREAM | Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, Facebook | Linktree
Caravan Dream symbolizes for us the tendency to escape the routine and speedy lifestyle that we are living while being busy satisfying ‘the machine’s’ loaded bucket of requirements. Most of us are taken by duties, jobs, catching trains, barely having quality time to spend with our loved ones and ourselves. Like on a caravan, we tend to be on the move slowly without a specific destination or agenda, and away from the system pleasing; where the biggest emotional investment would be in the journey which matters way more than the destination. It is a dream, a Caravan Dream that we are trying to verbalize in our musical experience.
The band members have many diverse influences - from all genres too- does this create any conflict within the band or is it a good thing?
In fact, this is our actual wealth and main asset in the band. This diversity is enriching our music and expanding our musical library and vocabulary. Having this gem in hand, it opens the doors for diversification in our creative process of both writing and performing. Our diverse influences are the top-quality ingredients in our recipe! We absolutely love it.
How would you describe your music?
Every track in the album has its own story and musical outline, but if we are to summarize the common denominator of what we do we would describe our music as uplifting, reflective, easy listening, organic. Most importantly we are bridging music between different generations while we retain the instruments soundings of a rock band as naturally as possible without imposing an over-produced outcome. At the same time, we aim as much as possible to colour the songs with a modern feel that blends within the music of our era. It is tricky these days to maintain depth, quality of lyrical flow, musical sophistication, while being in the Pop musical genres without slipping into over-produced and digital music which would deprive musicians from being themselves and from enjoying that sacred feeling of performing and being all creative on stage.
Where are you all based now and what is the music scene like there?
We are currently residing in the middle east, specifically in Qatar. The music scene has been active in the recent years there is growth in the industry here, however while most of the population consists of a rotation of expatriates in here, you would find more cover bands around and very few original music being produced. We hope to trigger a change during the period we are here and to encourage artists more and more to write their own material. We aim to be heard miles away in countries where our genre would have a significantly bigger crowd like in the UK, the rest of Europe and the US; nowadays it is not an easy thing to do, however we are both hard workers and persistent!
Your debut album 'Fantasy' has seven tracks on it. Can you give or readers a run down explainer on each song?
Written in different circumstances and with different inspirations between 2020 and 2022, the seven tracks are shortlisted from a long list of demos our drawer.
‘Moonlight’ is feel-good pop-rock track outlining a romantic adventure that this person is experiencing on a night out by the shoreline. It expresses a high level of getting lost in time and living in the joy of “now”, the ecstasy of falling in love.
‘Fantasy’ is the reflection of what ‘Caravan Dream’ is! The Escape from the dull, stressful, and grey world to another colourful and floral one. The song is arranged in a Disco / Funk Rock format but maintaining the popish feel with an interference of a screaming guitar instrumental in the middle highlighting the escape! A music video was released recently demonstrating the same storyline.
‘Constellation’ is big sounding of orchestral accented strings that accompany a steady drum and bass groove. The climax of the song involves multilayer of exploding vocals topping up the strings, guitars, and the rest of the band. The story of this song could be briefed by the connection, the glue, the love, the bliss that two people or more can feel creating their own universe with a great space-like intensity and width.
‘Lines’ is what we always call in the band as the black sheep of the album! It is more of a Riff Based rock tune, with a bit of darker chord progression. However, the circus-like baseline on verses, the lyrics, and the funk break in the middle translate the philosophy of the song which find it and interesting story to share with everyone, it is by far our deepest thoughts on the album. Looking at the aging ‘Lines’ on people’s faces we verbalize how important is not to wait and postpone living till later, and to enjoy it now, not to live and work for the future that is just a probability.
‘Home’ is maybe our most emotional and melodic ballad expressing our most sentimental and warm message about that moment we feel home. Many things make people feel home and secure, somebody’s smile, seeing their pet, a cuddle from someone they care about, hearing a song, a long walk with someone. Home is a simple straight forward piano, guitars, drums, bass and back vocals glues all together in harmony with an echoing lead vocal.
‘Rock And Roll Girl’ was originally written of Sophia (Hadi’s little daughter.) The song is protective and empowering at the same time for all women of the world, a call for them to just be and to shape their world they want it to be. Yes, in 2022 there are still horrible stories we hear from around the world about different type of social abuse of women in all aspects. It is Caravan Dream little input to the world expressing ourselves in a positive vibes emotional rock track saying to all the women of the world : We support you!
‘Into Your Maze” is an alternative / indie rock song with an overdrive guitar throughout the track. This song talks about a self-conflict that most a lot of people usually face as a love-hate relationship with their addictions to work, cities, partners, drugs, alcohol, almost everything. We love them but we need the space and we run away from them. It is a maze !
A self-filmed and produced music video for Into Your Maze is available as well online.
Can we expect any headline or support tour dates from the band this/next year?
We are busy working with our team on 2023 touring plans during the spring and summer with some tentative shows are taking shape in different countries in Europe (France, Spain, Ireland & UK) now with couple of potentials showing up for support tours in the US. However, our focus is our busy calendar for the rest of 2022 where we’re booked at significantly big concerts and festivals that will be taking place at the Football World Cup 2022 in Qatar. We are excited and looking forward to playing at the fan zones around the country for tens of thousands of people from around the world.
Listen to 'Fantasy' below.
CARAVAN DREAM | Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, Facebook | Linktree
