Qayaas literally translated as “deliberation” is not only the name of our band but the essence that encapsulates the entire philosophy behind our music. The idea or feeling taking birth in one band member’s mind is developed and brought to fruition by collective deliberation or "Qayaas" by the whole band. Five different people, their different moods, outlooks and music philosophies harmoniously blend to form compositions that reflect the true spirit and creative energy of our band; unadulterated in this wondrous journey by commercial concerns or other shortcuts. Our music tends to explore emotions, specific moments, certain relationships and particular events which resonate powerfully as we try to understand ourselves and the world around us. We do not aim to have a large body of musical compositions but only put through quality pieces governed by unique ideas and techniques. Each melody is a different journey, starting with something personal and then refining it to create a certain mood. As a whole, Qayaas is an accumulation of musicians from quite diverse backgrounds. All members have been, and still are, part of various other projects that serve as a vent for musical expression. Qayaas is the brainchild of guitarist Khurram Waqar, who after seeing Umair jam with his previous band in his studio invited him to work on material that he had written. What started out initially as an acoustic ep turned into a full blown album. We have recently won the JD Award for the best rock band from Pakistan 2010. The awards were hosted by Jack Daniels and Rolling Stones Magazine,India. We performed in New Delhi at The Hard Rock Cafe on December 16, 2010 for the JD Rock Awards Tour in front of a packed 800 crowd.. We have so far released three music videos “Tanha”, "Pukaar" and "Umeed" which are currently doing the rounds on all the Pakistan music channels namely MTV, Aag, ARY Musik, Oye and Play TV. Our debut album comprising of 13 songs is complete and we are in the process of releasing more singles, teasers promos and brainstorming over videos. Qayaas is based in Islamabad, Pakistan and consists of: Umair Jaswal: Lead Vocals. Khurram Waqar:Guitars, Arrangement & Audio Production. Sarmad Abdul Ghafoor: Guitars & Audio Production. Shaheryar Ghayas: Bass Guitar. Salman Rafique: Drums/Percussions. Umair Jaswal is the youngest of the lot, at the age of 23 and is a unique vocal talent. He shares mature musical ideas with the rest of the band. Famous for his stage presence and covers of Guns N’ Roses with his other band ‘SilverSmoke’, he is a student of geophysics but still very determined to do music professionally. Khurram Waqar (a.k.a. kW) is a multi talented musician with guitars being his main forte. He has been playing the instrument for the last 17 years and has been a part of various bands from the 90’s (‘Fantazia’, ‘Entity’) to the current year(‘kNuMB’, ‘Qayaas’). With an IT degree from Carnegie Mellon University (one of the best in the world), one would have imagined him to be a geek but he is the total opposite. He not only recorded a whole instrumental album with his band ‘Cocytus’ in USA while doing his Masters but also performed regularly in the Pittsburgh circuit. After returning to Pakistan in 2003, he formed a progressive rock band ‘kNuMB’ (www.knumb.com) who are known for their live performances across Pakistan and are the only band in the country to play a unique mix of songs and guitar instrumentals. He has been a part of two G3 inspired guitar instrumental concerts featuring the prominent guitarists of Pakistan and has just finished writing material for the new instrumental album. He formed ‘Qayaas’ in the summer of 2008 to fulfill his desire to make Urdu songs in the alternative (grunge) and progressive domain and they have just finished recoding their album. He also has a passion for audio production and has his own state of the art studio set up (Rootgate Studios) in Islamabad where the current ‘Qayaas’ and ‘kNuMB’ albums have been tracked. Having built his repertoire as a technical guitar player with solid theoretical knowhow, he is also a respected guitar teacher in Islamabad. He works as an IT Manager in a company based in Islamabad. Sarmad Abdul Ghafoor (a.k.a Sarmad) started off with his passion for producing music sixteen years ago. An accomplished guitar player and a regular session player for Atif Aslam, he has been a part of various rock bands in the country for the last decade. In 2008, he became a full time member of ‘Qayaas’. He showcases his artistry as multi-talented composer, guitarist and music producer. He has not only produced Atif Aslam’s 2 solo multi platinum albums but has also continuously produced music for various rock bands in the country. He works as a full time musician in Islamabad. Shaheryar Ghayas (a.k.a Sherry) is a solid musician playing in 3 bands at the moment. He is playing bass with Islamabad based Metal band ‘Surge’ for the last 5 years. With Grunge and Progressive Rock as part of his pulse, he has also been playing rhythms for a progressive/instrumental rock band ‘kNuMB’ for the last 3 years. Still weaving intricate melodies with the band, he’s now a part of ‘Qayaas’ where he again assumes the role as a bass player. He works as a Creative Manager in an Advertising Agency in Islamabad. Salman Rafique (a.k.a. Fifu) has been playing guitars for the last 18 years, and drums for the last 6. With influences ranging from Rush to Pantera, Fifu has been a prominent part of the local underground circuit; contributing as the guitar hand or the drum hog for many bands, studio and live. He is known for his famous drum solos during concerts and is a technician when it comes to execution and music theory. Fifu has many bands to his credit, ‘Surge’, ‘kNuMB’ and now ‘Qayaas’. He is a Software Product Manager in an IT Startup based in Islamabad. We realize that the while on the surface the situation in the country threatens art disruption, it is also breeding ground for rebellion. Historically, some of the most poignant criticism of war and violence has come from rock musicians and songwriters providing an outlet for the sentiments of public at large. The cathartic quality of rock music that has given voice to the anguish and torment of generations finds a most fitting context in our country. Music can be used as a motivation for the advocacy of a common cause. Our singles “Umeed”, “Tanha” and “Inquilab” do exactly that. They utilize the ability of music as a potent medium of communication and a form of political activism. We feel that music can go a long way in healing the heartache of our war torn nation and emphasize the importance of unity and keeping a positive outlook in times of struggle (Umeed meaning hope), Anguish (Tanha meaning alone) and the way forward (Inquilab meaning revolution).