The band was initially formed by four college studentsβ Bilal Maqsood vocals and guitars , Faisal Kapadia vocals , Rafiq Wazir Ali synthesizer and Kareem Bashir Bhoy bass guitar βin While the initial band rode the new wave of Pakistani pop music , the later lineup ushered a revival in the Pakistani music industry.
Their initial experiments with synthesized sounds and rhythms were not immediately recognised, although Strings sold 20, copies during its first week after release. Two years later the band released their second album, 2 , which included the critically acclaimed single "Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar".
The song was first aired on MTV Asia , and led the band to widespread fame. In , Maqsood and Kapadia released Duur , which revived the band's popularity, and followed it with Dhaani in This album included the single " Najane Kyun ", which was part of the soundtrack for the Hollywood film Spider-Man 2. Following Junoon and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan , Strings went to India where they found remixes of one of their early songs playing in clubs.
The album was co-produced by Bollywood actor John Abraham , and was successful in Pakistan and India. Strings are recognized for their stringed rhythms and melodious, poetic songs written by Anwar Maqsood , Bilal's father. He has been writing lyrics for the band since its re-formation, with Kapadia the lead vocalist. Bilal Maqsood composes, plays guitar and occasionally sings. The band have sold over 25 million albums worldwide.
Strings produced and directed music reality series, Coke Studio Pakistan from to Pop music became more popular in Pakistan during the late s, with new artists emerging in the scene.
