Bahraini Musician Whatsmahmood Debuts Indie-Funk Single ‘Goosebumps’

Cover Image by Ishaq Madan

Bahraini singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Abdulla Mahmood, aka Whatsmahmood, debuts his funky indie-rock single ‘Goosebumps’.

Having been making music since 2003 and performing with bands across almost every venue in Bahrain, Mahmood is now launching his solo career with a mission to reintroduce indie funk into Bahraini’s underground music scene. “The music scene in Bahrain is now over-saturated with house DJs, making music that, with all due respect, lacks that groovy punch,” Whatsmahmood tells SceneNoise. “I want to normalize making music that brings fun, and when I say fun I mean funk, to people’s lives.”

Heavily inspired by the electronic funk flair of American musician and Youtube sensation, Marc Rebillet, and Bahraini/Canadian Duo Majid Jordan, Mahmood contrasts his melancholic lyricism – tackling themes of heartbreak, romantic relationships and self-discovery – with funky bass arrangements and catchy jazzy hooks that add more character to the song. “I love funky bass and disco music,” he says. “It sends goosebumps through my body. So, I wanted to encapsulate that feeling through the melody.”

Though the song, produced by Sean Aaron Fernandes, is fully in English, Mahmood shares that, “I’m writing more songs in Arabic now, which I will release soon. It’s very important for me to celebrate my Bahraini culture and deconstruct the stereotypes associated with it.”

The track is accompanied by a minimalistic retro-inspired music video –directed by Mahmood himself, featuring scenes of him, donned in black aviators, cruising in the empty streets of his hometown late at night, along with playful moments with his barber and in a classic disco hall.