In the basement of an inconspicuous building that houses an educational institute by day, something magical is happening. Lahore’s (literally) underground music scene is once again booming. As you make your way down dark narrow stairs, the noise swells around you and the closer you get to the basement hall the unseen voices grow louder, until you stumble into a bright, crimson walled room. Welcome to the Nescafe Basement jam session, the last for this season.

The hall has been repurposed to provide better acoustics and block out external clamour but the cacophony of sounds within the jam room do a pretty great job of drowning out all other noises on their own.  It’s early January but the fans are on and the basement feels balmy, partially because of the sheer number of people gathered together to hear the artists thrash it out.

The program brings together aspiring musicians from different parts of the country, giving them a platform to not only showcase their talent but also play and develop their sound with other gifted individuals. Mentored by industry veteran Zulfiqar Jabbar or Xulfi as he is usually referred to, the 45 selected musicians are paired together to choose their pieces. The ratio of original tracks to covers is almost equal for this season, a rather commendable fact that belies the purpose at the heart of this exercise - to nurture our future talent.

The energy and excitement is infectious. The artists’ mill about, chatting with friends and family present to support them, answering questions for an RJ covering their jam session for his radio slot and social media, taking directions from Jabbar and sipping on unlimited cold coffee, a perk of the title sponsorship. And suddenly, as if having received an invisible signal the congregation breaks up, the musicians sit/stand in front of their instruments and the audience shuffles around trying to find space without getting in the way. No one has to make an announcement for silence or for phones to be switched off; it is understood and seems to be the respectful thing to do. The drummer plays a testing beat, the lead, back and rhythm guitarists tune their instruments as the vocalist flexes his chords. With a gesture from Xulfi they begin and the music reverberates through the walls and the flooring, making hearts beat in tune.

It’s truly an electric experience. Being in an enclosed space with passionate individuals who are putting their heart and soul into making music is a treat to watch. Gone is the casual slump of shoulders, the loose body language or self-assured languidness of youth. In its stead you see the seriousness of rock stars; the single-minded intent of the drummer, the guitarist feeling each note through his fingertips, the percussion player’s hands smarting from the tabla. In the midst of all of this Jabbar moves from musician to musician, leading the band like an orchestra maestro, only to suddenly break off into an intense riff on an imaginary air guitar.

It is a short jam; they practise their song twice having already had a longer jam session last year. It seems to end too soon or perhaps it was such a treat to hear them play that no one wanted it to stop. The chatter begins again but ear drums are still adjusting to the lower decibel of sound.

Speaking to the vocalist, Altmash Sarwar and guitarist Yousaf Ramay, both 23, reveals that their favourite part of the entire experience was the chance to play with and learn from people with different musical backgrounds.

Talking to Instep, Sarwar observed: "Without platforms like Nescafe Basement, it’s very difficult for aspiring musicians like us to get noticed. The industry apparatus isn’t strong enough yet to naturally provide break-through so its programs like these that put us on the map and kick-start our musical career."

The man with the plan, Jabbar is beaming with pride. "It’s a great opportunity to work with young talent, they’re so inspiring. In fact, I’ve spent my entire life dedicated to music and to work with youngsters who are fearless in testing their limits and do exactly what they feel like (something I highly propagate) is a learning experience. This platform isn’t just productive in terms of their music but in overall character building as well. You can see their characters develop; they’re a lot more confident now and the camaraderie between them will last a lifetime."

Explaining the goal of the new season, Jabbar explained, "This season each song, original or cover has been assigned keeping the strengths of each group in mind. It’ll really help the audience connect with the music even more. It’s heartening to see that we have such platforms in Pakistan now and humbling that I get to be a part of one. They’re so important if we’d like to retain a music industry because they keep injecting fresh life into the scene. I’m glad that the slump in the industry is over, this is like a second coming of the booming Pakistani music scene."