The Great Indian Indie Song

Popular indie musicians offer their assessment of the current soundscape

August 21, 2014 09:24 pm | Updated August 22, 2014 12:14 pm IST - Chennai

"We are not on top of our game when it comes to television programming. There is a demand for a different kind of entertainment, people anre curious about various sub-cultures," Ankur Tewari, musician and programming consultant, Pepsi MTV Indies.

"We are not on top of our game when it comes to television programming. There is a demand for a different kind of entertainment, people anre curious about various sub-cultures," Ankur Tewari, musician and programming consultant, Pepsi MTV Indies.

“It is the best time to be a musician in the country,” declares Subir Malik, founder member, Parikrama, a band that has been producing music for over two decades now. It wouldn't be farfetched to agree with him if we survey the current scene for indie music in the country. Countless music festivals with competing line-ups of artists punctuate the year. A daunting range of music from this genre adorns, gets circulated and even sold on the internet. Pubs and restaurants across cities offer a routine platform for upcoming musicians belonging to this style. Finally, even television channels are now offering to tap into the 'indie market.' “Never before have almost all platforms converged to make more indie music possible,” says Raghu Dixit, singer-songwriter, echoing the opinion.

Photo: "Never before have almost all platforms converged to make more indie music possible," Raghu Dixit, Singer, Song-Writer.

So, should we call it a comeback of sorts? Musicians across bands strongly feel that indie music never really went out of vogue for it to be revived. “There has been a consistent music scene throughout. Perhaps, it is television that woke up to it and decided to do something about it,” says Raghu. Indian television fondly recalls a time, not so long ago, when its music channels used to actively play indie music from across the country. “Our track 'But it rained' would not have been as successful if not for television at that time,” recalls Subir. After Indian television's simmering interest in the indies, there came a time when almost no music from this genre found a place in a cable channel. “I remember when we started out and made a music video, no channel would take it. MTV or Channel V wouldn't take it because it had English words and VH1 wouldn't take it because it had Indian words,” narrates Abhishek Mathur from Advaita, the Delhi-based band that turns ten this September.

Standing on the brink of bidding farewell to the genre from its side, Indian television today has miraculously brought back indie from the clutches of its receding memory and is showing renewed interest in the artists that make up the style. “Television in India is now making an effort to rise out of the dark ages,” says Ankur Tewari, Musician and Programming Consultant with Pepsi MTV Indies, a new channel launched recently. “We are not on top of our game when it comes to television programming. When we compare ourselves with the rest of the world, we realise this better.” Then, how did a channel like ‘Pepsi MTV Indies’ come about? “It organically happened because there is a demand for a different kind of entertainment, people are curious about various sub-cultures,” he explains. “It is not just about indie music. There is also curiosity about indie film and comedy, for instance,” he adds.

Photo:"Indie musicians want to make music in films too and there is a lot of money in it which makes it desirable. The reach is far more too," Vasu Dixit, Swarathma.

In the absence of television, it was the internet that fostered indie musicians. Hailed as the ultimate launch pad for any musician these days, the internet is also a viable platform for selling music today, say musicians. “It has been a while since I have gone out to buy a CD. When it is available at the click of a button, why would anyone venture out?” asks Vasu Dixit from Swarathma.

However, for Vasu, while the internet is a reality, and a desirable one at that, nothing can replace live music. “There is nothing that compares to the feeling of performing on stage. The manner in which the band performs, interacts with audiences and from the audience's perspective, to be able to meet the artists they have been listening to, even touch them, is something incredible. We have in fact physically sold CDs after concerts. People like to take back a little bit of us after witnessing the live performance,” he describes.

The music festival circuit, has not only promoted indie music but has also given listeners the continued opportunity to soak in the aura of a performance. “From magnificent successes like NH7 Weekender, to festivals on the absolute fringe, like Ziro (Arunachal Pradesh), Magnetic Fields (Rajasthan) and Storm (Karnataka), the fact that people are conducting these festivals and audiences are travelling to feel that vibe...it's stellar,” say the members of Pentagram, the Mumbai- based rock band.

However, some musicians feel that the festival space needs to be more inclusive. “Similar sets of bands end up playing at most festivals. For instance, the headlining bands are all the same. It will take some time for other bands to step-up their production,” says Vasu. Subir feels that there is a 'cartelization' at festivals. “Organisers and agencies tend to promote their own bands alone.” Disagreeing with this opinion, Raghu feels that the festival circuit is doing just fine. “It is up to the band to perform better. No festival I know wants to repeat acts. I think that is logical. I do not think there is any politics,” he argues.

Photo: "We're musicians. We need to make good music, and have a good time," Pentagram.

Entirely inclusive or not, all bands agree that the picture is definitely better than what it was. “It was an undeveloped scene back when we started, and we had to fight hard to find our own voice and get people to understand that just because we did things differently, we weren't “wrong.” Now, everybody gets that,” says Pentagram.

Cinema too, has increasingly shown that it is interested in indie musicians. “Indie musicians want to make music for films too and there is a lot of money in it. The reach is far more too. Filmmaking itself has changed. There are younger filmmakers, the duration of the film is shorter and the music for it is also different,” explains Vasu. “Why not compose for film too?” is a question that most musicians are asking today. “Personally, I think there is a difference between entertainment and art. Yes, opportunities are great. But one must also maintain one’s integrity as a musician,” feels Abhishek.

Contemporary indie music today is definitely in a feel-good space, if not the absolute best. “I wouldn’t say we have reached our ultimate potential. Indian musicians are coming of age for sure. They are composing new and original materials that are not cheap imitations. But, there is a lot more to do,” says Raghu. Pentagram pitches in offering their assessment of the current scene in their characteristic style. “We're musicians. We need to make good music, and have a good time. The rest will follow.” And, “Life is cyclical. Things come and go in waves. We don't think about it too much. Music is forever, and cycles are fun.”

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