Change is always good. And when it comes to legendary guitarist and singer Susmit Sen, a change in the soundscape was a long-time coming. Since he parted ways with India’s biggest music phenomenon – Indian Ocean, Susmit has been exploring a side of him that’s sonically different in his solo career titled the Susmit Sen Chronicles. His journey, over the last few years has been one he describes as thoroughly enriching and one he’s used to explore a side of him he’s never creatively expressed before.
Ahead of the band’s performance in Bengaluru’s blueFROG on September 8, Susmit catches up with MetroPlus and talks about where life and his music are taking him.
A long-term follower of Bengaluru’s music scene, Susmit is excited about bringing his music to the music capital.
“Bengaluru is always a pleasure to play in. The city has a very knowledgeable crowd and I’m really looking forward to it. I love Bengaluru. I’ve been following the scene here since the mid ‘80s and there’s been a sea change in it since then.”
While Susmit needs no introduction, his new avatar definitely does. “It’s a completely new ensemble with extremely talented and energetic youngsters. Hence, our expression itself takes a new turn. I’m looking at giving my compositions a beautiful twist in expression.”
Susmit adds: “It’s almost like reliving the times when I started Indian Ocean. That’s a beautiful organic process and it’s nice to explore newer pastures.”
With two solo albums under his belt since then, how has his music evolved? “I don’t look at it like that. My endeavour is that each of my compositions should be a completely different expression and something no one has ever heard before.”
The most important thing he’d like his audience to take away from his music is “the experience of life itself. The various aspects that I have experienced through my journey – be it as a musician or a human being – is something that I want to portray through my music. It’s all about life; the organic part of life, not the synthetic part of it. And therefore I’ve still not really gone ahead and used synthesisers and the electronic part of music. But I’m not really averse to it either. I am open to anything that will finally lead to any kind of expression.”
With the deep impact Indian Ocean has had on live Indian music, how different is the Susmit Sen Chronicles from Indian Ocean?
Susmit replies: “We sound different because the people involved in the two bands are completely different apart from me. Moreover, every composition is completely different now. We are not Indian Ocean. Although a major part of Indian Ocean’s compositions initially were mine. But, let’s not go back there. These are songs that do not sound similar to anything I’ve ever composed before.”
Susmit goes on to introduce Nandit Desai, the band’s drummer and a “tone-perfect guy”, to answer a few questions. “It’s my first tour as a drummer with the band,” he explains.
“I’ve not played with a band of this stature before and I haven’t toured at all. It’s certainly a big thing for me. I’m extremely excited because this is the Susmit Sen Chronicles and it’s huge.” He adds: “We gel quite well musically. There’s synergy in the way we play music so there is definitely great things in store for the band.”
At the heart of their music is undoubtedly Susmit’s style of guitar playing, says Nandit. “This is definitely his own. I don’t think anyone else in India has been able to play like him. That’s the sound of the band. Secondly, the kind of vocals that we have is very unique. We have a few lyrics in some songs but apart from that, most of the songs have really ambient vocals and that’s something we are sure our audience will love,” he sums up.
Catch the Susmit Sen Chronicles live at blueFROG, Church Street, on September 8 from 8:30 p.m. onwards.
