Log in to fangirl.in and you are greeted with a homepage in pastel hues, with the word ‘fangirl’ (in Devanagari script) and a black-and-white image of a shrieking girl, clutching her face. Enter the ‘About’ page and you see an image of Gandhi, flanked by his laughing nieces. They ask him if only a girl can be a fangirl. He replies, “Silly, fangirl is an emotion. I’m a fangirl too, we’re all fangirls.”
The slang word fangirl can be used in a derogatory manner, denoting the trope of a hysterical woman obsessed with a particular band, actor or fictional character. But it wasn’t long before the term was reclaimed, with women and men wearing their love for their obsessions proudly on their social media sleeves.
Raving and raging
In India, the independent music scene boasts its own set of fangirls and fanboys; each raving and raging about the best new musicians on the block. Despite the sheer number of bands and music festivals strewn across the country, most of the audience for indie music isn’t very aware of the music that exists outside the confines of electronica, pumping out its beats in low-lit clubs. Navigating your way through the ‘scene’ that consumes indie music isn’t an easy task.
Palashi Vaghela, co-founder of Fangirl , says, “There are enough publications that exist, but most cater to the scene. We wanted to create something entertaining that would convert people to listening to more indie music.” Vaghela, with her friends from Ahmedabad, web developer Meet Bhatt and designer Utsav Chadha, lanched Fangirl in April 2016, to talk about music they loved. The website says: “ Fangirl was born out of an emotion that most of us feel when we are introduced to a piece of music that speaks to us and sweeps us off of our feet, an emotion that cannot be contained and must be shared with the world.”
Three editions down, Fangirl has featured interviews with upcoming and established acts such as Lawntuba and Ritwik De. Genre-based mixtapes, fan art and album reviews are encapsulated in tight and absurdly funny newsletters. Fangirl ’s use of ‘charsi Hinglish’ sets an oddball tone, one that the founders strictly follow on social media, and which sets them apart from the clutter of indie publications. As none of the three is a music journalist, their features are bereft of phrases such as ‘sonic aesthetic’ and ‘tinged with the influence of’.
Fangirl aims to be like a recommendation written by an enthusiastic friend who can’t wait for you to listen to the SoundCloud stream of the newest band they’ve chanced upon. Paired with some hilarious visuals, designed by Chadha, Fangirl is a treat to read.
A deliberate decision
Vaghela says the decision to limit the newsletter to a fortnightly was deliberate. “We don’t want to be overambitious. So to keep up the tempo, we decided on a frequency that is realistic, given that the three of us have day jobs too.” The newsletter is also restricted to the genres the trio is interested in. For instance, there is no mention of metal bands, one reason why they’re requesting music enthusiasts to contribute. “We’ve got more responses than we initially anticipated,” says Vaghela, who expected subscribers to be restricted to just friends when they started off.
Finally making noise
Their motto, #Swadeshisuno (listen to Indian music), is now finally beginning to make some noise, not just within the scene but also reaching people who wouldn’t otherwise be interested. The trio has no plans to monetise or expand, though. They’re just content that more people now have a platform to marvel at the talent in the indie music industry.
Subscribe to the newsletter @ fangirl.in. The next edition will be out in the last week of July.
The author is a freelance writer
