The Indian music industry, primarily driven by film music, has always maintained a space for newer genres and styles to define new generations. As music director-producer Mikey McCleary puts it, it was pop music that reigned supreme in the 90s and brought international artists to India. Later, this gave way to indie artists, “who put in a lot of work and created this whole indie music scene which is very vibrant now.” McCleary, who sees a void between mainstream Bollywood music and indie music, is bringing forth a girl group, India’s first one in at least two decades, to bridge this gap.
“India is very ready for something like this,” McCleary says of the four-member girl group called W.i.S.H. (World Inka Stage Hai), featuring Ri, Zo, Suchi and Sim, which is debuting under the Sony music label. While immediate reference points for listeners may include the large number of K-pop girl groups that have emerged recently, McCleary says their influences go back to Spice Girls. Suchi cites Fifth Harmony as an inspiration too. “The way they [Spice Girls, Fifth Harmony] dance to their music is our forte. We enjoy pop music and we enjoy K-pop music as well, but we want to fuse the Indian elements into pop music and give the audience a new taste… a kind of fusion that has the hip hop beats, a hint of some Spanish elements, and different cultural aspects,” she says.
Members of W.i.S.H. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“I think what’s really important, and comes through in the songs, is the connection to India,” adds McCleary who describes the band’s upcoming work as having roots in India whilst still being very international; “that gives it a separate identity from other similar bands that are out there in the world,” he adds.
This kind of internationalised Indianness finds its way to their debut single, “Lazeez,” which Ri says will give both Indian and international audiences something to relate to. With a Latin beat and some R&B melodies, played in the background of lyrics in English and Hindi, “Lazeez,” is a fun and catchy song, say the band members. But ‘catchiness’ nowadays must be chased after on social media. However, that’s not the mindset W.i.S.H. is following. “Once the music is made, and it comes out of this collaborative space from all of us, only then do we think about how can we make it go viral. Then we try to follow trends,” says Zo, as Suchi adds that growing up with social media means they see it more as a blessing than a challenge. “We are creating content that is quite ‘us’ and hope listeners will pick up on this.”
For Ri, creating such music comes with the added benefit of working with her sister Sim. “It’s the most natural thing for us. Even when I am writing something and I am stuck, Sim helps put a different perspective. And now I feel like with Zo and Suchi, it’s an extension of the same kind of relationship,” she says.
A click from W.i.S.H.’s performance | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sim adds that when they all get together, it takes the relationship to another level. “Being in a girl group is honestly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not everyone can say that they have been in a girl group.” Zo describes being part of a girl group as a secret passion of all the members. “Honestly, a girl group is just like the whole package. I mean you see Destiny’s Child, Spice Girls and Little Mix and think ‘Wow I want what they have’.”
And while this companionship in singing is aspirational, it takes a lot of work to forge it. According to McCleary, the reason why India has not had such bands for long is because the process, “is like launching a single artist four times.”
“It took a lot of time to find the right combination, and these four artists have a lot of talent and are also very dedicated. And on top of that, it is about the individual personalities.; it is important that they are cohesive as a group, but also as individuals they shine through, and each relates to different fans in different ways. Whilst I had a whole idea of this, it’s been a learning, collaborative journey for a lot of us,” says Mcleary. “It seems like we have worked and worked and worked and now here we are, but the real work starts right now!” he adds.
For the band and McCleary, the work ahead does not just encompass making memorable songs. Their ambitions include taking Indian pop music to the mainstream internationally. “We want to take charge of making that happen!” says an elated Suchi.
Members of W.i.S.H. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
