Zephyr Ruth and Sayan Dhar are high school friends from Siliguri with a passion for music. The 20-year-olds today have forged a unique identity in the electronic dance music (EDM) space in India and perform under the name Zephyrtone and they are on a tour of the city to promote its latest single ‘Hear Me.’
Humble beginings
After high school, Zephyr moved to Pune to study western music in 2012. Sayan also moved there in the hope the two of them could form a band. Says Sayan, “Our families have always been supportive of our career choices. When I decided not to study after school and grow as an artiste I had full support from my parents. Instead of investing in colleges fees, they helped me with my stay in Pune.”
Campus hopping
Their cover of ‘Closer’ by Chainsmokers at Mood Indigo, IIT Mumbai went viral in December 2016. Since then, they have performed in more than 100 colleges.
Even with all the success, they admit, they still feel great when they hear from fans. Zephyr who is the vocalist and songwriter says, “Reading messages from fans on social media and listening to their version of our songs humbles me and keeps me going.”
Going pro
But three years ago, things weren’t as upbeat. Sayan, who handles music production recollects how, “In 2015, we were reaching out to pubs and discotheque for opportunities . Most of them turned us down and the ones that allowed us to play didn’t pay us.” But later that year, WMS Entertainment, an artist management firm based in Delhi, reached out to them after stumbling upon their songs on SoundCloud. This was a game changer. Under professional guidance they released ‘Shooting Stars’, their first extended play record in 2016. The same year they started performing at college festivals. Zephyr says, “Most of our fans are in college and performing in college festivals gives us the opportunity to connect with them. I don’t think we would have been as popular without the success in these festivals.”
The band just needs a mic and a laptop with digital audio workstation to make music. Even today they record songs from home. Zephyr says, “People rarely believe that our songs are recorded at home on a laptop!”
Zephyrtone will perform a 90-minute-set on September 1 at the The Gateway Hotel. Sayan says, “We are really enjoying the touring! There are opportunities in non-metro cities, and rising artistes are always treated better in smaller cities.”
Venue: Lawsons's Lounge, The Gateway Hotel
Time: September 1, 8 pm
7989412607
