The sustenance of bands comes from the realisation of staying true to their roots, from going back and forth over time to see what they represent. In 2002, when a group of four Bangaloreans — Vasu Dixit, Abhinanth Kumar, Arjun and Pavan Kumar — for whom music represented universality, formed Swarathma, independent music wasn’t work. They were particular to let music-making be a medium through which they could honestly express themselves, enjoy and convey their message to their diverse crowds, be it clubs, colleges or a concert audience.
Fourteen years hence, Swarathma has evolved in its musical output; they’re a few hundred gigs and a couple of albums old, but the afore-mentioned facet of theirs hasn’t changed much. They were in Hyderabad recently to perform for a gig at Vasavi Engineering College. Enthralling a packed open auditorium with their popular tracks ‘Topiwalleh’ ‘Jeshu aur Allah’, they’ve concluded the southern leg of the Red Bull Tour Bus on a high note, supported by the Hyderabadi band The Ragamuffins.
The lead vocalist Vasu Dixit is visibly surprised at the enthusiasm of the crowds in the twin cities and the diverse identities of the various bands here. Beyond music, he’s the only vegetarian in the band, a mute spectator to his non-vegetarian mates as they make the most of the biryani joints in the city. Of course, he comes in to his own element while gorging on the ice-creams at the Famous Ice Cream (Mozamjahi Market) and Four Seasons. They had only little time this trip managing to taste the Qubani ka meetha as they reached the venue.
Taking time for sound-checks intermittently at the auditorium as we talk, Vasu Dixit is particularly grateful to the umpteen digital platforms that have boosted the cause of bands and musical quality they produce, thereby helping indie bands take off. “Since the time we started to now, the independent scene has well and truly surged. With so many music festivals across the country, interesting collaborations and bands not having to depend on a music label to release tracks, there’s been a sea change of trends,” he says.
His band-member Jishnu Dasgupta (bass guitar and vocals) adds more weight to his counterpart’s statement, “We came at a time when most musicians didn’t find avenues, there was no notable production of original music. Only when you create something of your own, you’ll find resonance,” he opines. Towards that end, what Swarathma consistently did is to find a connection apart from music. That’s where there’s a symphony with the breath, the musical instruments, the voice is brought about. “You can’t explain but the coordination shows in the little things when you make music,” Vasu says and you trust that. Pavan is a photographer as well, Jishnu’s into social media marketing, most of them are into food, which gives them a lot of topics to chat about.
Swarathma makes music for their personal joy ultimately, unlike films, where the beats and tunes are attuned for particular reasons and to impress an audience. “This makes more sense when we call ourselves independent. We’re expressing our feelings more organically,” elaborate Vasu and Jissnu on their identity.
Language hasn’t been a barrier in the music that Swarathma produces. English, Kannada, Hindi and Bengali, they’ve produced popular tracks in each language and not to forget the contribution of MTV’s Coke Studio in giving them a great reach. “This has not been a conscious choice but what music does to people is beyond the universe. Recently, I’d received a message on Facebook of a guy, who claimed to produce Gujarati rap. I’m yet to hear to what he’s produced. However, that’s music for you; the stage is for you to explore,” Jishnu convinces us.
Having performed in clubs, colleges, corporate events, Swarathma has adapted to each of the atmospheres well in time. “Say, in clubs, the mood is to just jump around and have fun. It’s a bigger challenge in colleges, the energy comes into play. Corporate events are equally tough, with the vibes we’re to generate,” Vasu replies.
Swarathma, meanwhile has also been known for their inclination to perform for social causes. One such moving incident recently, was when an interpreter on stage, through sign-language, represented their lyrics to a differently-abled audience and the crowd responded to them with joy. A few days to go, they’re to perform at Indore for another gig and boy, they look ready.
With the local flavour
At the Vasavi Engineering College, it was not only the veteran band that caught the eyeballs, a share of the limelight was also hogged by the Hyderabadi indie-pop-rock band The Ragamuffins, named after the famous British indie-pop band. Comprising Pranati Khanna (vocalist and guitarist), Pradyun (guitarist), Rex Vijay (bass), Siddharth (drummer) and Devi Prasad (percussionist), the band came into existence in September 2015, making considerable progress in its independent music-production to date.
“Before the evolution of the band, we have been performing together for 6-7 years, shifting between commercial jobs and making time for music. It was only last year that Pradyun and I took efforts to bring a band together,” says Pranati, a graphic artist and a regular performer at music events/competitions since school. The others in the band too were expectedly surrounded by music since childhood. Western music was where they found a connect. It’s been a slow start for them but they promise they’re here to stay; they have performed at several venues in Hyderabad. “The journey has been fun, we’re getting to learn,” Pranati replies. As a band, they are inspired by the band Monophonics. And talking about their plans to make an album soon, she adds, “We’re on track to come with an EP in the middle of this year.”
