The era of indie music, which is known for its strongly independent, often experimental flavour and sound, seems to have finally made it in India.
For a genre that took time to form, not only because it needed a do-it-yourself production kit, but also because of the extent of knowledge needed to experiment with various genres, indie has now become a hit among Indian musicians.
Says Amit Kilam, Indian Ocean’s percussionist, “I think the indie music scene is finally picking up here. A lot of artistes are doing stuff over the Internet. They’re finding it an easier option instead of running to a small-time production house. I can see that these artistes are experimenting a lot now. There are so many western, Indian and even electronic elements in their music.”
Raghu Dixit, who entered the indie scene with his Raghu Dixit Project, is of the opinion that Indian music has finally found the last piece to its vast musical puzzle. “The indie scene in India today is very interesting and has a great future. There are many bands who are finally making quality music and are truly original. That was one of the biggest missing links in the Indian indie scene, the fact that we were not putting too much emphasis on being original. But, that’s happening now and as a clear result you see so many bands from India starting to make a mark outside India as well. I’ve seen how things work in various parts of the world and while we are doing some things right, a lot of other things need to catch up!”
Music lovers will be the first to admit that the Internet is a boon to amateur as well as professional musicians — it gives music lovers a base to connect with each other and to a whole world of other artistes doing various gigs.
Colin D’ Cruz, the bassist of the Brown Indian Band, thinks the Internet has done its bit when it comes to music, helping all forms grow, especially indie. “Nowadays, people prefer to listen to original music online, because there is so much variety to choose from. Many bands now are making original music and releasing it online for free, to spread the word and also to be appreciated for their music. This works to the advantage of both parties,” he says.
While the Internet seems to be one of the main contributing factors, many musicians believe that the Indian audience has opened up to all genres of music.
“The audience here is quite smart. People think that everyone here loves only Bollywood music and the market is only here. But that’s not true. We’ve had a long innings and it wouldn’t have been possible if there had been no audience for our music,” laughs Amit.
Raghu Dixit feels that the Indian music scene’s major lacuna is the absence of a concert culture, though there is a niche audience for any kind of music. “Most of the live music that happens in India is indie and not mainstream, but there is no culture of going out for a music show in India and that needs to be inculcated in our audience. And when they do come out, we need to give them an experience that they will love and want more of! This is where we fall short.”
But what is it about the indie genre that attracts musicians? “Artistes have a natural yearning to come up with something new. To break the norms, where you think beyond a set pattern. That is indie. If you go into Bollywood, which is where you join the bandwagon, it’s like doing an MBA,” chuckles Amit.