Indie’pendent India:

A Study on of the Rise of

Independent Music in India

A Dissertation Submitted Under the Programme

M. Sc. in Communication Studies

By
Shivani Dogra
E-mail: Shinisha.d@gmail.com

Department of Communication Studies

University of Pune, Pune

May, 2012 Guided By:

Pune Mr. Vishram Dhole

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 Certificate

This to certify that Ms Shivani Dogra, a student of Department of Communication

Studies, University of Pune has completed her final semester research
dissertation titled ‘Indie’pendent India’ during December 2011 to May 2012 under
my supervision.

The dissertation is submitted towards the partial fulfillment of M. Sc.

Communication Studies programme conducted by the Department

I have guided her on various issues and methods during this research project.

May, 2012 Mr. Vishram Dhole

Pune Research Guide

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 Acknowledgement

Firstly I would like to thank Dhole Sir and Madhavi Ma’am for their guidance without which this
research would have gone in a very different direction, which may not have been as interesting.

For a purely qualitative research which is based on interviews alone, transcription can seem to
be a task bigger than the research itself in terms of quantity of work. So I would like to say a
huge thank you to Shweta, Tejas, Ajinkya, Ankita, Saryu, for helping me with the transcriptions
and special thank you to Ritu, who was the ‘official transcriber’ for this dissertation.

Next in line – all those who got me touch or tried to get me in touch with independent artists
for the interviews. Jasmine, Tejas, Ankita, Divya, Fabien, Nupur, Rahul and Shinu – thank you for
making my job a little simpler. A big thank you to Bhupinder as well for sharing his insights on
independent music in India.

No research can be completed without its moments of confusion, especially if I am the

researcher. So I would like to thank my classmates Smruty, Jyonita, Amruta and Farzaheh, who
took time out to lend their ears to my confusion and doubts and helped to sort them out.

I am also grateful to my ‘technical support’ team - Anisha and Kaustubh - for lending me various
gadgets for recording and transferring purposes.

I would like to thank the Radio One team for their help as well. My interest in independent
music is partly a result of having interned there.

And a very special thanks to Rohit for making the awesome cover page for my dissertation.

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I would also like to thank my laptop for behaving itself and not giving me any trouble through
the course of writing this dissertation.

Last but not least, I am very grateful to all the independent artists and those associated with
independent music who took time out for the interviews. This research would not have been
possible without their help. In no particular order, a very special thanks to:

Gaurav Vaz of The Raghu Dixit Project

Subir Malik of Parikrama
Luis Chico of Something Relevant
Jishnu Dasgupta of Sawarathma
Pavan Kumar of Swarathma
Ameeth Thomas of Junkyard Groove
Mohammad Muneem of Highway 61
Yayati Zende of Hourglass Inversion
Uday Benegal of Indus Creed
Jay Singh of Pinknoise & Skinny Alley
Dhaval Mudgal of Half Step Down
Anant Saxena of Dark Project
Rudy Wallang of Soulmate
Reinhardt Dias of Blakc
Nikhil D’Souza
Dhruv Jagasia
Rahul Chatterji

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 Abstract

Independent music in India has become a major phenomenon over the last few years. Though
there was always a presence of bands in the country since perhaps the 1960’s, those creating
original music was very less. In a country where film music has dominated for decades, it seems
important to study a parallel culture of artists making original music mostly in English, which
until recently had a limited audience. Several independent artists were interviewed to gain
insight into how the environment for independent music in India has changed over the years as
well as the reasons for it. Secondary data was also collected to give a brief account of significant
bands and events that perhaps contributed to the current state of independent music which
now consists of several artists making music belonging to various genres. It could be seen that
technology played a big part in the growth of independent music. However another important
factor was the change in attitudes over the years towards original music, which led to more
acceptance of original music. It was also observed that the independent artists chose to pursue
music in spite of the limited opportunities it afforded them for a very long time, purely out of
love and passion that they had towards music.

Key words: Independent music in India, Independent artists, growth of independent

music, technology, limited audience, original music

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 Table of Contents

Chapters Page Number

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..07
2. Review of Literature………………………………………………………………12
3. Aim and Objectives……………………………………………………………….20
4. Methodology…………………………………………………………………………21
5. A Brief History of Independent Music in India……………………….24
6. Analysis………………………………………………………………………………...28
7. Inference……………………………………………………………………………….57
8. Limitations and Scope for Further Research………………………....64
9. References…………………………………………………………………………….66
10. Appendix…………………………………………………………………………....70

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 1. Introduction

1.1) Music

Music is one of the few things that often knows no border, language or culture. It has the ability
to transcend differences of various kinds and connect people. It can evoke several emotions
and alter our state of mind as well. Music can mean different things to different people and its
place and importance in individual lives varies. However the fact is that we are surrounded by
music in some form or the other during our lifetime. Music can mean the sounds of nature as
well as a well composed song or symphony. It is often a way to voice an opinion or express
different feelings. It can be a spiritual experience for some as well. Various styles of music have
developed over the centuries in different parts of the world and different regions have a
distinct sound resulting from the use of specific instruments to produce various kinds of
sounds. Very often songs are written about the events taking place and to pass on knowledge
about culture and history. Music continues to evolve and is an essential part of the human
experience.

1.2) Music in India

Music has been a big part of the culture in India as well. The diversity that is present in India in
most aspects of life is also reflected in the music as well. Music in India has many forms and is
often a part of several traditional celebrations. Whether it is a birth in the family, a marriage, a
religious festival or any other occasion, music is always there as an extension of the collective
emotion. The classical form of music in India has consisted of the Hindustani classical music and
Carnatic music. Apart from classical music there are various forms of folk music such as
bhangra, lavni, etc, which have been in existence for centuries and are unique to different
regions of the country and other forms such as gazals, qawwali, etc. One of the major
differences between western music and Indian music is the way that it is formally taught. In

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India musical knowledge is transferred through the guru shishya tradition, where there is one
teacher and one disciple. It is a close relationship and more personalized. The teachings are oral
and there is no real written form of music. Western music on the other hand uses notations and
can be written and read. This is one of the basic differences between Indian music and western
music.

1.3) Western Music in India

Western music is a term that can include various forms of music from various countries.
Western forms of music have also been a big part of India’s musical history. Western music also
has its classical forms along with the more popular forms of music such as rock, jazz, pop, etc.
The popular forms of western music have mainly come from United States and Britain and their
influence could often be seen in Hindi film music during the 6o’s and 70’s as well. Though
western classical forms of music in India have had a limited following, the popular music has
made its place over the years. There was a phase when several western artists such as the
Beatles, John McLauglin, Led Zeppelin, etc were influenced in some way by Indian music or the
spiritual nature of India. Ravi Shankar was one of the most prominent figures of Indian classical
music during the 60’s to have an international presence. However, the western influence was
absorbed into the film music being created and did not really result in a culture of bands and
artists making their own music.

1.4) Mainstream Music

When one speaks of what is mainstream, the question arises how do we decide what is
mainstream and what is not. If mainstream is what is most seen and easily available then it
depends on who decides what should be visible and available. If mainstream is what the
majority wants, it seems unfair to decide what a majority wants when all the options haven’t
been made available to them. Thus who control the sources through which one is exposed to
anything, and in this case music, is what becomes important. In spite of having so much

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diversity with each state or region having its own style of music to offer, the various forms of
music in India have never been able to steal the limelight and take centre stage and film music
has remained the most popular form of music in the country. The mainstream media mostly
overlooks the various kinds of music produced in the country and there is very little space in the
popular media for non film music of any kind. The classical and regional forms of music in India
remain on the sidelines. Other forms of music survive on a niche audience who are dedicated
patrons and through various art forms being passed down through generations.

1.5) Music, Technology and the Audience

The last century has seen many changes in technology. The invention of radio and gramophone
records made it possible for music to reach various parts of a country and thus provided a
larger audience for international artists. Television further provided more visibility to these
artists and their music. With advancements in technology, gramophone records were replaced
by cassettes, which were then replaced by CD’s and now we are in the stage where music is
available digitally online. Technology has had a major effect on several aspects of our lives. How
music is made and consumed has also been affected by technology. The internet has also led to
increasing the reach for artists from all over the world. This has also been the case in India over
the last decade or so. Due to the quick advancements in technology the Indian audience has
been exposed to a lot of different music from all over the world.

1.6) Non Mainstream Music

In the area of non mainstream music, apart from the folk or classical forms of music, there has
also been a presence of bands performing mainly English music more prominently since the
60’s. Unlike in many western nations, popular music in India has never been about
individualistic expression. The space for artists who make music for self expression has been
minimal and has never become part of the mainstream. Since the 80’s however there has been
an underground rock movement in our country with bands making music inspired by

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international rock acts. Although this form of music is borrowed in a sense, but that does not
take away from the passion that genuine bands and artists have for rock music and other forms
of western music. With the economy opening up and the introduction of new channels, there
was a phase in the 90’s which saw a lot of pop acts like Alisha Chinoy, euphoria, etc finding a
place on television and also selling albums. This phase ran its course and was replaced by a
phase of remixes. Except for one odd exception like euphoria, most other bands remained in
the background and restricted to a niche audience.

1.7) Independent Music in India

Independent music in context to this research is term that refers to artists that do not have any
support from established record labels. Since perhaps the early 2000’s, there has been a slow
movement towards a culture of bands making original music. The journey started with cover
bands performing popular songs by international artists and is now at a point where artists are
making their own music and performing it. The last few years have seen a rise in events and
opportunities for independent artists to showcase their art. Music festivals like NH7, Fireflies,
etc and shows like Channel V Launchpad, the Dewerists have proved to be a sign of a slight but
significant increase in the exposure given to independent music in our country. The last few
years have been witness to more and more bands and artists in India experimenting with
different forms of music than ever before. These bands and artists are singing in different
languages, experimenting with various genres of music and creating sounds by blending Indian
and western music. Though the numbers of independent artists might not be large, but there
presence is significant. Many bands and artists have continued to make original music over the
years even though it wasn’t the most conventional option.

Since the time western music started having an influence in the country, there have been
several bands over the years. However up till perhaps the year 2000, the music was dominated
by covers with a few bands choosing to make original music is spite of the limited audience.
This alternate culture of original music being created and performed by artists in India over the

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years has not been explored too much. The fact that it had limited exposure and has still
managed to survive and grow over the years makes it an interesting topic to study.
Independent music in India is a culture which has not been studied before and not much has
been documented about it in mainstream media. There may have been significant artists and
musical contributions made by them in the past which have gone unnoticed due to not enough
attention having been paid to them. Independent music in India has perhaps been able to
sustain itself and grow due to there being a dedicated community of people supporting it. The
artists who have chosen to make original music, reasons for the growth of independent music
in India and how it has evolved over the years is what this research looks to explore and
explain. The research also looks to broadly cover and comment on significant events which
have taken place with respect to a musical culture mainly influenced by rock music since the
1960’s till 2005.

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 2. Review of literature

There has been significant growth in independent music in India over the last few years. There
has also been a visible increase in the amount of original music being composed, promoted and
consumed over the last few years in India, which is substantially influenced by rock music and
other forms of music not native to India. It was hard to come across any research which had
been done on independent music in India and as a result, the academic papers referred to here
are written with context to western cultures. Thus, some articles published in credible Indian
papers and magazines have also been reviewed. Independent music has existed in western
countries for decades now and usually refers to music that is not supported by the established
labels. The term independent music is also being used in a similar sense within this research.

The music industry all over the world has seen a lot of changes over the last few decades. There
have been changes taking place in terms of production, promotion, distribution and revenue
generation, mainly due to changes in technology. Wikström and Goldman (2009) said that
‘According to the research firm Forrester, total revenue from US music sales and licensing was
$14.6 billion in 1999. Ten years later, it was down to $6.3 billion and is projected to decline until
2014 (Goldman, 2010)’ (cited in Baym, 2011). There has been a decline in sales revenues from
music the world over. Yup Lee (2009) and Baym (2011) seem to concur that technology has
been one of the main reasons for the change in the way music in consumed. With respect to
India, film music has been the dominant force in music and generates the most revenue. In
spite of the dominance of Bollywood, and decline and revenue from sales, the last few years
have seen a rise in independent music being produced in the country. In an article on
independent music in India, Bagchi (2010) stated that ‘the genres most independent labels
cater to collectively account for less than 1% of the total physical sales in India’. Thus
independent music is catering to a niche audience and does not generate much revenue from
sales. Therefore the reason for the growth of independent music in India is one aspect this
research aims to cover.

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Baym (2011) in her paper on the Swedish independent music had discussed how the internet is
changing the music industry. Perhaps one of the main catalysts for the growth of independent
music in India could be the internet. In his paper on the institutionalization of independent
music in Italy, Magaudda (2009) argued that one of the reasons for the spread of independent
music in Italy in the last ten years was the ‘success of festivals and musical events that
concentrate on emerging music groups.’ He said that these festivals ‘became veritable
institutions of independent music, promoting new music groups and inviting specific discussion
of musical independence.’ This could perhaps be true in case of India as well. Music festivals
and venues for live performances have been spreading over the past few years and
independent music is their main attraction. It is about ‘Live gigs, Music Festivals, Digital
Platforms and more’, as Paul (2010) said in an article. She also went on to say that ‘Independent
Music has become the new Bollywood with brands and technology wanting to associate
themselves with gigs like NH7 festival, Sunburn, WebCerts, etc’. Thus, parallels could be drawn
in the way independent music picked up in Italy and seems to be doing in India.

Labels have always played a big role in the music industry all over the world. However over the
last few years, their role and importance has also been changing. Independent labels are slowly
gaining importance and international artists are choosing to go independent rather than be
signed on by or remain with a big label. As pointed out in an article by Richardson, Hayslett, M
(2007) ‘Tamia is one of an increasing number of artists who have gone the way of the indie--
either partially or completely--to take charge of their own music careers. She's in good
company.’ Independent labels offer more creative freedom as compared to bigger labels. This
holds true with respect to American or European countries. In case of India, labels do not play a
major role in the creative process of making music once an artist has been signed on.

According to Magaudda (2009) Independent labels began to appear in the 1950’s in America
and their role initially was to generate new forms of music. This may be the case in the current
music scenario in India as well. However in an article, Bhushan (2008) stated that, ‘No indie
label can compete with the Bollywood giants or major labels, but IMI general secretary Savio

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D'Souza says the importance of the sector will increase in the coming years, "because indie
labels can offer innovative content and use emerging technologies”.’ It could be argued that
this is the current trend in India and indie labels are being more innovative and adapting better
to the changes taking place with respect to technology and culture. In an article talking about
the role of independent labels in India Bagchi (2010) said that the labels focus on marketing the
artists and finding unconventional ways to promote albums by trying to use social networking
sites to maximum effect or having tie ups with some radio stations.

In a sense the role of labels seems to be changing. Many established labels are having a hard
time adapting to the easy availability of music online. This is something indie labels are able to
adjust to and are thus redefining their role in the music industry. Technology has helped to
provide various tools and software which make the production of music relatively easier as
compared to a decade ago. A lot of music can be produced by artists themselves without much
help from any kind of labels. This is reflected in what Reuben (2011) pointed out in an article
with respect to independent music in India, ‘Home-recorded songs are being recognized and
winning critical acclaim as well. Snakeism, the debut offering by Adam And The Fish Eyed Poets,
a solo act by Kishore Krishna, won an award for the Best Indie Album of 2010.’ Poster (2004,
2006) said that,

Digital technologies greatly empower consumers because digital cultural objects,

unlike fixed objects, cannot be totally controlled by the cultural industries, but can
be transformed by consumers in the process of consumption. Thus, digitalization
enables consumers to be in the position of producers and to challenge the
structure of corporate domination by the cultural industries. He suggests that
the corporate attempt to take hold of the exclusive control cannot be sustained in
the long run.
(as cited by Yup Lee, 2009)

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Thus we can see that the role of labels is slowly changing due to advancements in technology
and more specifically due to the internet. The internet appears to be providing a platform for
artists, which was earlier not available. With technology becoming more user friendly and easily
available, the labels are no longer in control of the distribution and production like they used to
be. This has had the effect of decentralizing the music industry as a whole. A few big labels do
not have as much control over the production of music as was the case a few years ago. Connell
and Gibson (2002)

….maintain that the further spread of home recording facilitated by digital

technology “in many metropolitan areas has suggested the potential for
decentralization, through cheaper and more accessible technology, internet
resources, and capabilities for global distribution and marketing for unsigned
bands” (258).
(As cited in Kruse, 2010)

This provides an opportunity for various kinds of music to be made and promoted, even though
it may not appeal to a very large audience. The diversity in the genres of music covered by
independent artists in India could be attributed to the spread and reach of the internet. The
internet is providing an opportunity for the audience to engage more with the artists and their
music. Connell and Gibson (2002) pointed out that it is now easy for “parallel sub-cultures to
become connected” through the internet and related resources (107). (Cited in Kruse 2010)
Kruse (2010) also argues that there were inter local practices which helped the spread of
independent music among regions and audiences even before the internet, ‘…the internet,
however, has clearly made these practices more widespread and in some ways more
immediate…’

Thus the internet is perhaps playing a pivotal role when it comes to the changes taking place in
music and the music industry. In his study of art as a gift Hyde (1983/2008)

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 concluded that to live successful lives, artists living in market societies must
find a way to reconcile gift exchange with market exchange. The internet has
intensified the clash between market economies and gift economies in the
music industry. The ease with which people can redistribute digital music files
has savaged music’s value as a commodity, yet in some ways increased its
potential as a gift.
(Baym, 2011)

From the above perspective independent music may be seen more as ‘gift’ than a ‘commodity’
due to its increasing use of the internet to promote and distribute music. Very often music is
made available for free by the artists themselves. Also sharing music has become quick and
easy over the internet. Baym (2011) further discussed gift economies and how the purpose of
gift economies was to build social ties. She pointed out to the ‘The Swedish Model’ which was a
coalition of seven independent labels in Sweden and suggested that,

The Swedish Model cares about the market economy, and seeks to
participate profitably within it. But they are more concerned with building a
larger community that will benefit everyone. In place of centralized control and
profit, this model is based on all participants - labels, bands, and fans using
the internet to unite and expand a culture of what Angergård (2007) refers to
as “like-minded people that share a common love.
(Baym, 2011)

Independent music is seen here more as a community of people who share a love of music,
rather than music being a commodity and listeners being consumers. This approach towards
independent music thus attaches different values to it as compared to more commercial music.
While mainstream popular music is seen as more of a commodity for sale and for generating
revenues, independent music is more about the authenticity of music. Kruse (2010) discussed
how in the early 1990’s many independent labels in the US were not willing to give up the vinyl

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format and ‘part of vinyl’s appeal to independent companies’ was ‘that the major labels’ effort
to make the format obsolete in effect made whatever appeared on seven-inch vinyl seem to be
in opposition to the mainstream.’ This shows that independent music is often a counter culture
to the mainstream. As In her ethnographic account of the British indie music scene, Fonarow
(2006) argued,

that indie can be seen as a means of distribution, a genre, an ethos, a style,

and an aesthetic…..She describes indie moral values as in line with Puritanical
ideology, advocating “simplicity in songs, modesty in adornment, modesty
in consumption, and a particular type of physical discipline to acquire a look
that suggests an aversion to worldly pleasures” (2006, p. 50).

(As cited in Baym, 2011)

Thus the culture and values that come to be associated with independent music are very
different. Independent music may be seen as a more pure form of music as it is free from
commercial constraints and is about the art itself as opposed to the profits that it can provide.
Baym (2011) also said that ‘It is within this morally loaded context that many indie labels and
performers are able to interpret and practice file sharing and other internet practices as tools
for culture building.’ Due to the use of internet to share music, personal recommendations that
people make becomes a way of reaching out audiences. This may seem to attach a certain
amount of credibility to the music as the person is sharing or promoting a certain kind of music
based on their own opinion. There is a perception of more personal involvement with the music
within the independent scene. Baym (2011) also discussed ‘“participatory culture” in which
media are increasingly created, distributed, and reworked by loose networks of interconnected
peers. The concept of participation emphasizes the active nature of the audience (Ito et al.,
2009; Jenkins, 1992) and undermines historical notions of clear distinctions between producer
and audiences.’

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Although the internet and other technologies may have made access to music and its
production easier, Kruse (2010) also pointed out that ‘internet access is much more limited
than middle-class Americans might think, especially the kind of broadband, home-based access
best suited for uploading and downloading music files.’ She also said that ‘digital technologies
of recording and distribution’ may still be expensive for many people and that ‘it is quite
obvious that gatekeepers still exist in the internet era.’ In India the access to internet is still
limited and thus the reach of the music will also be limited. Connell and Gibson(2002) as cited
by Kruse (2010) also suggested that due to the presence of so many artists online it becomes
harder to stand out and be noticed and many materials may simple be lost in a ‘sea’ of ‘digital
noise’.

Independent music in the west is slowly seen to be becoming part of the mainstream. Waits
(2007) discussed this phenomenon and said ‘Along with this mainstreaming of ‘alternative’
practices came an increasing vigilance among underground communities, who sought to keep
their subcultures pure and untainted by corporate interests.’ Harding and Gary (2010) in an
article stated that independent music was slowly finding its way into commercial radio. They
suggested that this could be the result of certain indie acts becoming very successful, as well as
having contacts within the radio industry. Independent music in India does not seem to have
reached a stage where it is becoming main stream. However certain shows on television and
radio could be seen as signs of it going commercial. Magaudda (2009) in his paper on
institutionalization of Italian independent music said, ‘….until the beginning of the 1990s
‘independent music’ in Italy remained a phenomenon linked mainly to political experiments
and movements associated with youth and counterculture.’ Thus independent music here was
a form of political expression. The paper further discussed how independent music was
becoming more main stream in Italy. Magaudda (2009) also said that the spread of
independent music in Italy is a result of ‘complex interactions between elements of culture,
business and technology’.

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The major difference between independent music in western countries and independent music
in India is that it is substantially influenced by genres which are essentially western. Music in
India has mainly been associated with films for decades. Commercial and independent music
internationally may be seen as forms of personal expression in some way, with the distinction
being drawn based on the institutional support and values associated with the music. This
however cannot be the case in India as film music is created usually keeping the situation in the
movie in mind. Independent music has been around for decades in the west, but independent
music in India, in its current state, in terms of the volume of original music being composed, the
various genres of music being covered, is a recent phenomenon. With this in mind, the research
aims to study the independent musicians within the Indian framework, keeping the western
perspective as a backdrop. It also looks to explore the how independent music in India has
grown since the 1980’s as well as the reasons for this growth and how this connects to the
changes taking place in the Indian society as well as the music industry globally.

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 3. Aim and Objectives

Aim:

To study the growth of independent music in India and find out what motivates the artists.

Objectives:

1) To chart the growth of Independent music in India since 1960

2) To understand what motivates Independent artists to make music and their cultural
Backgrounds
3) To explore the current state of Independent music and discuss the role technology
has played in its evolution
4) To find out the reasons for growth of Independent music in India since 1980

Operational Definitions:

1) Independent Music
English or Hindi music created, produced, promoted by artists themselves without any
formal support

2) Independent Artists
Bands or solo artists, who have created, produced, promoted at least five original
tracks in English or Hindi, without any formal support and have performed
professionally for three years or more

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 4. Methodology

4.1) The Approach

Qualitative approach allows a researcher to explore a phenomenon in depth. This research aims
to study the culture and reasons for growth of independent music in India. This is a
phenomenon which has not been explored much. Therefore it requires that there be flexibility
in the approach chosen so as to accommodate new information that may come up during the
course of the research. ‘Qualitative research uses a flexible questioning approach. Although a
basic set of questions is designed to start the project, the researcher can change the questions
or ask follow-up questions at any time.’ (Wimmer and Dominick, 101) Thus a qualitative
approach has been used.

The disadvantage of qualitative method however is as follows:

Qualitative research studies use small samples-respondents or informants that are not
necessarily representative of the population from which they are drawn. (Wimmer and
Dominick, 100)

Secondary data will be collected to chart the growth of independent music in India.

4.2) Data collection

In depth interview has been used a tool of data collection as there was a need to look for a lot
of detailed information related to independent music. Since not much information is found
elsewhere on independent music in India, it becomes necessary to go to those who are a part
of this phenomenon. ‘For in depth interviews smaller samples are used. They provide detailed
background about the reasons why respondents give specific answers. They allow for a lengthy

22
observation of respondent’s nonverbal responses. They are usually very long. They can be
customized to individual respondents’. (Wimmer and Dominick, 116)

Advantages:
It provides a wealth of details. Furthermore when compared to more traditional survey
methods, in-depth interview provides more accurate responses on sensitive issues. (Wimmer
and Dominick, 116)

Disadvantages:
Generalizability is sometimes a problem. Intensive interview is typically done with a nonrandom
sample. And since interviews are usually non standardized each respondent may answer a
slightly different version of a question. In fact it is likely to happen that a particular respondent
may answer questions not asked of any other respondent. Another disadvantage of in depth
interviews is that they are especially sensitive to interviewer bias. (Wimmer and Dominick, 117)

With respect to the objective of charting the growth of independent music, data was collected
from several websites and from interviews with veteran independent artists.

4.3) Sampling

Purposive sampling has been used for the research. Since data on independent music was
required to be collected, it was important to speak to people who are independent artists or
have been involved with independent music in some other way.

A sample size of 20 independent artists who had been making original music and performing
professionally for three years or more had been decided upon. However the researcher was
able to interview only 15 artists. This was due to some of the artists contacted being busy or
not responding to the request for the interview, as well as a lack of time. This was with respect
to collecting information on the cultural backgrounds and the growth of independent music in

23
India. The researcher also tried to ensure that the artists were from different bands so as to
avoid replication of data with respect to some issues.

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 5. A Brief History of Independent Music in India

Independent music in India in its current state is a fairly new phenomenon. However bands
have been a part of the early musical history of independent India, although these bands were
mostly restricted to performing covers of international bands. To be able to say when this
culture of bands began in India would require more time and research than was possible for the
researcher. However the 1960’s could be taken as a starting point owing to the fact that this
was a period when several significant events related to music and culture were taking place in
the United Stated and UK. The 1960’s saw the rise of iconic band like The Beatles, The Doors,
etc. and was witness to the hippie culture as well as the historic Woodstock festival. These
cultural changes were influencing culture in other parts of the world as well. Thus perhaps this
influence led to a culture of bands developing in India as well.

5.1) The 1960’s

It was in 1960 that the first flight to New York from India was introduced. This may have played
a part in furthering the cultural influence that was already taking place. This was a decade that
saw many international bands influenced by India musically and spiritually. This interest in
Indian music resulted in Ravi Shankar playing at the Woodstock festival in 1969. In India this
decade saw the rise of several bands like the Savages and the Jets from Mumbai, the Mustangs
and the Confusions from Chennai, Great Bear from Kolkata, etc. It was somewhere in the late
60’s that a cigarette company named Simla held what would become an yearly contest for a
few years for bands to compete in and the winners would get a chance to record a track which
would be released as part of a compilation album. During this time it would be safe to say that
the bands mainly performed covers of international rock n roll hits, though a few bands did
attempt to make some original songs. College events or certain hotels were apparently the only
places that provided the bands an opportunity to perform.

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5.2) The 1970’s

This decade saw the formation of Kolkata based band High which had evolved from Great Bear.
This band was perhaps fairly significant as they were dedicated to performing originals. Dilip
Balakrishnan who was the lead vocalist of the band has been described by some as being a
highly talented songwriter of his time. Some other bands which were formed during this period
were Human Bondage from Bangalore, Atomic Forest from Mumbai. This period also saw Led
Zeppelin come down to Mumbai and a few members of the bands Atomic Forest and Human
Bondage had a chance to interact and apparently play with them as well. Atomic Forest was
perhaps the only psychedelic rock band in India who went on to release an album in the late
1970’s which contained covers. The trend of bands having to play covers continued through this
decade as well.

5.3) 1980-1985

1981 saw the birth of the band Great Society from Shillong which consisted of Lou Majaw who
still performs and is known for covering Bob Dylan songs as well as Rudy Wallang who went on
to form Soulmate in early 2000. Great Society might have been the first band in India to release
two albums consisting of original music. However this release was limited and the music is
currently hard to trace. The band disbanded in 1993. Some people thought that it was during
this time that the culture of bands performing at pubs and hotels possibly began to decline. It
was a result of this decline that perhaps led to the trend of bands performing at college
festivals as headlining acts.

5.4)1985- 1990

The band Rock Machine was formed in 1985, they would go on to rename themselves Indus
Creed in 1993. They were possibly the first Indian rock band to release an album consisting of
original tracks on a commercial scale. This album was thus able to reach a bigger audience than

26
the albums released by Great Society. Independence Rock was held for the first time in 1985 at
Rang Bhavan in Mumbai. It provided a platform for bands from all over the country to perform
and compete against each other. Rang Bhavan continued to host Independence Rock for almost
twenty years and it had been an important venue for various cultural events. Rang Bhavan was
also witness to a performance by the British band The Police in 1980. Millennium was formed in
Bangalore in 1988, they were probably the first heavy metal band in the India. This may have
led to the trend of bands playing metal picking up further in the coming years.

5.5) 1990 -1995

The Indian economy was liberalised in 1991. This led to various channels coming in like MTV
and Channel V and playing a lot international music. This period saw the formation of some
bands which played original material and are active till date. Indian Ocean was formed in Delhi
during this time. They were possibly the first Indian band to make original music fusing Indian
and western sounds. Parikrama was another band formed in Delhi during this phase which is
still active. Pentagram came together in Mumbai in 1994. Both these bands played rock music
and went on make a lot of original material. Rock Street Journal was launched with minimal
resources in 1993 by Amit Saigal. This was the first magazine dedicated to covering the rock
music scene in the India. It remained the sole source of information on the various bands and
events taking place in India for more than a decade. The Razzberry Rhinoceros opened in
Mumbai and it went on to become an important venue for upcoming bands to perform at
before it was closed in 2005. It could be suggested that this phase was dominated by rock and
metal with a few exceptions.

5.6) 1995-2000

This period saw a slow movement towards the growth of indoor venues for bands to perform.
In 1997 Someplace Else in Kolkata converted itself into a venue where bands could perform
almost every day. Unwind Centre also opened up in Chennai in 1998. Great Indian Rock which

27
was an initiative by Amit Saigal was also held for the first time in 1997 in Delhi. Great Indian
Rock encouraged bands to send in their original material and was mainly a platform for them to
perform rather than a competition. Bands like Thermal and a Quarter from Bangalore and Zero
from Mumbai were formed in 1996 and 1998 respectively and they tried to create their own
distinctive sound. Thermal and a Quarter are still active and recently toured the United States.

5.7) 2000-2006

It was during this period that the internet made inroads into India and sites like myspace and
facebook were launched somewhere around 2004 and 2006 respectively. There was further
growth in venues providing platforms to independent artists to perform. The Haze opened in
Delhi and Hard Rock Café in Mumbai opened in 2006. Pub Rock Fest, another initiative by Amit
Saigal to spread independent music was launched in Delhi in 2005. It involved various bands
performing at different pubs across India. This phase saw several more bands being formed that
were influenced by genres besides rock and were focused on making original music. Them
Clones, Mehwhopause and Advaita from Delhi, Soulmate from Shillong, Bhayanak Maut and
Mumbai, Demonic Resurrection from Mumbai, were some of the bands that came on the scene
during the early 2000’s.

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 6. Analysis

Several interviews were conducted with independent artists over a period of two months. The
process of interviewing independent artists was an interesting experience as each of them had
unique personalities and were fairly forthcoming with their responses to the questions. These
interviews resulted in the collection of a lot of data. To organize the data, around twelve codes
were developed keeping the objectives in mind. However during the process of analysis, a few
codes were merged with others and eventually eight codes were settled upon. These codes
were made with a view to answer the basic objectives of this research. Therefore through the
analysis the researcher hopes to bring to light the reasons for the development of independent
music in India as well the motivations of the artists.

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6.1) Cultural and Musical Background of Artists

The last few years have seen a growth in independent music in India. This has been the result of
various artists who have chosen to pursue music even though it wasn’t a very conventional
option. So studying the cultural backgrounds, musical influences, etc of these artists who make
independent music would provide interesting insights into what motivates them to continue
making music.

The environment in which one grows up could be one thing that can probably have the most
influence on a person. The family is often a substantial part of that environment and the values,
attitudes, interests, etc that the family members have, can influence the personality of a
person. This seems to be the case with the large majority of the artists interviewed. Many of
them had parents who were musicians themselves. As the bassist of a folk rock band shared,
“….music was all around me when I was growing up. My father’s a trained Rabindra sangeet
singer. Then there was always music at home.” In a few cases almost the entire family consisted
of musicians, as the keyboardist of a Mumbai based band explained, “My whole family is
related to music, my dad plays the violin, my sister plays piano and my mum used to play
piano...” Another artist also spoke of a similar situation where his parents were music
enthusiasts, his mother was a classically trained Carnatic vocalist and his brother was also a
percussionist. The parents of some of artists were simply avid listeners of music, the vocalist of
a rock band talked about how his “parents used to listen to everyone from Boney M to like The
Carpenters to Abba”, which was how he started developing his taste for music.

A minority however were introduced to music more through friends or other sources than the
immediate family. A Mumbai based singer songwriter said that he was mainly introduced to
music through friends and also because he had a pretty active neighborhood and “People were
just wanting to organize things… then music inevitably becomes a part of that.” So this was how
he got into music “at an early age.” While talking about how he had developed an interest in
music the guitarist of an alternative band said, “…I wasn’t really much into music till I went to

30
college. Then a lot of exposure in college took place, to lot of music. Basically that’s when I
realized I liked music a lot.” The city one is brought up in can play a part in shaping the outlook
of an individual as well. A large majority of the artists interviewed had been brought up in
metros like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, etc. with a small number coming from cities
like Mysore, Shillong, etc.

Being able to share a talent is always helpful in developing it. A majority of the artists spoke
about how they took part in school choirs or competitions, which probably served as a platform
for them to develop their musical skills at some level. The vocalist of an experimental band
spoke about the events she participated in during her youth, “….I used to sing in the school
choir. So basically little competitions in college, contests, nothing very focused or formal, but it
just kind of added to one’s music bank”. Another vocalist from Mumbai also spoke about how
“…while growing up there were a number of competitions that started, the inter parish talent
competitions” which he was encouraged to take part in. It could be assumed that the kinds of
events mentioned here granted vocalists more of an opportunity to showcase their talents than
a person playing any kind of instrument. Most music competitions often focus on singing rather
than the ability of playing an instrument.

Knowing how to play an instrument is something which is possibly an important part of being
an artist and many know how to play more than one. This was also the case with the
independent artists interviewed. A few of the artists said that they picked up an instrument
during their school days. Like a singer songwriter shared “I think I was about 12 or something
like that. I saw the guys in my building… have jam sessions in the evening. So I just wanted to
become a part of that…. so I picked up the guitar.” An interesting reason for picking up the
guitar was given by the vocalist of an alternative rock band and he shared that during his board
exams he “was really sick of studying… I was not allowed outside the house, so I picked up the
guitar and started playing. I learnt three chords and wrote my first song”.

31
However a vast majority of them said they had become more serious towards their instrument
during college. As the guitarist of an alternative band said “I was in 2nd semester in college and I
was hell bent on learning the guitar. So my mum had bought me this real shady guitar…” The
bassist of a folk rock band also shared a similar story, “I guess the credit for me starting to play
the guitar goes to my mother because I when was in engineering college, I remember telling her
‘there are these cool people who play guitar’ and she’s like ‘oh I’ll buy you one’. So she bought
me one guitar and I’ve been playing ever since”. Many of the artists began taking music more
seriously during their college and started thinking about pursuing music, while for many
becoming a professional artist was a natural progression. The guitarist of blues band shared
that “It was only after I finished school… and I started playing bass guitar with the band, that’s
when I realised that this is what I wanted to do.” The vocalist of a Pune based band expressed
that he realised music was something he wanted to pursue seriously during his MBA and
merely waited for his education to finish so he could become a musician professionally.

Being a part of a band was something that a majority of the artists experienced for the first
time during college. “…our first band was in college… (it) was a pretty successful band in the
college circuit. We won pretty much all the competitions and we played punk, which was also
different for people”, was what the guitarist of an alternative rock band shared. The vocalist of
another alternative rock band said that he was part of an acapella band in college. In most
cases the bands were cover bands, with a few exceptions where they made some original music
as well. As the bassist of a folk rock band explained, “…. (it) was largely a cover band but we
released an EP of our own, we had about an album full of songs”. Many of bands didn’t last past
college as most members went off to study further or started working. The bassist of another
folk rock band explained that “if you’re in a band in college, after you pass out, everybody goes
their separate ways.”

Singing or playing instruments was something a huge majority of the artists said they learnt
themselves and did not really take any formal classes. “I’ve never taken any lessons for singing
or for guitar playing. Singing I guess it just came through imitation I guess early on. And guitar

32
playing also, learning a few basic chords from someone and then doing it on your own, so that’s
how it happened for me”, was how a singer songwriter put it while talking about how he learnt
music. The guitarist of a band from Bangalore also shared that he learnt the guitar himself and
found his own way of learning it. He also went on to say that soon he started taking guitar
classes in his college to earn some extra cash. A veteran keyboardist shared how he started
learning on his grandmother’s harmonium, “I remember I started picking up the keyboard in a
very casual way, I never had a keyboard so I learnt my chords on my grandmother’s
harmonium”.

Every artist is influenced by other musicians in some way or the other. Various international
artists and genres of music were credited as being their influence by an overwhelming majority
of artists. The vocalist of a Chennai based band shared that he “loved pearl jam, Dave
Matthews”. He also went on to say that “…the thing is I was never into classic rock and stuff,
because I got bored of classic rock by the time I grew up. So I was like I need something new…”
The guitarist of a band from Bangalore said he used to listen to a lot of Eric Clapton, and Red
Hot Chili Peppers and that he could relate more the bands of the 60’s. Those who were
members of folk rock bands were also influenced by internationals artists and it wasn’t
restricted to only those who were currently a part of rock bands. The bassist of a folk rock band
shared that “we went through the whole teenage phase with the boy bands. At that time pop
just became mega pop. We had Britney spears and Madonna and all of that, backstreet
boys…this was still in school.” The bassist of another folk rock band spoke of what influenced
him and said “…Dangerous was the first Michael Jackson album I heard, I was in standard 7 and
I remember being blown away by just the entire enormity of it, you know the fact that there is
so much that you can do with music, so much you can say with music.” Indian classical artists
did however inspire a minority. The percussionist of a folk rock band mentioned how artists like
M.S. Subbulakshmi, Bhimsen Joshi and “with respect to percussions Vidwan Harishankar who’s
called as a god of kanjira” had inspired him.

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Considering being a musician or being in a band isn’t the most conventional thing to do in India,
the reaction of the family becomes an important area to cover. Only a handful of the artists
shared that their families showed a high degree of support towards their decision to take up
music more seriously. The keyboardist of a rock band explained how the support of his family
was important for him, “My parents were the most supportive otherwise it would’ve really not
been possible. If I would’ve got parents who would’ve been crying and cribbing (it would have
been harder)”. The vocalist of a veteran rock band shared the advice given by his parents on his
decision to be in a band full time, “… my folks were pretty unconventional that way, and they
were very cool. And their thing was ‘you know what it’s your life ….make your choices aware of
the fact that they are going to, possibly lead to something. So if that’s what you want to do, just
go ahead and do it, just be smart about it’ …I was pretty lucky that way.” The vocalist of
another rock band said that his parents had been supportive and even attended most of his
shows.

A majority of the families were either indifferent to the decision of pursuing music as long there
was some sort of financial stability or they were hesitant based on their personal experiences as
musicians. Talking about his parents’ reaction to him pursuing music the bassist of an
alternative band said, “They have taken it pretty well or maybe with a little bit of indifference.
But right now it’s pretty cool because I do it on my own time.” Talking about how being
financially stable might have made it easier for his parents, another bassist of a folk rock band
said “Well my parents never thought that this (music) would be a serious thing. I mean I got an
incredible rank in my engineering entrance exams… got into a top engineering school… got into
a good software firm and I was headed straight down that path. And my parents didn’t know
what hit them I think. They were just happy I was self sufficient.”

In a minority of the cases there was a split when it came to being supportive between the
parents. A veteran guitarist of a blues band shared that his father wasn’t too keen on him
pursuing music “because he himself couldn’t really support the family in the early days, and I
can understand that. Now it’s a different ball game… But my mom always supported us

34
whatever we wanted to do.” Another guitarist of a rock band also spoke of his father’s
hesitations about him taking up music as his father had struggled as a musician himself. The
percussionist of a folk rock band felt that even though his parents weren’t very certain of his life
as a musician, “…somewhere in their heart they are content, that you know maybe they had
that dream of becoming musicians and singers, but then they couldn’t. I somewhere feel they
are fulfilling their dreams through me.”

It could be seen that a majority of the artists interviewed had music running the families. Their
parents and siblings were musicians themselves or loved to listen to music. Thus it would be
safe to say that music was in their blood. They were born into music and it was a part of their
environment while growing up. It could be argued that the ones who grew up surrounded by
music tended to gravitate towards it more naturally and as a result were more likely to pursue
music more seriously. It was also seen that most of the artists had lived in metros, which may
have resulted in giving them more exposure to different kinds of music. A large number of the
artists also actively took part in activities and competitions related to music. This perhaps
helped them realize that performing on stage was something they enjoyed.

Most artists knew how to play an instrument, as it helped them to have a better understanding
of music. Interestingly a majority of the artists interviewed had not had any formal training in
singing or playing any instruments. This could be seen as a sign of the fact they were naturally
gifted and thus able to pick up music on their own and with a little bit of guidance from friends
or family. With respect to the music that the artists were influenced by, a majority were
inspired by a lot of English music mainly from United States and UK. It could be concluded that
the exposure to the kind of music being made in United States and UK resulted in developing a
musical sensibility which led these artists to form bands and create original music which is
essentially a foreign concept. Surprisingly even those who were part of bands performing in
Hindi also spoke of being influenced by foreign acts. It could be argued that this resulted in the
music they create being a blend of different sounds. There was a mixed response as far as
support from the family went. The presence of support and lack of it was fairly well divided.

35
Considering the unconventional nature of their choice, it perhaps makes sense there were few
families who completely supported the decision to pursue music. The lack of support from
families however did not alter the decision to become an independent artist

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6.2) Dynamics of Being in a Band

Deciding to be an independent artist and being a part of a band can perhaps hold its own set of
challenges. The independent music scene in India has been a result of several bands and solo
artists continuing to make music in spite of the challenges they faced. These bands belong to
various genres and have created a lot of original music over the years. However difficulties may
arise due to there being so many different personalities sharing the same musical space. There
may be other factors as well which might affect a band and their creative functioning. Thus it
would be interesting to know how the bands manage their relationships and deal with the
other factors that may be a result of being an independent musician.

Music remaining the main focus of the band members was seen as being an important factor in
keeping a band together by a majority of the artists. Other factors like inter personal relations
and individual commitment towards the band were also said to be important. It could be
observed from the response of a vast majority that a focus on the music and commitment to
the band were very important for a band to stick to together. The bassist of a folk rock band
stressed, “The only thing that keeps a band together is the songs”, while the vocalist of a
veteran rock band said, “Commitment. It just takes absolute commitment”. The guitarist of a
hard rock band further added that commitment was important because if a person was playing
for “ten bands then obviously it (was) going to be difficult for him to focus on and stick to one
band.” The need to give each other space and having a fair amount of understanding among
the band members were also cited as important reasons that contributed to a band sticking
together by a majority of artists. The bassist of a folk rock band shared what he thought was
most important for a band to stay together, “First and foremost thing is to understand each
other personally and have that space for each other”.

The idea of having a fair amount of understanding between the band members was also seen as
a way to avoid ego clashes which was often seen to be the cause of most bands breaking up.
“…when you are up on stage and when you become a little big, the ego starts kicking in… it’s

37
about being in control of the music, not about being in control of other human beings”, was
how the veteran guitarist of a blues band explained the role that egos can often play. Many of
the artists pointed out how the feeling of being better than the others in the band can develop
over time and lead to problems. The keyboardist of a Delhi based band shared how they tried
to curb their egos, “…we had this poster in our practice room which said ‘keep your shoes and
egos out’.” Respecting and accommodating each other’s opinion on the music and
understanding each person’s strength was also seen to be a way to keep a band together. The
keyboard of a Mumbai based band said that each idea was treated like a king and it was tried to
see if it works and thrown out if it didn’t and this required for there to be understanding among
the members.

A minority also put forward the idea that disagreements on music weren’t necessarily a bad
thing and could often result in making the music better. Supporting this view, the guitarist of an
alternative band said “obviously we have fights, but that’s for the greater good of the song,
greater understanding of the song.” In stark contrast to the views discussed so far on what it
takes for a band to stay together, the bassist of a folk rock band suggested that it was simply
money that kept bands together. He suggested that music has to become a living for the band
and this can help to keep them together, however he conceded that this may not be universal.

As pointed out, another factor that may affect a band is perhaps whether it is possible to live
off being just an independent artist. Out of the fifteen artists interviewed, only four said that
they were working as full time independent artists after having quit their previous jobs. Here’s
what the vocalist of a Pune based band shared “I worked for some time, but I couldn’t continue
working in corporate and that’s how I chucked everything and started doing music full time.”
However it is important to note that they had worked for a while in more conventional jobs for
a few years before quitting, and perhaps had some financial savings. A majority of the rest were
working in fields which were related to music or some form of art in some way, as the bassist of
a folk rock band shared, “…with respect to money I still want to do photography because I still

38
can’t rely completely on music…” A few of the artists were working in fields which had no
connection with music at all.

A majority of the artists also agreed that it was in fact next to impossible to live off only being
an independent artist, unless one had been around for many years and had become fairly big.
As the guitarist of an alternative band argued “…you can’t make a living out of playing music
unless you’re really really good or you’re already in it for quite some time”. The guitarist of a
hard rock band felt that it made sense to have another job on the side, as the money that came
in from the band could be put back into the band and was thus a good thing. Though most
artists agreed that it still wasn’t possible to live off music, some were of the view that it was
also subject to individual needs.

It could thus be concluded from the responses given that being in a band and keeping it
together is a result of the commitment, understanding and respect that band members share in
relation to each other as well the music. Most seem to put the relationship shared by the band
members above all else. However there was one divergent view where the money a band was
making seemed to be of more importance and only pursuing music was seen as a reflection of
being serious towards the music. It could also be seen that most artists did not think music
could sustain them financially and a majority had to work on the side. Thus it could be said that
independent music isn’t a very financially attractive option and needs one to do something on
the side to make a decent living, although the definition of what a decent living is can be
subjective.

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6.3) Independent Artists’ Approach to Music

As observed earlier, being an independent artist in India isn’t the most conventional choice and
isn’t a very financially stable option either. It thus becomes important to know their views on
certain aspects of creating music like originality, language used, etc. Also how independent
artists view music and the place music holds in their lives could provide interesting insights into
what drives them to be musicians.

All the artists interviewed were currently involved in making original music. When most of them
started off, playing only originals was not an option. Most of them had to play covers with a few
originals thrown in. Talking about the scene during the early 2000’s, a singer songwriter said,
“…there was no market for original music then”. However a few of them felt strongly about
playing originals during their sets. Explaining the importance of originals for him, the vocalist of
an alternative rock band shared, “I always used to play originals, I love originals. For me the
thing is when you do something, you have to create it, otherwise no point doing it”. The vocalist
of a Pune based band also shared a similar view and shared how he had categorically told his
band mates that he would only play originals.

Another aspect of music that many artists had a strong opinion on was the relevance of
language. Six out of fifteen artists interviewed felt language was not very important and that
the quality of the music was what could determine its reach. The bassist of a folk rock band
gave an interesting take on it and argued that the “basic thing of music” was undefined and “It
is just a comfort factor that is built in the minds of mostly marketing professionals, people who
believe that they know how things will work when they actually don’t.” He further said that if a
person went to a concert with an open mind, they would enjoy irrespective of language
depending on how good or bad the band was. The veteran guitarist of a blues band shared his
experience of having played to audiences in small towns, who probably didn’t understand the
style of music or what they were singing about, but they still appreciated the music. He also
suggested that “…it just shows that this music knows no bounds, there’s no boundaries to the

40
blues… it was just the music and the intensity and the honesty of the way it was being played
that got to them….”

A small minority felt that if a band was making music in Hindi they would have a larger reach
and that an English band would never be able to make it as big as a Hindi band. The veteran
keyboardist of a rock band felt that “…when you play in Hindi, your reach is to almost 100%
Indians”. The vocalist of an experimental band thought that western musicians had to work
much harder on their craft. The bassist of band from Bangalore felt that language wasn’t a
limiting factor as such, but it should be appropriate for the audience. A few artists were of the
opinion that it was interesting to incorporate Hindi or any other regional language into the
music. As the vocalist of a Pune based band shared, “…I also believe that if you stick to your
language …things can shape up and it can really work”. While the keyboardist of a band from
Mumbai felt that it was nice to play in a regional language.

Considering that making a living from just being an independent artist was still not seen to be
possible, most of the artists did have other means to support themselves financially. Thus it
seems important to find out why then these artists chose to make music and what music meant
to them. The vocalist of an alternative band said that the definition of being able to make a
living was an individual perspective and shared “…Like you want car and you want all that then
don’t get into what I am doing. I love what I do, so for me it doesn’t matter if I make money or if
I don’t make money, I just love it.” The vocalist of a veteran rock band said that “we weren’t
doing it for the money…because if we were operating for the money we wouldn’t be rock
musicians …we would be doing other things with our lives.”

There was fair amount of agreement among the artists interviewed about what music was
about for them. Most of them concurred that it could simply be put that music was their life.
Most of their lives revolved around music and they couldn’t really imagine doing anything else.
“Now music is my career, music is what I live and breathe and music is what I do most of my
day and most of my night”, was the response of the bassist of a folk rock group to being asked

41
what music was about for him. The vocalist of an experimental band shared that music was
something that happened very naturally and organically for her, and went on to say that “it was
such fun and it was so fulfilling and so enriching and it has made my life so beautiful, I mean
why would I have even wanted to do anything else.” Some of the artists said that music was
about self expression for them. They also spoke about wanting to connect with the audience
and touch them in some way with their music. The vocalist of a Chennai based band shared
how he viewed music and said “Because end of it, it’s about connection with people, that’s
what music is. It’s not about how much money you make. If you look at it from art point of
view, it’s called the autonomy of art, once you create something and you let go of it, it’s not
yours anymore. It can be interpreted in 100 different ways. So it’s not yours anymore, that’s it.”
Another vocalist of Kolkata based band felt that “art should evoke all kinds of emotions” and
they don’t necessarily have to be good.

It can be summarized from the above discussion that the artists overwhelmingly prefer originals
over covers, however due to the audience in the past not being open to originals, the artists
had to perform covers initially. Though some of the artists did choose to go against the tide and
perform originals. With respect to language, most artists did not see it as relevant and argued
that it was the music that mattered more and if it was good, then people would connect with it.
Most artists pointed out to the fact that music was essentially their life now and they could not
imagine themselves not making music, thus the question of how much they could make from it
wasn’t very important to them. Music to them was about expressing themselves and it was
about being able to connect with people and touch them with their sound.

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6.4) Reasons for Domination of Bollywood Music

Independent music could be seen as a movement running parallel to or perhaps counter to the
mainstream. In most countries the mainstream is commercial music. In India the commercial
counterpart is film music. Due to the popularity that film music has enjoyed over the years,
there has been little space for any other form of music to grow. Thus the reasons behind how
film music has managed to stay on top for so long would be interesting to know. Hence the
artists were asked their opinion on this phenomenon.

A majority of artists seemed to agree that the main reason for film music being so dominant
was that it was essentially a part of our culture. The bassist of a folk rock band argued that
Indian culture was such that music and dance had always been a way to celebrate any occasion.
He thought that Indians don’t necessarily need a club if they want to dance. This quality was
something that had been adapted by films and thus created music for all sorts of life events.
Since films music was the first thing to reach out to the masses, it made it harder for other
forms to develop. The vocalist of a veteran rock band discussed that the culture of nautanki
from villages was combined with the influence of Hollywood musicals by the Indian film
industry, which resulted in its success. He further went on to say, “So music was so much a part
of Indian films from the beginning that it became India’s pop music before record companies
arrived on the scene…” The keyboardist of a another veteran rock band was of the view that
worshipping movie stars had become a part of our culture, thus even the music associated with
them was given more attention than anything else. The vocalist of an experimental band shared
“… Hindi film is so deeply ingrained in the psych of the Indian that anything associated with
it….It is accepted”.

The amount of promotion that film music gets was seen to be another factor responsible for
the wide spread presence it had. As the bassist of a folk rock band put it “Promotion, there is
nothing else but promotion.” Due to the financial resources that they had at their disposal, film
music was able to find its way into various forms of media. Thus it got the most exposure. As a

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singer songwriter from Mumbai shared, “…you turn on any channel that has music or any
media source and you’re constantly just bombarded with Bollywood, because that’s where the
money is.”

It could be argued that certain aspects of our culture like celebrating with music and musical
forms such as nautanki were adopted by films which resulted in making the music more
relatable. Over time the film industry, as a result lot of financial backing was able to promote
the music and make it easily available to people. It led to state where whether it was radio or
television, film music was all that was played. Even channels like MTV went completely
Bollywood. Since film was able to firmly establish itself reach early, it could be suggested that it
made it next to impossible for any other form of music to compete. Since film music had
become a safe formula for making good profits, no one thus bothered to tread elsewhere and
take a risk with different forms of music.

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6.5) The Audience for Independent Music

For any form of art to thrive, an audience is required. The presence of an audience becomes
even more important when artists want to be able to share their music with other people. As
pointed out earlier Hindi film music has always dominated the music scene in India, thus the
question of where the audience for independent music lies becomes important. It would be
easy to assume that it is perhaps concentrated in the more urban areas as a lot of independent
music is in English. How the audience for independent music has grown over the years and the
reason for it is also an aspect that needs to be explored.

With respect to the present state of independent music, a majority of the artists interviewed
seemed to agree that the assumption that the audience for independent music could only lie in
urban areas wasn’t necessarily true. As the bassist of a well established Hindi folk rock band
said, “I don’t really think it lies in the metros. I think we guys sitting in the metros, the Pune’s
and the Bangalore’s of the world, we completely underestimate and misunderstand the guys
sitting in the Indore’s and Bhopal’s of the world.” This was a view held by members of bands
performing in Hindi and English as well. The keyboardist of one of the oldest rock bands in the
country added that “there are listeners for rock music and non Bollywood music, electronic
music all across the country, in small towns too.” Many of them went on to give examples of
how they have performed in many small towns like Kharagpur in west Bengal, Lucknow,
Naukachiatal, Bhubeneshwar, Gandhinagar and said that they had received a positive response
everywhere.

A few explanations were given to try and understand how independent music was able to reach
so many different kinds of people, “I’ve seen that every single time the music works, so I don’t
think there is a kind of audience for indie music. I think people like music and if you give them
good music, they’ll enjoy it”, was the view of the bassist of a folk rock band. Many of the artists
shared the view that if the music was good, then people would connect to it and appreciate it
irrespective of genre or language. As the bassist of another folk rock band said “There is a

45
definite awareness and interest in independent music in all parts of the country” and it was
suggested that this was the result of young people being the same everywhere, with similar
aspirations and interests.

A minority of the artists however were not in agreement with the view that the audience for
independent could lie anywhere. As the vocalist of a veteran band from Kolkata said
“…obviously people who are coming from colleges which are in cities, the so called elite
colleges are definitely listening to more indie stuff…” A solo artist from Mumbai felt that “It’s a
small section obviously you know. You go to gigs, you see the same people pretty much.” Thus
a few were of the opinion that it was still a niche audience that independent artists were
catering to. The vocalist of a well known alternative rock band gave an interesting view to
support the argument that the audience can indeed be anyone, “I know there is an audience
who has absolutely no idea what we do. But after a live show these guys are converted. That’s
what I think bands should do, put on incredible live shows and convert them, make them
believe, and they will believe…”

The number of people listening to independent music is also very important for its growth. Up
until a few years a few years ago, the audience for independent music was very small. This view
was shared by the veteran lead guitarist of a blues band and he said that, “those days they
(audience) only wanted to listen to covers”. The extent to which original music had little
acceptance among some people was bluntly put by the vocalist of another band, “When I
started, you play original music, they’ll throw things at you.” A majority of the artists pointed
that the acceptance of original music made by bands was very low and had increased over the
last few years. Most artists agreed that there had been a gradual shift in the attitudes of the
people. As one member of a veteran Delhi band said “They are becoming really nice mature
audiences like you have in the west. So even if you play originals and stuff like that, it’s
accepted.” The guitarist of a well known blues band also added that “…they want bands to play
their own stuff; they appreciate bands that play their own stuff rather than playing covers…”

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There was general agreement that there had been an increase in the number of people more
open to independent music in the last few years and that there had been a growth in the
number of people now interested in listening to original music created by artists as opposed to
covers. The percussionist of a folk rock band shared how he had noticed this growth, and said
“In Mysore….every time we play, we could see the audience becoming bigger and bigger, they
understanding our music in a better way.” The artists also gave some insight into why this shift
may have occurred. As the keyboardist of a Mumbai based band suggested that more and more
people were now appreciating original music “because they have been exposed to different
kinds of music you know.” He further elaborated that this was a result of the spread of internet,
due to which “everything is so open right now, like you have bands (and) without seeing them
live, you can hear them on internet.” This view was echoed by another independent artist,
“…because of internet, technology and all that, music is reaching in many smaller places…” A
veteran keyboardist was of the opinion that “It’s all exposure, everything from the way people
are dressing these days, their lifestyle, their mindset, everything has changed with the opening
of the economy, entry of MNC’s, coming in of cable television…”. The vocalist of a sufi rock
band pointed out that there has been a change of perception over the years as a result of a new
generation coming in, “the 17 year old people back then have become 20 now, the generation
has kind of evolved, i think it’s because of that (that) perceptions have changed…the perception
of my father right now is totally different than I have…”

It would thus be safe to say that the audience for independent music in India is not restricted to
a certain kind of people or place. The reach of music perhaps depends on the music itself or the
ability of the artist to connect to the audience rather than the kind of people listening to the
music. The attitude of the audience towards independent music has evolved over the years.
Initially the audience would hardly allow original music to be played and would want bands to
only play covers. Over the last few years independent bands have been able to perform to
audiences in the smallest of cities and be appreciated. This change could be seen as a sign of
how there has been an increase in the number of people now listening to independent music
and how the audience has matured as well. The growth in the number of people listening to

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independent music could be seen as the result of the spread of internet in the India. The
change in the sensibilities of people could be another factor responsible for the increase in the
audience for independent music. This change could perhaps be due to changes in lifestyle as
well a new generation with different values and perceptions having come of age. The increase
in the level of acceptance and demand for original music over the last few years could be the
result of all these factors.

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6.6) Promotion of Independent Music

Promotion is an important aspect of the music industry. It mainly helps to bring the music to
the notice of a potential audience. Without promotion, music would perhaps remain restricted
to a small number of people. As was pointed out earlier part of the reason film music in India
has been able to become and remain popular is the amount of promotion the industry is able to
carry out as a result of having financial support. Independent music in India has not had the
kind of financial resources that film music did and thus had a harder time finding new audience.
Access to mass media for independent music has been pretty much non existent. Thus how the
promotion of independent music in India was done in the past, how it is currently carried out
and the reason for any changes needs to be explored.

In the current environment, the internet was agreed upon to be the main platform for
promotion independent music by the artists interviewed. The various options that the internet
provided were discussed. Facebook was seen to be the main online platform for promotion by
most of the artists. “Facebook is the best place to advertise because everybody is online,
people we are targeting are all people who are online…We don’t really spend anything on our
promotions”, was the reason given by the guitarist of a hard rock band for using Facebook.
Having a page on Facebook has now almost become a necessity for independent artists. The
updates on Facebook were seen to be a way to keep the followers interested and also a way to
connect to them. As the guitarist of an alternative band put it, “Every time they (they) see an
update online, they are looking forward to some interesting links. Like some of our originals,
maybe some cool stuff we’ve stumbled upon on Youtube.” The vocalist of a Pune based band
pointed out how the task of spreading word about a bands gigs becomes simpler, saying that
“...everything has been viral marketing and on Facebook, and whenever we have a gig, we
update it on Facebook.” Facebook thus allows artists to connect to fans and also share events
that the band might be a part of. The guitarist of a Bangalore based band said that Facebook
did “a big chunk of publicity” for them. MySpace, ReverbNation and YouTube were some of the
other platforms for promotion mentioned by the independent artists. These pages are often

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interlinked by the artists. The guitarist of an alternative band pointed out that their band had a
public page on Facebook and then they give a link to Reverbnation for the people to see.

Music is often made available for free online. There was however some varying opinions when
it came to the practice of giving away free downloads as a tool of promotion. The vocalist of an
alternative rock band felt that giving away music for free is something which can help an artist.
The guitarist of another alternative rock band felt that if a well known band “release an mp3, so
there are higher chances you’ll download that music and if it stays on any of your devices,
there’s also a chance that someone else might hear it.” Thus releasing a song for free can help
to spread the music. Another view was that since bands had invested money in recording
music, they should be able to sell the songs and not give it away for free.

Before the spread of the internet and platforms like Facebook, Myspace, etc, promotion for
independent music was very difficult for the artists as there wasn’t any financial support.
Putting up posters or distributing flyers were some of the ways that some artists mentioned.
The guitarist of a blues band shared that for any concerts they would do the promotion
themselves, which involved making their own banners, going out in the mornings and putting
them up all over the place. The gigs themselves were the main way for a band to promote
themselves. As the percussionist of a folk rock band said, that they would try to perform
wherever they could “whether it’s a birthday party or a college fest or anything.” Promotion
has been made simpler by the presence of the internet and by as one artist put it “the major
invention of all time called facebook.” Apart from Facebook, platforms like Myspace, youtube
etc. have helped independent musicians spread their music without any cost. The artists can
now upload their music, share information with fans and interact with fans and all these
services are free of cost. Since there is little or no financial support these platforms become
important.

Along with using the internet for promotions, a majority also felt that the best way to promote
ones music was through live performances and interacting with the audience after the shows.

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The vocalist of a sufi rock band said that “I think the best way to promote your music is through
connecting to your audience when you play live”. Adding to this view another vocalist of an
alternative band said that “…basically it’s all live shows, and then after the show staying back,
meeting people, talking to people.” Many artists felt that the best way to promote themselves
was through gigs. Thus personal interaction was an important way for the independent artists
to promote themselves and their music. The bassist of a folk rock band shared how it was
eventually about “spreading the word ourselves, selling our CD’s at our own concerts and
carrying them. I used have a box of cd’s next to me on stage, finish the gig, leave my guitar on
stage and start selling cd’s, we had to do all of that.”

It could be observed that the way artists promote themselves and their music has undergone a
major change. Before the spread of the internet the artists had to make their own banners and
flyers and put them up themselves as well in order to promote their performances. The shows
were the main way to promote their music, and they mainly depended on word of mouth to
help spread their music. Promotions seem to have been made simpler as a result of the arrival
of the internet and more specifically the presence of platforms like Facebook, Myspace, etc.
These platforms are available for free and can help bands reach a large number of people.
However live performances were still considered an important way of promoting the artists and
the music, as it was seen to provide the opportunity for the artists to connect more directly
with the audiences. It could be argued that since depending purely on the internet would
restrict the audience to only those who have access to the internet, word of mouth can still be
an important means of promotion for independent music.

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6.7) The Role of Labels in Independent Music

Record labels have always played an important role in the music industry. The production,
promotion and distribution of music have been the main functions of a record label. Record
labels can be divided into the mainstream, well established labels and the indie labels, which
work on a smaller scale and give more creative freedom to the artists. With respect to the
India, the even the major labels exercise lesser creative control on an album during its
production stage. Thus the role played by labels in countries like United States is slightly
different from the role they play in India. The music industry has been dealing with changes
over the past few years and has seen a decline a sales, which has always been a main source of
revenue. The role of record labels with respect to independent music in India thus needs to be
explored.

In India as elsewhere in the world, the record labels have been mainly interested in making
profits. The audience for independent music in India is limited as compared to the audience for
film music. Thus the labels choose not invest in independent music. This was the view held by a
majority of artists interviewed. The vocalist of a Chennai based band felt “…here they don’t
invest money. The only people who get paid are the movie guys.” and went on to say “End of it
Sony, EMI are companies, they are corporate, they want to make money.” The vocalist of an
experimental felt that the reason labels do not sign on new bands as it was expensive and they
did not want to take a risk as most people do not but CD’s anymore. There has been a fall in
physical sales of music all over the world and this has also been the case with India. The bassist
of a folk rock band pointed out that as there was little money to be made from sales, the artists
had to make their “music more attractive, so that people will be willing to pay for the
experience of the music, not just the music alone. Whether that’s a live concert, whether that’s
merchandise, memorabilia...” A few artists spoke about how even if they got signed on by a big
label, it wasn’t always in the best interest of an independent artist. “…all these music labels,
they want a cut from everything you do, so at the end of it you are left with little or nothing”,
was the opinion of the keyboardist of a Mumbai band. One member of a Mumbai based rock

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band narrated how in spite of having signed a deal with a record company, they eventually had
to buy back their own album from the label and release it themselves due to some breach in
the contract which took place. So a record deal binds the artists to certain terms and
conditions, which may be very restrictive for them.

A counter view, which a minority of the artists shared, was that labels are no longer as
important as they used to be and don’t have much of a role to play. In the past the labels had a
lot of control over the production, distribution and marketing of music. The bassist of a folk
rock band explained that “there was time when the only way that you could listen to music was
if you purchased a CD or a cassette or a vinyl or listened to it on radio. Now because the access
to music was restricted, the producers of music had all the power” and thus the gatekeepers
were the ones who controlled what music people could have access to. He further elaborated
on how the role that record labels played as gatekeepers had been disturbed due to the
internet and said “...when the internet came along, they blasted a hole in the walls that these
guys had built and suddenly nobody wanted to use the music label guys’ gates anymore”. The
percussionist of a folk rock band stressed that the main thing artists hoped to achieve was to
reach as many people as they can and since that can be done by the internet, he felt labels
were not as important or necessary as the used to be. He did add that if one had been signed
on by a label, it might add prestige to the band. A few other artists felt that since music was
now freely available online and that the physical sales were negligible, there was little for labels
to do. As the vocalist of a Chennai based band put it, “…nowadays music if free, whatever said
and done”.

Many spoke about how technology had been able to help artists and given them the option to
record demos and even whole albums at home. The vocalist of an alternative rock band pointed
that since he kept telling other people how far how far technology had come and made it
possible to “record a brilliant album at home.”, just to prove a point he was producing his own
album at home. This view was shared by other artists as well. A veteran vocalist of an
experimental band said “…technology, the computer has changed everything. For us to go into

53
a studio was a huge thing, because it was expensive, we didn’t have the money, we didn’t have
support. But now you can stick a few mics and just record at home.” The guitarist of an
alternative rock band also shared the same view of it having become easier to record one’s
album at home and also pointed out that this had forced certain recording studios to bring
down their rates and said “…they (studios) brought down rates to 200 bucks an hour, which is
what most people can shell out if they want to record their music and share with people.”

A few artists spoke of how In light of the changes that have taken place because of technology
the role of labels is changing and they may still be relevant if they adapt and adjust to the
changing conditions rather than resist it. The bassist of a folk rock band pointed out that “the
definition or the role of a label has changed today.” He argued that with the “internet and with
piracy and with file sharing”, it was not about putting music in stores as those stores didn’t
exist. Thus he felt that “the labels need to redefine themselves and they will find a place.” The
issue of piracy was addressed by another bassist from Bangalore, “There are so many
conferences where music label guys are like ‘how do we tackle the piracy, how do we overcome
it’. I mean that’s a basic attitude flaw, you can’t overcome it, you can embrace it and make it a
part of your game”. Considering that piracy is often highlighted as something that has harmed
the music industry, this was an interesting point of view. The vocalist of one of the oldest rock
bands in India said that production and distribution were longer functions that labels could
control. He argued that today the “most important role they (labels) play is in marketing,… a
band can record an album and a band can distribute the stuff and can put it in the stores, but if
the people don’t know you exist, they are not going to look for your music. And most bands
don’t really have the resources to get out there and do the PR and let people know that you are
there.”

These responses indicate that the record labels are not interested in investing in Independent
music as there are very little or no profits to be made. However there is also a growing sense
that labels no longer hold they place they used to. The functions that record labels performed
have been reduced due to the advancements in technology and this in turn has affected their

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relevance. This view is of course with respect to the bigger, well established labels and not the
smaller indie labels. The artists can now record their music on their own and distribute it using
the internet. The internet has made the sharing of music easy, quick and free. The independent
artists are thus able to spread their music through the internet and many of them are putting
their music up for free download. It seems that the labels need to adapt to the changes to
remain relevant and perhaps play a bigger role in marketing than other areas.

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6.8) Other Factors Responsible for Growth of Independent Music

It would seem obvious that technology has played a role in how several aspects of independent
music have developed over the years. However it could be unfair to say that it is purely
technology that has led to the growth of independent music in India. The other factors that
have affected the growth of Independent music thus need to be looked into.

One point a large number of artists raised was that musicians had started taking themselves
seriously and as a result there had been a rise in the number of bands creating original music.
Earlier people wanted to sound like their favourite international artists, but now they were
more interested in creating their own sound which can make them stand out. The vocalist of an
alternative band shared how that he realized his favourite bands had carved out an audience
for themselves by having their own sound, this inspired him to do the same. Most bands used
to break up after college as they felt there was no real future in music, but now that attitude
has changed as well. The artists have started wanting to continue with music and try and make
it as musicians. Another vocalist of a veteran rock band argued that there had been a change in
expectations and that now bands are expected to perform originals, and that “bands across the
country sound different and they sound like themselves”, which had been a welcome change.

Another change that has resulted in the growth of the independent scene has been the rise in
the number of venues. Without any spaces to perform bands were not able to get too much
exposure. As the vocalist of veteran rock band from Mumbai shared “…there are so many clubs
now that it doesn’t matter if it’s summer, winter or the monsoon, there are indoor spaces set
up for music”. The keyboardist of another Mumbai band added that “venues are also
promoting different kinds of music, band, solo singing and singer song write… so they are giving
opportunity to different kind of people which I think is great.” Thus a rise in availability of
venues which are open to different genres of music has helped the growth of independent
music.

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Easy availability of instruments is another change that has played a big role in the growth of the
independent music. This was a point raised by the vocalist of a veteran rock band. He further
said “Now you can go to Furtado’s or any place & get like a fantastic selection of guitars,
amplifiers, pedals, microphones, software’s, all kinds of stuff”. It stands to logic that if
instruments were not easily available people couldn’t learn music and thus not be able to
create their own sound. Also, learning an instrument can perhaps make music a bigger part of
one’s life as opposed simply listening to it.

The bassist of a folk rock commented upon the fact that these changes have been a result of
there being a growth in the number cosmopolitan cities in India. Thus more people are looking
out for different ways of entertainment and music is one of them. However he felt that though
there were many venues where independent artists could perform, there was a need for the
quality of the experience to improve. He felt that independent music was competing with
options like watching a movie in a multiplex or having a nice dinner when it came to the
audience, thus if the venues had a poor set up, people would not choose to go there.

Another interesting reason for the growth of independent music was raised by an insider artist
manager and festival manager. He suggested that the people currently in decision making
positions were the ones who had grown up being more exposed to rock music and thus were
able to sponsor various events and provide financial support to independent music.

Thus apart from technology having played a part in the growth of independent music, factors
like artist taking themselves more seriously, growth in the number of venues and opportunities
to perform at and the easy availability of instruments have contributed to the spread of
independent music as well.

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 7. Inference

The seeds of independent music in India were perhaps sown at a time when there weren’t
enough resources for it to grow and spread. As certain artists explained that up until 1990’s
availability of instruments in India was scarce and they often had to be brought from foreign
countries. During this time it was even harder to produce and record a rock or pop album of any
kind, was the opinion of a few veteran artists. Therefore the number of people who could
attempt to make and pursue non film music was limited. Music in India has been influenced by
western genres of music like pop, rock for decades and that has often been reflected in the
music of Hindi films. Since the culture of bands and solo artists is essentially a foreign concept
therefore independent music in India has probably been the result of exposure to western
culture. As was observed earlier, most of the artists interviewed had grown up in the bigger
cities which perhaps resulted in them being more exposed to western culture and thus were
more inclined to listening to and making music influenced by genres like rock or pop.

Liberalisation of the economy in 1991 led to the introduction of channels like MTV and Channel
V and it could be suggested that these channels brought international music mainly from
United States and UK to a larger audience in India. The accessibility to instruments perhaps
became easier during this period as well. The early phase of liberalization was possibly a time
when a majority of the musicians who are currently a part of independent music in India
became more serious about music as well. The audience for original music up until a few years
ago being almost non-existent was something many artist pointed to. Thus it could be argued
that though people had been more exposed to rock and pop during the 1990’s, they were still
not open to the idea of Indian bands performing original music and preferred covers.

It might be safe to say up until a few years ago, there was very little opportunity to perform
original music and film music or covers was what the audience expected and thus being an
independent musician was difficult task, as was expressed by most artists. However in spite of
this, many artists continued to make original music simply because it was a way for them to

58
express themselves and music was a way of life for them. Thus the music that has been made
over the years has not had any commercial backing and did not cater to a large audience. The
artists chose to make original music at a time when the support for independent music was
limited and as many of them shared even their parents had apprehensions and weren’t always
supportive about their decision to take up music. The decision taken by the artists to pursue
music, in spite of its unconventional and unstable nature, could possibly be due to them being
from financially stable backgrounds. However this does not mean that they did not have to
struggle. It should be pointed out that there were those as well who did not have much
financial stability and still continued to follow their heart and make music. Thus in light of
conditions which would often be unfavourable, commitment towards the music and
understanding among the members of a band would seem to be the most important factor for
a band or an artist to last. It might be said that being an independent musician requires a
certain amount of perseverance since it is not an easy option and it goes against the
mainstream culture. Thus independent music in India could possibly be seen as a subtle musical
revolution that is taking place against the mainstream music culture.

The change in attitudes that seem to have taken place over the last four- five years seem to be
the outcome of a generational change having taken place, this was a perspective shared by the
vocalist of a Sufi band. This point was raised slightly differently again by an insider artist
manager who said that those currently in places of decision making were the ones who had
grown up exposed to a lot more western music. Many bands that were formed during college
parted ways after finishing their education, as pursuing music not really an option during the
1990’s, was pointed out by some artists. Over time perhaps these people have reached
positions of power and are now able to sponsor various events promoting independent music.

The popularity of any form of music in part depends on its ability to reach people. In order to
reach people, the music needs to be promoted. A lot of financial support for promotion had
been cited as the reason for film music being so popular by many of the artists interviewed.
Since film music offered a safe formula for making profits, no record labels had been willing to

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take a risk and give financial support to independent music which was thus always limited.
Perhaps due to those in decision making positions having grown up in climate more open to the
idea of original music, independent music has gradually been able to find more financial
support for various events promoting it. The audience that independent music has been able to
reach out to over the last few years could be the generation that has grown up listening to
more and more different kinds of music and probably as a result had become more accepting
towards original music. A rise in the venues for original music over the last few years was a
trend that many artists pointed out to. A rise in the number of music festivals being held had
also been seen, which provide a dedicated platform for independent musicians to perform.

The changes that have taken place in the production and distribution of music globally can be
seen as a result of technological advancements that have been made. Digital technologies have
allowed the artists to record and distribute their own music even without any formal support
from a label. With the spread of the internet and availability of certain softwares for recording
and producing music, the role of labels has been challenged. Musicians are now able to record
their own music and share it with their audience online at very little cost. It could be said that
the growth that independent music in India has seen has been due to various developments in
technology that have taken place, which allow artists to produce and distribute their music
much more easily and reduce dependence on record labels.

Most independent artist agreed that technology has played a big part in making things easier
for them. As a result of changes in technology and the growth of the internet, some
independent artists had suggested that the record labels were now in a place where they had
to adapt to these changes. The labels no longer had strict control over the production and
distribution of music due to the availability of softwares to record music at home and the ease
of distribution over the internet. Marketing was the only aspect that labels could still look to
have control over was suggested by an artist. Since carrying out promotions on a large scale
due to lack of finances was not always possible for the independent artists, this was where
labels could play an important role.

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It would thus seem that a combination of change in attitudes and technological advancements
which have taken place over the last decade have resulted in the growth of independent music
in India. It could also be argued that is has essentially been the interaction between the artists
and the audience that has resulted in the growth of Independent music in India. Independent
music in India has always been shared by connecting directly with the audience through live
performances, since it has hardly had any access to traditional media due to lack of resources
and no support from labels. This direct connect has perhaps been furthered by the internet but
it has not necessarily created it.

Every artist now has an equal chance of reaching out to and connecting with their audience due
to the internet having eliminated gatekeeping as it existed within traditional mass media,
where gatekeepers played a role in deciding what content was to be shared with the public.
The only factor that possibly acts a gatekeeper with respect to the internet is its limited reach.
However this limited reach still probably amounts to more than what was possible for
independent music in India only a few years ago. Independent artists in India are now able to
make their music available online, which can provide them with a global audience. Due to the
various technological advancements production and distribution has slowly become
decentralized and this has benefited the independent artists. The connection with the audience
for independent music has still remained direct as the music is being shared by the artists
themselves even though the connection has become mediated. Thus it could be concluded that
though technology has played a big role in the growth of independent music in India, its
essential nature and values of being disseminated by the artists directly to the audience have
remained the same.

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 Discussion

Certain factors which seem to have enabled the growth of independent music in India are
factors that have been pointed out by other researchers as well. The role music festivals had
played in the spread of independent music in Italy by promoting independent artists was
discussed by Magudda (2009) in his study on the institutionalization of independent music in
Italy. India has seen a similar trend develop over the last few years of music festivals taking
place in different parts of India which seem to encourage the spread of independent music all
over the country.

Kruse (2010) and Yup Lee (2009) discussed how technology had played an important role with
respect to the changes taking place in the music industry globally. While Connell and Gibson
(2002) talked about how digital technology was leading to decentralization in the music
industry. The growth in independent music in India could perhaps be seen a result of the
decentralisation which has taken place in the music industry globally. This has allowed
independent artists freedom from dependence on labels for making and distributing music.
Baym (2010) had discussed, that many scholars had written about a turn to ‘participatory
culture’ due to the internet. This had meant that the roles of audiences and the producers had
slowly become less rigidly defined and their relationship had become more interactive. The
independent music in India has perhaps thrived upon this ‘participatory culture’ over the last
few years. A lot of interaction between the artists and the audience takes place through
mediums like facebook. Richardson, Hayslett, M (2007) discussed how certain international
artists preferred independent labels over the bigger labels as it provided them more creative
freedom. This scenario is not applicable with respect to India as the labels do not exercise much
creative control and also they have never really invested much in non film music.

Connecting with people was seen as an important way of promoting their music by the artists.
Hyde (1983/2008) had concluded in his study of ‘art as gift’ that the ease with which digital
music files can be distributed had increased its potential as a gift and was making it less of a

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commodity. Independent music in India could be viewed as more of a ‘gift’ and as less of a
commodity since very often independent artists in India make their music available online for
free. Giving away music online could be seen as a ‘gift’ to the audience, thus making the
relationship more personal. It might be argued that forming such personal connections can
create a sense of community between the artists and the audience. Baym (2010) discussed how
the Swedish model, which was a coalition of seven independent Swedish labels, aimed at
building a larger community using the internet that would benefit everyone that formed the
independent music industry, namely the artists, the fans and the labels.

The independent music community in India in terms of numbers is perhaps in its infancy and is
growing and maybe it could build a community of people who share a love of music, rather
than become a commercial entity. How institutionalisation of independent music in Italy had
slowly taken place partly due to the bigger labels looking for new markets in light of the global
decline the music industry had seen was discussed by Magudda (2009). Independent music in
India may find itself in a similar state if the audience continues to grow and eventually
commercial interests take over.

Independent music often has a different set of values associated with it. According to Fonarow
(2006) independent music in UK was associated with values like ‘simplicity in songs, modesty in
adornment, modesty in consumption’ and was not about worldly pleasures. Thus independent
music is often seen as a more honest or pure form of music since it is free from commercial
constraints. This could perhaps hold true with respect to independent music in India as well
since there had hardly been any money invested into it, therefore it has remained free of
commercial constraints. Magudda (2009) talked about indie music being a phenomenon mainly
linked to ‘political experiments and movements associated with youth and counterculture’.
Whether independent music in India can be viewed in a similar way would probably require
further research.

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It could be suggested that technological advancements which have taken place over the last
decade as well as the ability of independent artists to promote their music have perhaps helped
in the growth of independent music in India. Magudda (2009) had drawn a similar conclusion
with respect to independent music in Italy. However, Kruse (2010) discussed how the access to
digital technology was limited and still expensive in the United States which restricted the reach
of music and the ability to produce music without formal support. It could be argued that this is
the case in India as well. Therefore if the problem faced earlier by independent music was that
it had no access to mainstream media, now it could be the limited reach of the internet. It could
be concluded that the changes that have taken place globally within the music industry as a
result of technological changes have benefited independent music in India. Thus at a time when
record sales were falling, independent music had started to grow in India. This perhaps
reinforces the point that it has not been a commercial entity and thus as was observed earlier,
it has been a subtle movement against the mainstream culture in the country.

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 8. Limitations and Scope for further research

8.1) Limitations

Due to time constraints and a lack of access to some independent artists, the researcher was
unable to have a larger sample size to collect data.

The sample for the interviews could not be selected using more scientific methods due to the
unpredictable schedules of the independent artists as well as a shortage of time. A scientific
sample would have given the research more validity.

The chapter on the history of independent music in India is in no way exhaustive and there are
several aspects and details which the researcher was not able to discuss. The lack of credible
sources of information was one limiting factor as well as the inability to get in touch with those
who had been part of bands during the 60’s and 70’s was another.

Due to the nature of the topic, research papers for literature review with respect to
independent music in India were hard to find. Thus the review of literature suffers from the
limitation of having a western orientation.

The research was based on data mainly collected from the artists themselves. Therefore the
views on the reasons for growth of independent music in India were from the artists’ point of
view. There might be those who have been a part of independent music in a non performing
capacity and may have different insights into the reasons for growth of Independent music in
India.

65
8.2) Scope for Further Research

Independent music in India has several regional facets as well. West Bengal is known to have a
Banlga rock scene and the north eastern states also have a distinct musical culture which could
be studied.

Independent music in India has bands which belong to various states. A study into if different
regions have been favourable to a particular genre of music could be carried out.

A study into how the audience views independent music in India and their reasons for following
it could be carried out.

A study on independent music could be carried out from the perspective of those who have
been a part of independent music in a non performing capacity.

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 9. References

Baym, Nancy K. (2011). The Swedish Model: Balancing Markets and Gifts in the Music Industry.
9: 22–38. Popular Communication.

Bhushan, Nyah and Ferguson, Tom. (2008) Beyond Bollywood: Indian Indies Offer Break From
Usual Soundtrack Fare. Vol. 120, Issue 26. Billboard.

Harding, Cortney and Trust, Gary. (2010, September 23). Recent Changes Help Some Indies
Succeed At Radio . Billboard, p11-11.

Kruse, Holly. (2010). Local Identity and Independent Music Scenes, Online and Off. Vol. 33, No.
5, pp. 625–639. Popular Music and Society.

LEE, Jung-yup. (2009). Contesting the digital economy and culture: digital technologies and the
transformation of popular music in Korea. Volume 10, Number 4. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies.

Magaudda, Paolo. (2009). Processes of institutionalisation and ‘symbolic struggles’ in the

‘independent music’ field in Italy. Vol. 14, No. 3. Italy, University of Padova.

Richardson, Nicole and Marie, Hayslett and Chandra M. (2007). The Rise of INDEPENDENT
Music. Vol. 38, Issue 5. Black Enterprise.

Waits, Jennifer C. (2007). Does ‘indie’ mean independence? Freedom and restraint in a late
1990s US college radio community. Volume 5 Numbers 2&3. The Radio Journal – International
Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media.

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 Electronic References

Bagchi, Aaheli. (2010). Independent Artists Rock To Indie Labels. The Times of India. Retrieved
from
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-09-13/india-business/28271880_1_music-
industry-labels-hindi-film-soundtracks on 12 April 2012

Banerjee, Malini. (2009). Return of a rock classic. The Telegraph. Retrieved from
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090408/jsp/entertainment/story_10788117.jsp on 30 April
2012

Barokh, Amanda. (2012). Mumbai Nights: Atomic Forest Interviewed. The Quietus. Retrieved
from http://thequietus.com/articles/08236-atomic-forest-interview on 1 May 2012

Bisen, Kshitij. (2007). Indian Rock: Dark side of the tune?. Dance with Shadows. Retrieved from
http://www.dancewithshadows.com/society/rock-bands-india.asp on 30 April 2012

Jacob, Jimmy. (2010). Still rock ‘n’ rolling after all these years. DNA. Retrieved from
http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_still-rock-n-rolling-after-all-these-years_1335005
on 1 May 2012

Jain, Amrita. (2011). The Sixties Show. The Indian Express. Retrieved from
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/The-Sixties-Show/881249/ on 30 April 2012

Jitendranath, Akshath. (2010). Artist of the Month: Thermal and a Quarter. Indian Rock MP3.
Retrieved from
http://indianrockmp3.com/2010/07/31/thermal-and-a-quarter-interview/ on 30 April 2012

68
Kit, Chas. (2011). The Frustrations Amalgamated. Garage Hangover. Retrieved from
http://www.garagehangover.com/?q=taxonomy/term/180/9 on 30 April 2012

Paul, Soumini Sridhara. (2012). Independent music - from past perfect to future. Radio and
Music. Retrieved from
http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/opinion/independent-music-past-perfect-
future on 10 April 2012

Pisharoty, Sangeeta Barooah. (2008). A hum in the Haze. The Hindu. Retrieved from
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/05/24/stories/2008052451940900.htm on 18 April 2012

Ravi, Arjun S. (2010). Indie rock in Mumbai: A decade in review. CNNGo. Retrieved from
http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/play/indie-rock-mumbai-decade-review-894176 on 18 April
2012

Ravi, Arjun S. (2008). Pubrockfest 2008 Gets Date. NH7. Retrieved from
http://nh7.in/indiecision/2008/04/25/pubrockfest-2008-gets-dated on 30 April 2012

Reuben, Ofira. (2011). Independent record labels are on the rise. The Times of India. Retrieved
from
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-27/news-and
interviews/29816907_1_music-record-labels-taaq on 10 April 2012

Rosen, Rana. (2007). Music start-up Blue Frog Media seeks to break new ground. Live Mint.
Retrieved from
http://www.livemint.com/2007/10/30001524/Music-startup-Blue-Frog-Media.html on 18 April
2012

69
(2005). Dream of music, not politics. The Telegraph. Retrieved from
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050823/asp/calcutta/story_5142995.asp on 30 April 2012

(2006). Someplace Else. Retrieved from

http://www.blogger.com/profile/01064181587106872896 on 18 April 2012

(2010). Rock on! Retrieved from

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/08/07/stories/2008080750200200.htm on 18 April 2012

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 10. Appendix

10.1) Questions for the Interviews

How did you develop an interest in music?

What or who influenced you musically?

Could you share a little bit about your educational background and your upbringing?

When did you start learning instruments? Did you take any formal training?

When did you first join a band?

How did your family feel about you choosing music as a career?

How did you financially support yourself as a band?

Do you think bands can sustain themselves purely on music?

What do you think it takes for a band to stay together?

When you started, did you ever perform covers or have you always performed originals?

Where did you usually perform in the first few years?

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How did you promote your music?

Do you think the language a band performs in affects how successful they become?

What role do you think labels play today? Did you try to approach labels like Sony, etc. to
release your music?

Why do you think film music has always dominated the music in India?

Who do you think is the audience for independent music in India? Where do think the audience
lies?

What changes have you seen in the independent music scene in our country since you started
and what do you attribute these changes to?

In what way do you think things are different for artists who are starting now as compared to
when you started?

What is music about for you? Why do you make music?

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10.2) The Codes for Analysis

The Cultural Background of the Artists:

This code consisted of the where the artists had grown up, their educational background and any
information related to their families.
Yellow was used to highlight this category.

The Musical Background of the Artists:

This code consisted of what the artists were influenced by, when they started learning
instruments, how and when they formed bands.
Bright green was used to highlight this code.
Note: It was later merged with the above code.

Audience for Independent Music:

This code consisted of what the artists thought about the audience for independent music and
how it had evolved over the years.
Dark yellow was used to highlight this code.

The Dynamics of being in a band:

This code consisted of what factors kept a band together.
Green was used to highlight this code.

The Possibility of Living off Music:

The code consisted of what the artists felt about being able to support themselves financially off
music.
Pink was used to highlight this code.
Note: It was later merged with the above code.

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The reasons for domination of film music:
This code consisted of the views of the artists on film music and why they felt it was popular.
Blue was used to highlight this code.

The promotion of independent music:

This code consisted of information on how the bands tried to distribute their music and
performances. It also included how they thought things had changed over the years in term of how
they could promote themselves.
Red was used to highlight this code.

Reasons for the growth of independent music:

This code consisted of reasons which were not connected to technology in some way, that the
artists thought may have helped in the growth of independent music.
Light grey was used to highlight this code.
Note: This code initially consisted of how technology had affected independent music as well.
Later effects of technology were accommodated separately with respect to the audience, the
promotion and the role of labels.

The Musical Philosophy of the Artists:

This code consisted of how the artists felt about music and certain aspects related to music like
importance of originality, etc.
Turquoise was used to highlight this code.

The Role of Language in Music:

This code consisted of what difference the artists thought language made to the success of a band
in India.
Violet was used to highlight this code.
Note: It was later merged with the above code.

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Role of Music Labels:
This code consisted of what the artists thought about record labels and what role they had to play
in the music industry with respect independent music in India as well.
Teal was used to highlight this code.

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10.3) Coded Transcript of an Interview

Q) How did you develop an interest in music?

A) I don’t know, I just loved it. My dad used to listen to music when I was growing up, though
my dad listened to a different kinds of music, but I love music. I mean music was playing in the
house and whatever was playing was something that I loved. My brother’s six years older than
me, by the time he went to college I was still in school, and he came back with all these
incredibly cool rock albums which totally blew me away. So I was listening to music that all my
school friends and my classmates were not listening to. I don’t know I was listening to harder
rock and roll, led Zeppelin, the Who, Santana, Pink Floyd, you know that kind of stuff.

Q) What or who influenced you musically?

A) Well the influences have been varied over the years, initially they were much more
pronounced and now it’s much more subliminal. When I was really turned on to rock music was
thanks to an album by the band called the Who and the album was called qudrophilia. That was
the first time I heard this incredibly, phenomenally big sounding rock album and it blew me
away. And that became a sort of turning point in my life. The who was probably my biggest
influence as a kid when I was growing up and songwriter and sometimes singer of the band
pete townsend, he was like my hero when I was a kid. So they were a big influence. Of course
the influence of the bands of the early 70’s, early to mid 70’s are the bands I mentioned earlier,
led zep, pink floyd , Santana, deep purple was a big influence. You know American bands like
early aerosmith, I love a lot of black rnb, soul music, blues music of the early kinds, so there was
howlin wolf, muddy waters, bb king, stuff like that. Also American rock bands, Santana was
another band I loved. So that was the initial influence. Over the years I don’t know it’s been so
much. Nowadays it’s more music that I love rather than music that influences me. The
influences now come from everything else. It comes from the music as well, I mean I love the
sounds. Because over the years I grew to love bjork who is away from the whole rock band
thing and she does dance music, electronic music. But more recently porcupine tree from the

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uk, karnivool from Australia and little bit of mit matt, these are more contemporary bands.
Porcupine has of course been around a little while. But even foo fighters, I’m loving there new
stuff, I didn’t like them initially, but I’m liking there later stuff. So I mean stuff I’m listening to.
I’m sure it’s creeping into whatever I’m doing, but then also love peter gabrieal mellow stuff
like iron and wine, you know I go to very quite spaces as well. So I’m inspired more by life now
than music.

Q) When did you start learning instruments? Did you take any formal training?
A) Again as a kid, not so much instruments, I mean I write using an acoustic guitar. I mean I
have keyboard and stuff at home, I do that when I’m producing jingles and stuff but I’m not a
keyboard player. So I’m not a piano player by any sense of the term. When I’m composing I use
an acoustic guitar. I don’t know when you write, you need something to play, you need to come
up with chord progression, you have riff idea, you try and play that riff, you know you sort of
work around it.

Q) So you learnt on your own?

A) Ya, pretty much by myself, ya.

Q) So how old were you?

A) I picked up the guitar when I was really young, must’ve been about 8 or 10 years old and
then my teacher mr vaz came to me, he taught me ‘shoe fly don’t bother me’, I got so bored
that I didn’t pick up the guitar for the next I think 10 years. So I wasn’t playing guitar at that
time. Maybe when I was like 17-18 I started playing again.

Q) Could you share a little bit about your educational background and your upbringing?
A) I am what people from bandra and north of bandra refer to as a ‘townie’. I live in bandra
now. I think they call us townies now, which is great, because the term used to be ‘south
Bombay snobs’. So I grew up in south Bombay, I was south Bombay snob who grew up on
breach candy. So I went to school at a school called breach candy. I went to hr college for two

77
years. I out of a sense of protest against the Indian education system, which I thought was a
complete piece of rubbish, I refused to graduate, so I went to my mother and I told her that.
Then she asked me what I wanted to do, I wasn’t prepared for that question. Then I joined
Sophia college to do hotel management. And I will tell you coming from the perspective of a
guy it’s very nice to be in a girls’ college, because we get a lot of attention. So I did my two
years of hotel management and I worked at the ambassador hotel as a trainee room service
captain for one and a half weeks and that there’s no way in hell that this could be my life. I was
already in the band at that time so I said it’s either wearing a starch shirt and black bow tie and
saying yes sir, no sir to people I didn’t really care about. Or I could grow my hair long, wear torn
jeans, go up on stage and make a lot of noise and have a great time doing it. So that’s what I
did.

Q) When did you first join a band?

A) When I was in hr actually in the 11th or 12th. My batch mates were a lot of these very slickly
dressed guys wearing jordache jeans and patent leather boots and stuff like that which, I didn’t
really fit into that crowd, they were nice guys but I didn’t really fit into that whole thing. And
then I found a few other, 3 or 4 other people like me who were kind of scruffy and, big mop of
hair and torn, I used to wear a lot of shorts in those days. Very short shorts, I mean so short
that I was once almost expelled from college, because they were too short for any sort of
decency, the vice chancellor threatened to throw me out. Anyways so, there were other guys
who were similarly if not short shorts, but torn jeans and we all loved rock n roll. And I got
together with a few of these guys and at the hr collge talent show, we played a song by Santana
called evil ways and a song by the who from the album tommy called sesefe and I had a great
time doing it. so that was the first time I actually went on stage with a band if you could call us
a band, because we didn’t have a bass player. We had one electric guitar and one acoustic
guitar a drummer and stuff. That was the first time I ever did anything like that. I mean I had
taken part in many singing competitions before that I would say while I was in school and I lost
all of them. so then I joined hr and I found these guys and we went up on stage and did this and
we thought we were very strange, but they liked it actually, strangely enough, even the guys in

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the jordache jeans thought we were quite cool. And then by the time I hit the 12th standard, I
bumped into Mahesh tinaiker on the steps of hr college. I would add here that Mahesh did not
attend hr college, he was not in it, so why he was spending his time sitting at the steps of hr
college is way beyond me, but I’m glad he did because I bumped into him. The band rock
machine was a very new band and their singer was leaving and he heard me sing somewhere
and asked me if I’d join the band and that’ when I’d joined rock machine. I joined at the end of
84 and in jan of 85 one month before my hsc exams I went with these guys to goa and
engineering college and I played my first gig and my mum was like ‘you know you’ve got your
hsc exams coming up, ya you know it’s a rock n roll band, ya go go go. And I had the best time
of my life and I knew this is what I want to be doing.

Q) How did your family feel about you choosing music as a career?
A) The thing is you know, we never really discussed it as a career. The only the question of a
career came up was when I, when I dropped out of college when I finished my 12 th and I said
I’m not going to graduate because I’m not learning anything and my mum said ‘so what do you
want to do?’ and we went through a long is list of things that I didn’t want to do and the last on
the list of things don’t want to do was hotel management, so that’s the closest we came to
talking about a career. But after I joined the hotel I told them I’ve quit and they were like ‘ok
fine’. I was already in the band so I said ‘I just want to do this I want to be in this band’. And so
they were cool. I mean my folks were pretty unconventional that way, and they were very cool.
And their thing was ‘you know what it’s your life, you want to do whatever you want to do, go
ahead and do it. but just know that whatever you do there are going to be consequences that
follow from that. Consequences are not only bad things, there can be great consequences, but
whatever follows from that is going to be the outcome of your choices. So make your choices
aware of the fact that they are going to lead to, possibly lead to something. So if that’s what
you want to do, just go ahead and do it, just be smart about it.’ so ya, it was pretty good, I was
pretty lucky that way.

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Q) How did you financially support yourself as a band?
A) I don’t think one could use the term ‘manage the finances’ because there were no finances
to manage. it was, we were paid extremely small amounts of money when we first
started..extremely small amounts and often enough at least in the earliest of times those small
amounts..even those small amounts were not paid to us because we got screwed over by
concert promoters …and we learnt our lessons along the way …what we started doing..not all
of us were living alone…my parents moved out of town because my dad retired so I was living
as a paying guest..so I was paying a very small amount of money as a paying guest but I needed
to survive.. and I guess luckily enough I found my way into the jingles industry in Bombay,,,so I
landed up singing jingles…so really I pretty much supplemented…I mean I survived on that ..I
didn’t survive on income from the band… and there were often times that…I would take two
members of the band …the two guitar players …Mahesh and Jayesh..who are not related but
we call them the terrible twins because they were too similar …uh..owed money to the band
because they had taken advances of a gig that we hadn’t done ..and lets put it this way… those
advances had been invested in quarter bottles of cheap whiskey..so ya I don’t think we were
managing any finances….we were just trying to find a way of surviving.

Q) Was money ever a factor?

A) I think every musician through his or her career will go through that saying what the f…am I
doing..you know..I mean…am I really having so much fun that its worth being broke…invariably
you come to the conclusion…a lot of us come to the conclusion that ya..it really feels so good
that it is worth being broke but let me try and find a way to not be so broke and of course we
went through all of that…I mean we never questioned the fact that this is what we wanted to
do and the one thing that we were all fortunate..you know as a band what kept us together for
so long was that money was not the priority…money was not the issue..of course money was
something…if we were doing a gig we wanted to get paid for it and we tried to charge and as
we got more better known and more popular…we obviously tried to raise the fee that we were
charging for it…we were not stupid …we were trying to be smart about it …but by the same

80
token we weren’t doing it for the money…because if we were operating for the money we
wouldn’t be rock musicians …we would be doing other things with our lives..theres no reason
why we joined a band..it made no sense to join a band in those days at all certainly not if you
wanted to make a living …u…so..but..the thing is we never ever EVER had money problems
between us …never …and I think that’s the one thing …and a of bands break up over petty
things like that …we never had that issue ..so…by the same token…of course ..i mean rent had
to be paid and we wanted to have ..I wouldn’t say good life…whose looking for a good life….we
were just looking to…

Q) When you started, did you ever perform covers or have you always performed originals?
A) Pretty soon after, I mean very often people say that bands start off doing covers and a lot of
bands star off doing covers. I was just reading the autobiography of Keith Richards of the Rolling
Stones & The Rolling Stones started off as cover band but nobody ever talks about that. They
were covering blues & rock n roll from the US they were playing little Richard and things like
that so. Ya I mean the scene in India was about covers but we started playing our own stuff
pretty soon after that. Maybe a couple of years we were doing covers, because that’s what the
scene was. but we started writing our own songs & by 1988 we had recorded our first album.
We had started in 85. By 86-87 we started writing our songs & then by 88 we recorded our
album, We moved into the originals that’s our songs pretty soon

Q) What was the music scene like in the 80’s, what was the reaction to your music?
A) Well there was an audience for rock n roll, for rock music. but we had to do convincing as far
as our songs were concerned. We were a little sneaky, I’d say we were sneaky as well. Because
what we did, we would say expecting people to not be as open minded, they were not that
open minded as they are today. It’s a completely different world today. at that time it was
about play a song by Deep Purple or whatever it is. So what we did is, one of our own tunes we
basically, we wouldn’t tell them it was one of our songs, we would just tell them that…you
know stuff wasn’t as easily available, wasn’t as instantly available as it is today, so you could lie
about it. you would say that it’s a new song by some band in the US, so they’d be like ‘hey ya

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man’, so we’d play them top of the rock, and they’d be like ‘hey man, great song’. So a couple
of songs, a couple of concerts we’d say it was actually one of our tunes ya. By deception they
got in on the joke and they were like ‘well it was one of your songs, we really like it. and people
were asking for our own tunes, you know they got used to rock and roll renegade and top of
the rock and songs like that and started asking for those tunes even before we recorded the
album. So ya, we were a sneaky .

Q) Did you try to approach labels like sony, etc to release your music?
A) Actually interestingly for the first album a label approached us first. There was a gentleman
Mr Aarvi Pandit approached us, I am not sure if he is alive and He is from the book publishing
business. And for some reason he wanted to, he was a pretty entrepreneurial guy, he was an
old chap and he wanted to get into music. and he was keen on original music being made by
Indian artists, original non Bollywood music. So he started what was called CBS India, it was
part of CBS records, but cbs india. and somehow he heard of us, because we were kind of
getting out there in the rock scene, in the college scene. And He came to us & said ‘I’ve started
this label & would you guys like to record your stuff?’ and we were like ‘absoulutely,ya’. So he
gave us some money to record it & it was a very small budget but it was enough for us to go
into a studio & make an album. And we were all raw, very young & raw and the album sounds
very young & raw even now. But we were fresh & we had a fantastic time doing it. We used a
drum machine, a really old archaic drum machine because we couldn’t record live drums those
days.and ya, we went and recorded those songs and It became a very popular album & we had
a very good time doing it & thats how we got into the whole record company thing.

Q) Where did you usually perform in the first few years?

A) It was mostly colleges. in Bombay rang bhavan was the big venue. Rang bhavan which is the
amphitheatre. So rang bahvan was a great venue, you know it’s very close to St Xaviers college.
And rang bhavan has had many many concerts, independent rock or irock started at rang
bhavan. And we used to play there regularly at rang bhavan. And then of course there were
also the big open air gigs. So In Bangalore we used to play at this place called palace grounds

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which still hosts rock concerts. And then a lot of the gigs were colleges gigs, you know. So it was
the IIT’s, Manipal Institute of Technology, IIM’s & then there’d be promoters organising these
open air festivals. We used to go to the north east a lot. We played in Kohima,aizwal, shillong,
Guhwati. And they used to put up big stages and big sounds and everything. So it was a mix of
college gigs, big open air like football fields & the occasional amphitheatre. Bombay had rang
bhavan. Calcutta had this placed called OAT, OAT standing for Open Air Theatre. It was called
roubindro something open air theatre, it was a great venue which has also been closed down.
There were no clubs and stuff in those days. It was not so regular. I mean guys were doing it all
across the country so we’d get calls regularly. With the colleges it was usually year end fests,
like the IIT have the end of the year festivals and we’d be the kind of go to band for that. So
we’d landed up headlining a lot of those at some point. Because we were very serious about
our music so, we rehearsed a lot, the set was always very tight, we paid attention to our image
and to our stage performance and. We took our own sound engineers with us, we took our own
lighting guy with us, so we were kind of working with the system. And I guess we stood out
against the other bands because, because bands came and played and they were a little loose
and they were never concerned about these things. We were always trying to move forward,
trying to get better & better. So it wasn’t just a band playing on stage, it was a show. You kids
came to our concerts and said ‘wow’, the lights co ordinated well with that thing when the
power chords hit and it makes a difference, i mean what you take for granted today. So I mean
there were the college festivals that happened regularly and then there’d be the occasional
random promoter driven festival which was not regular, but it was happening across. I mean
somebody would get some local sponsor and they’d put up a stage and call a bunch of bands.
And all the other bands were playing covers for the most part. So I think we were one of the
few bands that was playing our own stuff.

Q) Were there any other venues?

A) Palace grounds Bangalore , oat Calcutta. Delhi was mostly football field or college grounds.
Can’t think of too many others. More of often than not, A promoter would put up a stage in a
field, so it wasn’t like a regular venue for live music.

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Q) What changes have you seen in the independent music scene in our country since you
started and what do you attribute these changes to?
A) The biggest change has been the originality of expression because now you are expected to
make your own stuff & thats probably the best thing that has happened to the non bollywood
scene in India. because who wants play someone else’s songs, we never wanted to, to begin
with. So that’s one thing we feel very happy of being a part of and having influenced greatly,
because it was something that we pushed very hard for. That has been a big change. What’s a
huge change is the availability of instruments. In those days we had to pretty much either, if we
were taking a trip abroad, which was obviously very rare because we were all broke, we’d bring
back instruments or we would ask our relatives to bring back a guitar. You know You guarded
your instrument with your life & guitar strings were very expensive, because indian guitar
strings sucked. So you got a limited set and you’ve got to use them as much as you can, an dit
was stuff like that. And You smuggled your instruments in because customs duty was extremely
high. Now you can go to furtados or any place & get like a fantastic selection of guitars,
amplifiers, pedals, microphones, software’s, all kinds of stuff. No way was any of that available
at that time. So you got your guitar and that was your baby, you got your microphone, that was
your baby. And that’s how we operated. Now its different. The internet has changed
everything, you know bands have their own presence online. Technology has changed so much
that you can record demos at home, you can record an album, I mean if you are an electromnic
artist you can record your album at home. If you are a rock band, you want to do some amount
in the studio, but you can do a lot at home using softwares like protools, logic or cubase etc.
You can record your demos, you can them on your myspace page, facebook page you can put
your mp3 up. Its changed, connectivity has changed a lot of stuff. So it’s a very very different
place, there are many more venues to play now today for regular playing, I would say for all
season playing. Whether its blue frog, or hard rock cafes, or bflat in Bangalore or someplace
else in Calcutta, there are so many clubs now that it dosent matter if its summer, winter or the
monsoon, there are indoor spaces set up for music. It was a great time then because everything
was new and everything was fresh & everything was growing. its a great time now too because

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everything is very fertile and everything is growing into something really nice. I mean bands
across the country sound different and they sound like themselves. You know menwhopause
from delhi sound like the way they do, shair and func sound the way they do, pentagram sound
the way they do, indus creed sounds the way we do, barefaced liars sound the way they do,
Sridhar and thayil sound the way they do, nobody sounds alike. Each of these bands, the metal
guys, everybody sounds completely different and that’s beautiful because it means you sound
your own voice and that’s the best thing that’s happened in this country, in rock and pop and
electronic.

Q) When do you think this trend started to pick up?

A) See I don’t know, from 99 to 2008 I wasn’t living in new york, so I was doing my thing over
there. And I guess there was a scene growing here I was kind of not keeping up with it. things
were already happening in the 90’s,but then you know. Maybe 2004 -05 things started to grow.

Q) In what way do you think things are different for artists who are starting now as compared
to when you started?
A) I think it’s a combination of stuff. I think everybody wants to be in a band at some point. You
know people love to get on stage and be in a band, of course you’ve got to have the patient to
learn your instrument and you’ve got to have the talent first to be able to hone those skills. But
ya, of course technology it helped, availability of instruments helped. Like I said, you can just go
to a store close by and buy and instrument, and that changes things, because it makes it more
accessible to you. The internet has changed it because now you can now take that and put that
demo up and people are listening and responding to your stuff and they don’t have to be in the
same town that you live in. so all of that has changed things.

Q) How did you promote your music?

A) Initially it was all word of mouth, we did nothing to promote it. it was all word of mouth and
that’s the weirdest thing because there was only doordarshan and DD didn’t play it, there was
only AIR and air didn’t play any of our stuff. So all that happened was, one college festival heard

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about us playing at another college festival and heard that we’d done a very good job and then
invited us. And then word spread that way. It was only when satellite tv came in in 92, when
star tv first launched and by 93 there was mtv and all these things, that’s when the footprint hit
the entire country and suddenly kids from everywhere…and you know we started to put videos
out and then kids from all little towns could see us on tv, they didn’t have to leave home,
because they were in a small town, we couldn’t get there. But now they could see us on tv
doing our music video stuff and that really helped in the promotion. But even before mtv came
in, we were already doing a lot of gigs across the country and that was all word of mouth.

Q) When MTV and channel V came in, there was still some pop, rock, non film music being
made. Why do you think that faded away?
A) I think it was a process of change. You know what happened was, the alternative to
Bollywood started. We were already there , you know rock music was already happening and
then the hindi pop movement started to happen and hindi pop and the hindi pop movement
could’ve been something, it actually could’ve been something. You know it’s not that music in
hindi necessarily needs to be bad. I don’t know why it became so bad. There were a few hindi
pop artists, you know there were people like sunita rao and lucky ali and they had some nice
stuff, but there became this glut. You know there is this mentality among a lot of these
corporate people who want to appeal to the lowest common denominator all the time. You
know you can’t sell every product to the rickshaw driver, but everybody started approaching
the rickshaw driver, I mean I heard that term so often. So what they landed up doing was, they
started cheapening the material so much and flooding the market so much and they started
putting all that stuff on mtv and channel v that all that was happening was that there was this
crap that was being thrown at you. And the hindi pop business itself died a natural death as a
result of that and took everything else with it. because unfortunately rock bands and stuff got
caught got in the backwash. Because mtv and channel v said ‘we are not making any money
now, because this is all shit, nobody wants to see it’, but before that, atleast kids who listened
to rock music did want to see it. but now all they were getting to see was this bad hindi pop
videos and they didn’t want to see it and then other people who want to listen to hindi pop also

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didn’t want to see it and then mtv and channel v went bollywood. So that became the first
death of the entire scene. I think the rebirth happened when the internet came along because.
Before youtube, youtube changed things a lot as well, but it’s just that accessibility changed
things. People were able to look at things online and things started to grow again. So it became
the rebirth I think from the mid 2000’s I guess, I mean in the first few years of the new
millennium was the rebirth of this whole scene. I think the things are changing now, I mean the
dewerists is one series. But, vh1 still is there, but there is a new, there’s going to be an all
English or all non Bollywood atleast music channel called 9xo and I think luke Kenny is going to
be a part of it. so there’s a lot of stuff happening. Radio one has gone all English in Mumbai an
delhi, so it’s good.

Q) What role do you think labels play today? What role do you think labels play today?
A) Well if I said that labels are obsolete right now, the md of universal would be very upset with
me because we just signed with universal. See I’ll tell you where a label comes in, and devraj
who is the md of universal music india and who’s a really cool guy. He’s was a member of a
metal band called bhrama. So when a metal head becomes the chief of a recording company,
he’s on the same page as you. And devraj would probably agree with me when I say, record
companies don’t play the same role, they play a very very different role than they used to. They
are still important, their principle function today is marketing. Distribution is not in their grasp
anymore like it used to be. In the early days they controlled production and distribution and of
course marketing. They don’t control production and distribution anymore, but they can play a
big role. They can play a big role in production if they finance it, but they don’t really finance
albums anymore, so bands pretty much self finance them, like we did and we prefer that
because we have complete creative control. The distribution is not difficult because you send
your cd to cdbaby.com and they will put your stuff on itunes and spotify and everything else.
But if you want to get pushed to the top of the list, the upper reaches of the shelves, then you
want label support. Now a company like universal music, they co own spotify, so they can
atleast give you a little more presence over there. They will list you on all the various itunes,
because they are all regional now, so they out you on multiple platforms, plus you get a music

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publishing deal with them which is done separately with the music publishing division. So they
do play a role, but the most important role they play is in marketing. Because a band can record
an album and a band can distribute the stuff and you can put it in the stores, but if the people
don’t know you exist, they are not going to look for your music. And most bands don’t really
have the resources to get out there and do the pr and let people know that you are there.
Because it’s one thing to a product in a shop, but if it’s in the back shelf, behind everything else,
no one’s going to ask for it and that’s where a record company comes in.

Q) Why do you think film music has always dominated the music in India?
A) I don’t know, I think films are india’s pop music. You know they put it out because I guess the
indian film music, the film method it come from stage and early nautanki’s and naach gaana’s
all come from early stage performance. It all comes from the villages where the entertainment
was song and dance and that was adapted along with the Hollywood musical influence. It was
sort of like a conflation of the two forms. You know because Hollywood was putting out the
musicals, you know whether it was ginger rogers and fred Astaire or gene Kelly and people like
that and the big musicals influenced. Then there was the big band jazz music was also an
influenced in Bollywood music. So it was a lot of those things coming together. So music was so
much a part of indian films from the beginning that it became india’s pop music before record
companies arrived on the scene, it was always a form of music. So that was how it was
disseminated across the country. Then of course there were upstarts like us who were getting
away and saying ‘fine that’s your thing but frankly we are into rock n roll.’ Yes it’s not an indian
form of music, but hen rock and roll is not an british form of music either. Rock and roll was a
product of the blues which came from the fields, the cotton fields. So it started out there,
spread with the white influence, with country music merging, bringing the whole bluegrass
sound, the country sound, rock and roll, went across the ocean, went to the uk, why can’t a kid
in Bombay or anywhere else in india listen to an album and say ‘I want to make that kind of an
album too, because I dig this stuff and it’s got the kind of energy that I like and I want to
express myself’. So that’s how we did it, we grew up on that stuff, we loved it. Now there has
always been an audience for that in this country and the argument that I used to have with

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record companies in india at the time is, ‘you know you want to do this stuff and go out to the
rickshaw driver, it’s cool, but can make a lot of money even if you address this part of the
audience, because even though it’s a small percentage of the population that listens to that
kind of music, that population is so big that small percentage is a pretty large number. And we
were playing to an average crowd of 7 to 100000 people and we played in places like banglaore,
Calcutta and stuff. When a band is playing to 7 to 100000 people, you have a huge marketing
opportunity. and it’s only businessmen with blinkers and myopic vision that don’t see it. And
that is what the problem was. So Bollywood music will, as a result continue to be india’s pop
music, which is fine. This music will always be on the fringe, but you know what the fringe
creates, great stuff, and it’s good to be on the margins because you are forced to really push
the envelope with your own expression. You know it’s not about the commerce, it’s about what
you want to do with your sound.

Q) Who do you think is the audience for independent music in India? Where do think the
audience lies?
A) Well certainly the big cities to begin with, but you know kids from small towns go to colleges
across the country, so they are taking it back with them also. For example, the north east
doesn’t contain big cities but they’ve always been into music and they have always been into
rock music for a long long time. Some kid will go from karagpur to iit kharagpur or you know
whatever, you know from little towns will land up going to iit somewhere or iim somewhere or
go to kirdimal college in delhi or come to st xavier’s in Bombay and they get exposed to this
stuff and they take it back with them. So I mean ya, there are listener for rock music and non
Bollywood music, electronic music all across the country, in small towns too. And because of
the internet, the reach is so much greater. You don’t really have to be elsewhere to be able to
listen to this stuff. You don’t have to go, you can go to youtube and download your favourite
messugh video, it’s yours to have.

Q) Do you think the language a band performs in affects how successful they become?

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A) Well I don’t think it needs to be different, but it is. It is different because for one I’m not sure
hindi translates well into rock music, maybe it could, maybe it can. You know I think people are
less concerned with language these days than they used to be. So a kid could be listening to
Raghu dixit doing his thing in hindi, and could be listening to indus creed in English and could be
listening to avail doing their stuff in Malayalam. I mean I’m totally up with that, because when I
was living in the US, I landed up listening to a lot of what they call world music. So I was
listening to artists from brazil, mali and Nigeria, whatever it was, so many different things.
There’s a big rock band, big all across the world, called sigor ros from Iceland. People are
listening to all of this stuff and it doesn’t matter that you are singing in a different language, the
energy gets you. It helps if you can understand the lyrics and you can sing along, but it’s not the
be all and end all of what everyone listens to anymore. And I think kids in india today will listen
as much to one form of music as another as long as they like the music and if the language is
different it doesn’t matter as long as the music is reaching them.

Q) What do you think it takes for a band to stay together?

A) Commitment. It just takes absolute commitment. You’ve got to be sure of what you are
doing and be sure that the people you are making that music with are the guys you want to be
doing it with. And very important, egos will rub, clashes will happen, you’ve got to grown up
enough to let a fight end where it started, you’ve got to be committed enough to keep doing
what it is you started out doing. It may change in its form, you may started out as a metal band,
but now you have become an indie act an alternative band, it doesn’t matter, but you started
out being a musician and that’s important. And to be able to get along, check your ego a the
door at some point because if you want to keep doing what you are doing and not fade into
oblivion, you’ve got to keep doing it very solemnly, in a very focussed way. And it’s only the
people you are doing it with, if you are in a band that it is, if you can do it in a harmonious way
with them, it’s going to amount to something, otherwise it’ll break up into something that is
not fully formed.

Q) Do you know of any bands trying to do original music from the 60’s onwards?

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A) Yes, I used to have a 45, the days we used to have 45 rpms of, I forgot the name of the band,
anyways the song was called ‘gimme gimme good lovin’. Ya it was an original song by an indian
band. They were not the jets. There were a couple of bands, but there wasn’t that much from
when I was growing up, so. I didn’t have anything to look up to as far as indian bands were
concerned. There was a little bit happening, but not so much. There was a band called
millennium from Bangalore, The metal band. High from Calcutta. I think bands were doing
covers because they wanted to get gigs, so not too many bands were doing originals.

Q) What is music for you?

A) You know I’ve been asked this before and there are so many responses, music is my life,
music is my oxygen, music is my everything, but they all hold true. I mean music is what I do, I
have to do it, it’s just something that I need to do. I need to do it. I need to make music, it’s my
expression and I feel the need to express and I’m just really lucky I can do it this way. So ya, it’s
a beautiful release basically.

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10.4) Contact Details of Artists Interviewed

Name: Yeyati Zende – Hourglass Inversion

Phone Number: 0911043161

Name: Jay Singh – Pinknoise

Phone Number: 09830062174

Name: Anant Saxena – Dark Project

Phone Number: 09900093729

Name: Nikhil D’Souza

Phone Number: 09819069219

Name: Luis Chico – Something Relevant

Phone Number: 09820984112

Name: Gaurav Vaz – The Raghu Dixit Project

Phone Number: 09900516145

Name: Subir Malik – Parikrama

Phone Number: 09810058388

Name: Rudy Wallang – Soulmate

Phone Number: 9862069687

Name: Reinhardt Dias – Blakc

Phone Number: 09820528062

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Name: Dhaval Mudgal – Half Step Down
Phone Number: 09810105735

Name: Jishnu Dasgupta – Sawarathma

Phone Number: 09901888277

Name: Uday Benegal – Indus Creed

Phone Number: 09833791155

Name: Pavan Kumar – Swarathma

Phone Number: 09945551322

Name: Mohammad Muneem – Highway 61

Phone Number: 09975011973

Name: Ameeth Thomas – Junkyard Groove

Phone Number: 09840122728

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