Authenticity is at the heart of indie band The F16s’ success

Chennai's The F16s bring alt-rock and synth-pop to Mumbai on Jan 17, showcasing new songs and celebrating a decade of impactful music.

Chennai-based alternative rock band The F16s — consisting of vocalist Joshua Fernandez, keyboardist Harshan Radhakrishnan, guitarist Abhinav Krishnaswamy and bassist Sashank Manohar — are bringing their signature blend of alt-rock and synth-pop to Mumbai’s G5A Warehouse in Mahalaxmi on Friday, January 17.

Authenticity is at the heart of indie band The F16s’ success

The show will feature new songs from their upcoming album, alongside old favourites that have made them a mainstay of the Indian independent music scene. The band has been around for over a decade, having released its debut album, Kaleidoscope, in 2013 and earning much critical acclaim. Its latest release was in 2021, when its EP Is It Time to Eat the Rich Yet? received widespread praise and was especially lauded for its multitudes—upbeat pop tunes and lyrics that gently spell a growing devastation.

In their albums, the F16s have written about everything, from love to social inequality and rage. While they don’t comment on specific events or take a targeted approach toward making a point, they are, as artists, responding to the world and all that’s happening around them. Fernandez’s writing isn’t overtly opinionated but has a deeply empathetic quality. He collects the feelings of all the band members and translates them into words that are as heavy as they are light, as pressing as they are entertaining.

“Music isn’t about how many scales you know,” explains Radhakrishnan. “The theory definitely does help. But when you’re making music as a band, it’s that chemistry, knowing what each person brings to the band and letting them do their thing. That trust is there.”

The F16s’ music has evolved steadily over the past decade, each new release refining their sound and visual identity. “In the early days, I don’t think a lot of people were cool with the idea of an English-language independent act. It took the public some time to get used to the fact,” says Krishnaswamy.

The band, however, was singularly focused on putting out music and doing gigs. Over time, more people started listening to their music and coming to their shows. As indie music has garnered more attention, The F16s have also received more—much deserved—recognition, guided as they are, primarily, by the goal of creating quality music.

The band’s primary motivator has been being authentic, making music they like and can resonate with, without thinking about what people would like to consume. They are aware, but unbothered, by the fact that with every new direction they take, some listeners will appreciate them more while others will be disgruntled. “You can’t make music just for the audience. You have to be true to yourself and hope the audience understands the honesty in that effort,” says Radhakrishnan.

While their space of music-making is unadulterated by outside opinion, the band members do ensure they’re connecting strongly with audiences during their live shows. Wearing clothes that complement each other, thinking about lighting in accordance with their clothes, and making the show as immersive as possible, they put on the best show they can. “It’s an audio-visual experience. We think about how we can make the music sound amazing for everybody,” says Radhakrishnan.

The F16s’ music has evolved in more ways than one over time. Beyond just themes, lyrics and sounds, there’s also the quality of the music being released. For instance, during their early days, the band had to work with limited means, recording demos on a microphone hung on the fan because they didn’t have a stand and experimenting until they reached where they wanted to with the music.

However, for their upcoming record, the band went to a house in the hills with all their gear for a month. Each day, from 9 am to 9 pm, they plugged in their instruments and jammed together, trying new things and slowly fleshing out the album. “We’ve all grown a strong affinity to our craft and really honed in on that. Even in terms of vocals, production, engineering, writing, all of it has deepened,” says Fernandez.

Earlier, the band had to rely on others to mix and produce their music. Now, software and plugins have allowed them much more autonomy over the process. “It’s very hard to explain to somebody else exactly what’s in your head. But if you can get there yourself, you can get closer to that 100%,” says Radhakrishnan. (Their perfectionism tendencies mean they never really finish a song, always striving for more, never reaching the coveted 100%.) The musicians were all part of different bands in college, playing the circuit, until they came together as The F16s, and their longstanding friendship makes the music flow easily now. “We understand each other and our tendencies. It’s very natural,” says Fernandez. “We’ve tried to be as authentic and in sync as possible,” he adds.

Much like anyone in the independent scene, The F16s’ journey hasn’t been without challenges. Like with any group of creatives coming together, there are innumerable personal conflicts to work through, but these they tide through as a group. There are, however, larger concerns that come with being part of the music industry. For instance, when streaming platforms were blowing up, they did gain much favour and appreciation from a wider audience than they were normally used to.

However, Krishnaswamy calls it a “double-edged sword” since the returns for artists are pitiable while the platforms continue to turn massive profits. Another threat comes from the breakneck speed at which music tastes are changing, influenced largely by social media platforms and labels wanting artists to gain virality there. “TikTok is going to get banned in the US. So that’s going to change the entire landscape of music again, or of virality,” says Fernandez.

It’s worth looking out for their new album and gauging how that fits in with the ever-changing music landscape. In this volatile space, an artist can do everything right and still not be recognised or appreciated. And that’s something they’re very aware of. “That’s the beauty of being a musician in India right now. There’s an unlimited opportunity for success and an unlimited opportunity for failure, too,” says Fernandez.