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India's infrastructure for live performances has grown post Covid-19: Parvaaz
The Bengaluru-based band shares their excitement at performing at Lollapalooza in Mumbai and working on new music
“Excited” to play their first gig at Lollapalooza, rock band Parvaaz, comprising Khalid Ahamed (vocals and guitar), Bharath Kashyap (guitar), Sachin Banandur (drums) and Fidel Dsouza (bass guitar) agree that it is pretty major for them to be sharing the stage along with international names like One Republic, Halsey, Jonas Brothers and more. The two-day festival will take place in Mumbai and is presented by BookMyShow live.
The Bengaluru-based band was formed in 2010 and Ahamed shares that he is glad that India is becoming a pit-stop for several international artistes and music festivals. “India is a huge market for international musicians who want to come here and perform. Post the pandemic, we've had a lot of festivals happening all across India, and not just in Mumbai or Delhi,” he says, adding, “The infrastructure and technical support is also growing stage, and it has reached a point where it is possible for all these festivals to place in the country.”
The band, who last put out new music in 2019 with their album Kun, are currently in the process of recording their new album that they hope to release this year. In 2021, one of their founding members, Mir Kashif Iqbal, lead guitarist and lyricist, left the band and this will be their first album without him. Giving us a peek into their new work, Kashyap shares, “We are halfway through the album and we hope to put it out sometime this year. Our style has evolved since our previous album." The band that is known for mixing rock music with Kashmiri folk will stay true to their roots, but are experimenting with different kinds of sound for their new music.
Parvaaz have previously given songs for Bollywood films such as Soz - A Ballad Of Maladies (2016) and Vodka Diaries (2017), and are open to more such filmy collaborations. “Our music has been featured in a few films in Bollywood and if in the future, they want us to compose anything for a project, we are absolutely open to it. But with our kind of music, it should have a particular kind of subject as well, only then it will make sense.”
Ask them about their thoughts on the rock scene in India and Banandur says, “Nowadays, we are seeing a lot more electronic acts [in festivals & gigs]. But it’s still a good space to be in as you have a lot of bands coming up as well”, while Kashyap adds, “I think there is going to be a lot of challenges when you're starting out in the music industry, especially now with music being so easily accessible. I think, if you keep your head down and stick to what you know, there is a lot of scope for rock music in India. And we’ve been seeing that as well with many rock-specific music festivals taking place.”
