Credit: Special Arrangement
The Chordinary is a rising name in Bengaluru’s music scene. What began as a spontaneous jam session among friends in August 2023 has evolved into a vocal band known for its innovative musical approach.
They are a vocal band but they don’t limit themselves to a cappella. They arrange and produce tracks for the cover songs featured in their videos and live performances, and have now ventured into original music.
The four-member group comprises individuals from diverse professional and musical backgrounds. Sai Keshav, a full-time musician who handles sound production, has a foundation in Karnatik music. Kirann Sharma is a music teacher trained in Hindustani classical music. Prerna and Avinash Vasudev are self-taught singers who work in the fields of banking and electronics engineering, respectively.
In terms of musical arrangement, the band draws inspiration from iconic composers like A R Rahman and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Vocally, they are influenced by artistes such as Sonu Nigam, KK, and Shaan, shares Vasudev. They have done 19 covers in Hindi, Kannada, and Tamil, spanning a spectrum of notes, melodies, and compositions.
Just a month after forming, the band released a cover of the early-2000s hit ‘Saathiya’. It was a straightforward a cappella cover, with “four friends sitting in a car, not just singing the melody but richly harmonising while also singing their independent parts”, shares Keshav.
Their subsequent rendition of ‘Breathless’, originally sung by Shankar Mahadevan, became a pivotal moment in their journey. The video garnered around 14 million views on Instagram. Reflecting on its backstory, Keshav said that instead of chasing trends, they sought a song that felt unique and was not attempted by many. “There were very few covers of ‘Breathless’, so we decided to reimagine it with vocal harmonies at 1.5 times the speed. Three of us harmonised while staying in sync with the lead vocal, and we switched our vocal roles throughout the cover. It was an experiment, but we believed it would be magical if we pulled it off,” explains Keshav.
The band is now focused on live shows and collaborations. They have worked with celebrated singers like Kunal Ganjawala, Shashaa Tirupati, and Anwesshaa Dattagupta. Teaming up with Ganjawala to cover his hit ‘O Humdum’ was a major learning experience. “You will notice a significant shift in how we have been arranging and delivering songs post this cover,” says Keshav.
Their upcoming single, ‘Yaarana’, is a Hindi original inspired by late ’90s and early-2000s music. It serves as an ode to friendship. “Our song is inspired by the songs of KK’s time, in the way it is composed, structured, and sung. It draws from older arrangement styles, starting with simple guitar backing and gradually introducing modern electronic and techno elements,” Vasudev explains.