Violinist Karthick Iyer is known for the marriage between Carnatic and Western genres while keeping the essence of each intact. The musician constantly strove to create a unique style of music when he came up with ‘IndoSoul by Karthick Iyer’, a meeting of minds from different schools of musical thought.
Alongside Karthick, the members of the band bring in varied influences from pop, progressive rock, metal, jazz and Indian classical percussive styles. Ahead of their performance at BFlat this weekend, Karthick talks to Anushree Agarwal about the band’s journey, what keeps him motivated and more.
Tell us about the journey of ‘IndoSoul by Karthick Iyer’.
It has been four years since IndoSoul’s musicians came together to form this band and create this musical genre. The relationship between the musicians, both musically and personally, has evolved over the years.
You have two albums to your credit till date...
Our first album, ‘Looking Within To Look Beyond’, established us in the independent music scene and we haven’t looked back since. We recently released our second album, ‘The Pallavi Shift’, collaborating with the French musician Dondieu Divin.
Your tryst with the electric violin...
I started with a custom-made violin from Chennai, then bought a couple of American ones and have now come back to an Indian custom-made one. This is my fourth electric violin, it sounds fantastic and I’m loving it!
One of your most memorable concerts.
The last concert of our US Tour in 2016 at Rockwood Music Hall, New York, was the most memorable one. The audience were so up-close and personal.
A time you messed up on stage?
Too many times to remember. But mostly, it’s always the musicians who know what’s going on. Stumble, smile and get on!
A dream venue you’d like to perform at.
The Sydney Opera Theatre, Madison Square Garden and Taj Mahal, to name a few.
What’s next?
‘Two Sides of Karma’ will be our third album. We’re working on composing our songs now and we’re also going to weave a story out of all the songs from this album.
What keeps you motivated?
Wanting to create something unique and special for our listeners.
When you’re not busy making music...
I spend time with my family and friends, and also watch series like ‘Shark Tank’ and ‘House of Cards’.
An advice for aspiring musicians.
Lean times provide a great opportunity for improving your art. All you need is one break to get the ball rolling and then, there is hardly any time to practise and improve. So when you don’t have work, utilise your time well.