OutStation and the return of the boy band

The Indi-pop group features talent from smaller cities such as Udupi and Prayagraj, writes Barkha Kumari

At the turn of the 21st century, Indian pop (Indi-pop, largely Hindi) was losing ground to rampant piracy and Bollywood music. To re-energise it, record labels borrowed from Western playbooks, and launched pop groups through talent hunts and reality shows. Within three years, acts such as A Band of Boys, the all-women group Viva, and the mixed-gender band Aasma burst onto the scene. They scored hits like ‘Gori’, ‘Meri neend’, ‘Hum naye geet sunaye’, and ‘Chandu ke chacha’, but faded within a few years.

The Indi-pop landscape appears to be circling back to that quest, with the debut of OutStation in 2025. The boy band comprises 17- to 22-year-olds selected through a nationwide talent hunt. They have released one single, ‘Tum se’, and boast over 1 lakh followers on Instagram.

The talent hunt aimed to uncover musical voices from the country’s largely untapped corners and was followed by an intensive bootcamp covering vocal training, dance, and fitness.

Bhuvan Shetty is from Udupi, Hemang Singh from Prayagraj, Shayan Pattem from Hyderabad, Mashaal Shaikh from Goa, and Kurien Sebastian from Delhi. 

In an email interview, the band said that, although born much later, they are aware of earlier Indi-pop groups and the charm of their songs. At the same time, they are focused on carving out their own niche. “Our core is to make melodies and sounds that feel Indian. We love the romanticism and dreaminess of these sounds,” they wrote. While they enjoy many genres, pop music is their shared passion.

OutStation is mentored by 17-time Grammy nominee Savan Kotecha, the Indian-American songwriter-producer behind hits for Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, One Direction, and Ed Sheeran. His key advice to the group has been to show their fans as much love as the fans show them. A recent concert in Guwahati drew over 3,000 fans, and left them overwhelmed.

‘Tum se’ is, in fact, dedicated to their fans. They call them ‘Passengers,’ recognising the role fans play in a band’s musical journey. Its video was shot live at a ‘prom night’ in Mumbai attended by fans.

Their live setlist features ‘Tum se’ along with selections from around 30 unreleased demos. “Some are fully acoustic, some anthemic, some dance, and some even metal!” they said.

Asked why India has yet to produce a boy or girl band with lasting global recall, they said, “Global impact isn’t our goal right now. India is so large and diverse. We hope to spread our music here first.” They are grateful the industry is backing young acts like themselves and girl pop group W.i.S.H, which launched in 2024. OutStation also opened for Akon’s Mumbai concert last November.