'The hardest part is to get your music across to people'

They call their genre “confused pop.” The Delhi-based band Faridkot, who has been playing for over seven years now, makes music which is a mixture of blues, guitars and love melodies blended with percussion and bass. The Hindi pop-rock band has performed at over 250 shows and the very recent Bacardi NH7 Weekender, held in the capital. Metrolife talked to Inderpreet Singh, the band’s vocalist who talks about about their music, inspirations and future projects. Excerpts:

How did you guys come together?

It was sometime in 2008. I was writing songs and looking to form a band. One fine day, I got a call from Raj (guitarist) as he was also looking to form a band. We decided to meet and jam up. Rest as they say, is history.

Tell us about the kind of music you make?

We don’t like the concept of sticking to one kind of music. As listeners, both Raj and I have had varied influences, from Nusrat Saab to Tool band, from RD Burman to The Beatles. But I guess the idea is to make music that connects with people, make them feel that we are a part of them and vice versa.

What is your musical philosophy?

Keep creating, keep exploring and keep learning. We believe that music comes out best when there is honesty attached to it. Be it our album song or a commercial jingle, we try to give it all that we have. Our fans have given us so much love that we feel obliged to put every drop of our blood and sweat in anything we do.

What serves as your inspiration?

Oh everywhere and everyone. The trees, the stars, children, grown-ups, living and the dead...One never knows how and when inspirations find you. But we try our best to acknowledge it when it does find us. Both Raj and I are believers of hope, but we know that we need to work hard so that we can keep getting inspired.

What was the one big break for you?

I would say the biggest break was being on Channel V Launchpad. At that time, it was hard to cut through and get seen. Being on the national television helped the band connect with so many people, and that’s why we are where we are today.

How was it playing at the Weekender?

We were really kicked about this. Festivals like Weekender give artistes like us the absolute freedom to play what we love.

How difficult it is to make a mark in the Indian music scene?

We think it’s still tough, but it’s better than before. We have YouTube and many festivals are happening; Bollywood is opening up to newer things. But I think one needs to understand that this is a profession and every profession has its risks. So artistes should know what they want to achieve from their music. That is what is important for musicians to know in order to thrive.

How about the struggles of an independent band?
It’s really tough. The hardest part is to get your music across to people, especially if you are a new band.  There is no such independent music scene at the national level, like there was in the 90’s. So it’s important to be at the right place at the right time. It’s actually like running with weights on. But you have to go through the process and do everything you can to survive.

Any mainstream project that you are working on?

I just moved to Mumbai a few months back for this. Talks are on with a lot of people there and hopefully, soon something for the mainstream will also work out.
 
How has Delhi treated you?

Delhi has been lovely and kind to us. We’ve lived here for a long time, we started making music here. A lot of musicians helped us in so many ways, guiding us and just growing together. And we love the combination of Delhi winters, chai and pakoda!

Any message to the newbies?

Be honest with your music, give all your heart and soul to it. But use the brain when you handle the business side of it. It’s a profession and one needs to be on top of the game. All our love and best wishes are with everyone who’s starting their journey.