Members of the band Delhi Indie Project say they are a concoction of everything, like a thali with all the flavours of Indian music

Vinya Singh

On a breezy March afternoon at the Hyatt poolside, just hours before their latest gig, the band Delhi Indie Project, known for their experimental Indie rock songs like Main Teri Yaad (reprise) and Guzarish, began a conversation about their journey, influences and what lies ahead.

The members comprise Ashish Chauhan, vocals and guitar, Srijita Konar, vocals, Nysha, vocals, Ayush Gupta, keyboard, Siddhant Boruah, drums, Dev Taneja, electric guitar, Divesh Karki, bass and Suhail Ali Khan, violin. With roots in namesake Delhi and launched in 2015, the band has performed over 1,000 gigs in India and abroad. While discussing their musical influences, the band members also share their inspirations. “I have a background in classical Indian, semi-classical; others in our band play metal, a few of us are big fans of Bollywood—it’s a concoction of everything, like a thali with all flavours of Indian music,” says Konar.

The conversation moves ahead to the band’s unique name to which Gupta replies, “We are all from Delhi, born and brought up in the city, so it makes sense to name it after Delhi, and Indie project because we want to explore independent music.” To which Chauhan adds,” We like to experiment. The songs are about different topics, travel, life’s journey, about life in Delhi; Yeh Dilli Hai Meri is one such song from our discography.”

Growing connect

When talking about the local music scene in India, the members say, “When we go to different cities to perform, we try to cater to the audience there. We play covers of local songs and music inspired by the city. It helps people connect more with us.” About their journey and their landmark performances, they share, “It’s definitely the opening for Bryan Adams back in December, 2024, in Delhi. It’s one that we will always remember.”

The band is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and their evolution through years of experience is apparent in their performances. “Being a musician, you have to be constantly developing with music and technology. In the past decade, the industry has shifted from rock to pop to eventually electronic. It naturally influences our music taste and style,” says Gupta, to which Chauhan adds, “History shows us that the bands that keep up with the emerging trends are the only ones that grow. So we are keen to learn and evolve.”

Heart’s wish

About one collaboration that that they wish for, Konar says, “We recently lost Zakir ji (Zakir Hussain) with whom we would love to share space and breathe the same air.” Gupta and Chauhan add, “Modern, progressive musicians like Steven Wilson are quite elite and we would love to work with him.”

Ashish Chauhan, the vocalist and guitarist of the band, recalls a fond anecdote of the tricity and chuckles, “I played at Punjab Engineering College years ago. All the other members of the band were senior to me and in college, while I was in school. I was their drummer; they made a fake college ID for me and we ended up winning the competition! We won a sum of one lakh rupees and I got 20,000. Back in 2006 it was a huge amount of money.”

The band is currently crafting a brand new album, featuring original songs and fresh recordings. Leading the way is their highly anticipated feature track, Laksh, which is set to drop soon.