Swarathma’s live show in Chennai promises music that moves and stories that stay

We are all the time working. From villages to cities, cities to cities, Chennai to Bombay, London to New York, and, if ambition allowed, all the best way to Mars. Yet in that stressed seek for elsewhere, we regularly overlook the roots that regular us. ‘Aiyanar Kudurai’, the primary Tamil track by Bengaluru-based folk-rock band Swarathma, holds up a mirror to that starvation for escape. 

Seven years in the making, it tells the story of a temple horse that leaves residence in pursuit of one thing better, solely to make its means again to the identical banyan tree, realising that belonging was by no means misplaced, solely forgotten. This weekend, the band is bringing the track to Chennai for the primary time, to the land that impressed it. 

“We love performing in Chennai because the audience there knows music, and it is creatively satisfying to play for an audience like that,” says Jishnu Dasgupta, the bass guitarist of the band. Swarathma will probably be performing in Chennai after a spot of two years. 

Bengaluru-based folk-rock band Swarathma
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Beyond the story the songs tells, Swarathma is thought for turning their reveals right into a dialogue with the viewers slightly than a one-way efficiency. “The reaction from the audience is never just passive. It’s an exchange of energy,” says Jishnu. “Our singer Vasu will go into the audience, and interact with you at a very close distance. We will blur the divide between the audience and the stage,” provides Sanjeev Nayak who performs the violin. 

Among their repertoire, songs like ‘Manwa’ and ‘Raah E Fakira’ stand out, each for his or her musicality and the live vitality they generate. “Manwa has a good vibe and a violin solo that I love playing,” says Sanjeev.

Every track in Swarathma’s set is chosen with care. “For Chennai, we wanted to bring out tracks that are reflective, soulful, and creatively challenging,” says Jishnu. “Songs that we don’t often get to perform, but that feel alive in this city.” The band treats their set listing like a map, weaving acquainted melodies with new journeys, permitting the viewers to maneuver with them by way of vitality and quiet introspection.

Swarathma in Bengaluru on the Mahindra Percussion Festival
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

This cautious consideration to which songs resonate live additionally displays the best way Swarathma’s sound has developed over time. “We are all curious music lovers,” says Sanjeev. “The music we listen to shapes the new ideas we bring to the band. Sometimes inspiration comes from a melody thought up while stuck in traffic, or a simple riff on the guitar. We jam on it, let it simmer, and return to it until it finds its form.” Over time, their combine of folks and rock has expanded to incorporate disco components and extra energetic, danceable tracks, crafted as a lot for the stage as for the recording studio. 

Certain moments on stage are virtually ritualistic for the performers. “The part I look forward to is usually towards the end of the set when we are playing ‘Naane Daari’,” says Jishnu referring to a Kannada track from their sophomore album Topiwalleh, which was co-produced by composer Loy Mendonsa. “By that time, the audience is nicely marinated and ready to take off. The energy can be transformative,”. At the Ziro Festival in Arunachal Pradesh, he recollects, “there were about 3,000 people jumping together at the same time. It was such a beautiful sight, to know that we had a role to play in that.” Even in Chennai, the place the viewers will probably be smaller, the band is assured that 300 folks can really feel like 3,000 when you could have the proper of vibe.

Swarathma will probably be acting at The Madras Taproom on October 11 at 8pm. Tickets on in.bookmyshow.com beginning ₹599.