MUMBAI: Pop band Faridkot, consisting of members IP Singh and Rajarshi Sanyal, recently sat down for an exclusive interview to discuss their latest EP, 'Ibtida', and their future projects.Regarding the genesis of their EP, IP Singh and Rajarshi Sanyal shared an intriguing backstory.

"Well, the story behind Ibtida is very interesting," they began. "We were supposed to make just one song, 'Main Na Jaanu Kyun'. We had shot a video as well, but Rajarshi, along with Sonal from T-Series, who's always helped us so much, thought that we should make an EP instead. It made sense because when you have a bunch of songs together, it actually creates a mood and also reflects on what you're feeling and what you're thinking of sonically, as artists. And it helped us express ourselves in more than one way—five ways, we would say, because there are five songs. And that's how Ibtida came to be."Their collaboration with renowned artists Jubin Nautiyal and Raghav Chaitanya was another highlight of their recent work.

"The collaboration with Jubin was amazing," they shared. "And not just Jubin; we collaborated with Raghav Chaitanya on another song called 'Chhad Ke Na Jaa'. Both of them are such talented artists, so different. Jubin is this calm person who has this personality and steadiness about himself, which he brought to the song, and of course his voice is amazing and his soul is amazing. Raghav is this happy, expressive ball of energy, and that is the cute madness that he brought to our song 'Chhad Ke Na Jaa'. Overall, our experience working with them has been great."

When asked about the inspiration behind their unique blend of pop and rock and how it sets them apart from other bands, IP Singh and Rajarshi Sanyal emphasized their refusal to be confined to a single genre. "We don't want to be set apart actually, that has never been the aim," they explained.

"We aren’t just a blend of Pop and rock, It's a blend of pop, rock, ghazals, folk, and blues. So we don't like to tie ourselves down to a single genre. That's why we call ourselves 'Confused Pop'. We both come from vastly different listening habits as we were growing up and when we sit down and make music, all those influences eventually get incorporated. And I guess that's what sets us apart, even though we are not consciously looking to set ourselves apart."

Looking ahead, IP Singh and Rajarshi Sanyal shared insights into their future projects. "In the future, there are a couple of film projects in the pipeline, some OTT work is happening, and we are definitely trying for a couple of more albums, hopefully this year, at least one or two if things go well," they revealed.

"That's all we can say right now, but definitely some exciting stuff is on the way. We are constantly working and we want to connect with our fans and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all the love that they've shown Ibtida. It's absolutely heartwarming."

With their eclectic blend of musical influences and a promising lineup of future projects, Faridkot continues to captivate audiences with their innovative sound and creative vision.