MUMBAI: Laxmi Bomb, a three-piece band that comprises of a blend of traditional and urbanscape music, is, widely, known for their electro-pop/rock. Over the past few years, talented Indian musicians have built this community and created a huge fan base for their work, not only in India but also globally. An indie band, Laxmi Bomb, recently, had played their one of a kind music at Vh1 Sound Nation.

In an exclusive interview with Radioandmusic, Laxmi Bomb vocalist Keegan Pereira speaks about the indie music scene in India, their music and more.

How will you define the music that you compose?

It’s straight off the streets of India. We like to term it as ‘local vocal’, or ‘ghaati’ or ‘ranti’ for want of a better word. But in typical musical labelling, it can be defined as ‘electro-pop/rock’. Electronic beats form the base layer, and depending on the composition, it is supplemented by a ‘hip-hop’ groove, techno-oriented subs or even a classical keyboard melody. But yes, it’s essentially, ‘very Indian with a tinge of the West included’.

Is it difficult to find like-minded artists/fans that connect with your work?

Our work does border on the edge most of the time. But that’s merely a reflection of how we are and our upbringing has been. The question is well put because we do find ourselves at the receiving end of purists, who think of our work as slander, inappropriate or even objectionable. From the name of the outfit to the lyrics to the artwork or even the music videos, there is a section that does find our content not very palatable. On the other hand, there are the unconventional, open-minded ‘freaks’ so to speak who are unabashed about life and aren’t afraid to dance. We generally connect a lot better with them.

How do you think India is growing in terms of accepting indie music?

Well, more than the thought there’s the fact that Indie music has seen a massive spurt over the last ten years or so, on a global scale. With the advent of the digital revolution, scores of people around the world have more means and access to music hitherto unknown and the need to discover new music/new artists beyond the “mainstream/commercial” ones has increased simultaneously. We remember, there was a time in India, when we were growing up, where Bollywood music had more than 80-85% of the market share. While this may still hold true from an offline sale/consumption perspective, the digital numbers speak a different story. We are witnessing a far greater acceptance of Indie music (regional/folk/English etc.) in India, especially Punjabi music, and a far greater demand for niche artists. Having said, there’s still a looming question over our heads on the ‘quality’ of indie music that is heralding this success.

Do you agree that times have changed for indie artists over the last few years?

Yes, times have changed. Some may term it as the ‘evolution’ of music or some may simply call it a ‘trend’. But yes, avenues and markets have opened. Today, with the kind of disposable income in the hands of the ‘millennial’, travelling abroad has become far easier than what it was in the past. Also, with the numbers of travellers around the world increasing, music festival organizers are more than willing to host a foreign band (or an exotic band) in their rosters. For that matter, even regular clubs and indie gig organizers love having a band from another country flashing on their line-up or the flyer.

For example, from journeys of Rang Bhavan days to artists playing internationally at festivals like Glastonbury and Tomorrowland, from rock and metal days to the present electronic scene etc. This is, thus the proof of the current capacity of the industry. 

What according to you are the Pros and Cons of being an Independent musician?

Pros: If you are a successful Indie musician, chances are you get to travel to many different places and showcase your work to a completely different audience, every time you perform. Apart from the live shows, the opportunities for working in the field of music are very diverse. So, you could be writing a song in a studio for yourself, or even composing a track for a very well-established brand and making a grand buck from that endeavor. Also, the sense of fulfillment and joy is far more intense than working a day-job (as most of us in the band are corporate slaves too). And the most important part is that we get to meet a bunch of crazy, cool, confident people, who love doing what they do and the involvement in each other’s work is very cathartic to say the least.

 Cons: When the above mentioned isn’t happening, well, then it isn’t happening at all.