Arcade Jam

With music festival season around the corner, acquaint yourself with these new sounds from the rising stars of India’s indie music circuit – some born for the stage, and others already on a hot streak of owning it.

- Anurag Tagat

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

IF YOU LIKE: PERIPHERY

This popular Bengaluru fusion prog band have scaled up to a mighty eight-member collective now, channelling bet-you-can’t play-this levels of rock and metal with raagas and bass drops on their debut EP Uplift. Theirs will be a different kind of party, where the prog kids count time signatures and start moshing at the same time.

CHRMS 

IF YOU LIKE: FLUME

Is Mumbai-based producer and DJ Veer Kowli going to be one of the youngest electronic artists to hit the festival circuit? We sure hope so. Born in 2001 – yes, around the time you were discovering Linkin Park – Kowli produces dreamy, chill beats as Chrms. This is evident on his collab with Zoya Mohan, “Heart Rates”, and the slow-burn, brooding “Liquid Love”. We reckon this would make for the perfect sundowner.

DHRUV VISVANATH

IF YOU LIKE: BEN HOWARD