Some people don’t choose music — it chooses them. They grow up surrounded by it, lean on it without even realising, and keep returning to it through every phase of life. For them, music isn’t a hobby or a career plan; it’s the place where they feel most honest. No matter how many times they step away, it always pulls them back. That pull has shaped Sahil Samuel’s journey from the very beginning. From singing in church choirs to writing songs alone, music slowly became the one constant that made sense.
“I wanted to become a cricketer; music was never the plan, but it just stayed with me. I dropped out of school to pursue it — hence the stage name Naalayak,” he says. Years later, that instinctive connection finds its fullest expression as he brings the Marammat Tour to the city.
When Sahil is writing or producing, he stops listening to other music for months at a time. “The subconscious mind picks up everything. You think an idea is original, and later you realise it sounds like something you were listening to, back then,” he explains. That’s why he avoids references in the studio entirely. Before recording, he plays songs live for months, letting them evolve from show to show. By the time they reach the studio, the songs are lived-in and emotionally honest.
That process lies at the heart of Marammat, an album whose name literally means repair. “This album is healing — for me and for everyone who connects to it,” Sahil says. The songs weren’t written in one phase of life but gathered over many years. When it finally came time to record them, everything in his life felt connected.
On stage, the tour mirrors that same spirit. The setlist moves fluidly between newer material and older songs, creating a natural flow rather than a curated performance. Sonically, the album refuses to stay in one box — rock, alternative textures, retro influences, and softer moments exist side by side. “There are eight songs and eight moods. Happy, sad, and everything in between. I don’t want to feel limited — I want to be as versatile as I can be,” Sahil adds.
The Marammat Tour is about staying true to the reason music mattered in the first place — songs that sit with you, remind you that you’re not alone, and quietly begin the work of repair.
Tickets at Rs 499.
December 19, 9 pm.
At Hard Rock Cafe Hitech City.
Email: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com
X: @indulgexpress
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