Come June and Femme Music — the only India-based independent label dedicated entirely to female artistes — is all set to launch a new event series titled Femme Power. This curated live platform celebrating women in music across genres will showcase emerging and established female artistes. Its first edition will feature label co-founder, producer and engineer Sanoli Chowdhury, Mumbai-based multi-disciplinary artiste Ro Maiti and Chennai-bred singer-songwriter and vocalist Sahana Naresh.
Whatmakes this live set for Femme Power special for you?
This is going to be very different from anything I have done before, for multiple reasons. I am performing for the first time with a band. It will be a trio set and I will be performing music people have not heard before. I have a new EP releasing later this year, I have not released an EP in like five years. This new EP it’s going to be nothing like my work in the past, but it is the kind of music I want to continue making. I will be playing all the new songs from my EP, so, one can expect a sneak peek into what my EP sounds like. Additionally, this is very personal to me not just because I am the co-founder, but because this is a very powerful move for the indie scene and the rather male-dominated music industry in general. We have always said, Femme Music is not just a label it’s a movement. Our goal is very clear, we want to set a platform for female artists because we are all talented. It’s always epic to see more and more women in the music space.
Tell us a bit about your set list?
The live set feels like Indian classical music accidentally fell into a synth lab and decided to stay there. There are moments that feel intimate and meditative with alaaps and raag-inspired melodies and then suddenly everything opens up into big electronic drums, lush synths, live violin solos and indie-pop choruses. A lot of my music is also rooted in storytelling, so the set moves emotionally too. People can expect a mix of multilingual indie-pop, Indian classical influences, electronic textures and live improvisation. There’ll be songs like Chasin’ Light, Raat Kate, some raaga-inspired material and a few newer tracks from my upcoming EP that blends hindustani influences with electronic and drum ’n’ bass production. As an artist, it’s honestly inspiring to see more women not just perfor ming, but producing, curating festivals, building communities, managing tours and shaping the ecosystem itself. That shift matters.
What can music enthusiasts expect from your performance?
I’m hoping to move people through a soft jazzy entry, a groovy soul and rhythmic come- up and climax through the loudest pieces on the set. I definitely love screaming by the end of my set, so I’ve arranged the songs to allow me to do so. There are 10 originals and a cover I usually like including as an homage to artistes I admire. There are tracks that will be on the album lined up for next year and as always some never-before-perfor med pieces. We bring a raw and real sound! Both my drummer and I are advocates of the Suzuki method and we’re comfortable making mistakes, improvising and swinging back to where we started.We’ve also got some visuals created for the songs, which will be live VJ’ed during the performance; sharing snippets of lyrics and visual symbols of the different songs.
₹499 onwards. June 7, 9 pm. At The Humming Tree, Indiranagar.
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