Subconsciously, a healthy blend of surrealism, fantasy and trance lies at the futuristic core of Nischay Parekh and Jivraj Singh’s music. Is it dream pop? Is it alt-rock or neo-psychedelia? Together known as indie music duo, Parekh & Singh, their impending performance in Hyderabad as a part of their City. Country. Coast (CCC) India Tour will feature their band of multi-instrumentalists, Subhagata Singha and Sagnik Sammadar.
What’s intriguing, however, is the absence of a predetermined wellspring of inspiration behind their art. In conversation with Nischay, one half of the ingenious team, we gain insight into their ordinary lives, filled with the simple pleasures of engaging with nature, immersing themselves in literature, and nurturing connections with their fans, friends, and families.
Within these interactions, they find fertile ground for artistic exchange, often bonding over the profound impact of visual arts, cinema, and music. “We look at, listen to and read a lot of work. We are constantly swimming in the sea of different kinds of creativity. Everyone who is doing good work is in some way inspiring for us,” Jivraj tells us. Remarkably, despite their profound artistic pursuits, Parekh & Singh maintain a structured existence outside of music.
Their roles as musicians coexist harmoniously with their everyday routines. Yet, when the spotlight dims and the stage beckons, Nischay, who sings while playing the guitar and keyboards, and Jivraj, wielding drums, percussion, and electronics, effortlessly transition into the musical mages that beguile everyone around. “We’ve been playing music for over a number of years for different people, at different venues. There is certainly a sense of being lost and carried away by it, portraying emotions of wonder, adventure and safety. Our songs come naturally to us. We would like to define our music as a state of escapism or a trance,” Nischay tells us.
To further enrich this narrative, it’s imperative to consider the voices of Parekh & Singh themselves, the architects of this mesmerising universe. The name, Parekh & Singh may sound more like that of a distinguished partnership than one of what some would call a dream pop duo, yet it remarkably encapsulates the essence of this artistic pair. On stage and in their music videos, they don brightly coloured tailored suits, reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s exceptional aesthetic. “We didn’t make a deliberate attempt to box ourselves into a particular genre as musicians who also write their music. It happens to be a category that has formed over the years around our music. There was never a purposeful attempt at being in a genre,” says Nischay. In songs like Crystalline, Surgeon and the recently-released CCC, the duo is humanising our uncanny and unexpected lives.
For Nischay — surrealism — as he calls their music — is fun to absorb, while Jivraj adds, “We need to stop thinking in terms of genre and start thinking more in terms of the plurality of music and how an artiste’s different styles and forms blend into each other. That’s what we go for.”
`499 upwards. September 24. 8 pm. At EXT, Jubilee Hills. — chokita @newindia nexpress.com @PaulChokita