This indie-fusion band is redefining music with talent and tradition
In a world where music genres often blend, the indie-fusion band, Thisram, has naturally combined their unique talents to create a music that’s both fresh and innovative. The band comprises vocalists Shreemathi Jagannathan, Sivaranjini Chandramouli, and Bhargavi Manogna, beatboxer Akshara Satheendran, keyboardist Srivatsan Ganesh, and percussionist Aditya Kamakshinadha. Thisram speaks to Indulge on their musical journey ahead of their show Yatra in Chennai.
Can you describe your musical journey as a band?
Srivatsan: We started out as a few like-minded musicians looking to express our music and jam with each other. Once we understood the potential each of us holds, we wanted to scale up the content we produced and, most importantly, its quality. Starting from participating in open mics to winning competitions like Chennai’s Got Talent, our ultimate goal has always been to ensure that our music reaches the masses and makes them enjoy every bit of it.
Tell us about your upcoming show Yatra
Aditya: Yatra means journey or voyage. So each and every composition that we will be performing is going to help you traverse through a sea of emotions — that is the theme of the concert. We are planning to include a lot of different songs that will evoke a very special feeling even though we are specialising in contemporary fusion.
What challenges have you faced as an independent band?
Bhargavi: Independent music is still in the nascent stage in India. The craze for film music has shadowed the growth and popularity of independent music for a really long time. Though today’s younger generation has slowly started to shift its interest towards independent music as well, the challenge still exists. As an industry, independent music is yet to make its mark and that’s one of the biggest challenges as an indie music band.
Shreemathi: As indie artistes, we often don’t get the same limelight as mainstream acts. We believe indie music deserves more recognition, and it would be great if more people supported it, which will make it easier for artistes like us to showcase our talents and share our music with a wider audience.
What is your favourite part about performing live?
Sivaranjini: We love connecting with the crowd, feeding off their energy, and creating a shared experience that’s unforgettable. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of performing our music live and seeing the impact it has on people.