The Non-Violinist Project, known for its unique fusion of pop, rock, and classical music, is bringing their tour to Hyderabad

Music as an art form transcends all boundaries and targets the heart of the people. Bringing that idea to life, The Non-Violinist Project is kicking off the first leg of their tour with their show in Hyderabad. The band calls their tour an ‘energy fest that will get people vibing’ as they blend modern sounds with rich Indian classical influences.

The show has a setlist that is curated with the aim of covering the full spectrum of energy, with original compositions like Asamaan and Neetho and mashups of Bollywood and English songs like Stay x Ranjhnaa, which went viral on YouTube. The band is also set to represent their roots and perform covers of famous Telugu songs along with some popular Tamil and Hindi music.

Starting their tour in Hyderabad, the band’s frontman talks about his special connection to the city, “Having studied in Hyderabad, it’s like a second home to me. I am looking forward to great energy as Hyderabad’s audience knows how to appreciate good music,” Shravan Sridhar shares excitedly.

Coming from a multilingual perspective, The Non-Violinist Project cites Ilaiyaraaja and AR Rahman as inspiration for Indian music, as well as Western influences from groups like Planetshakers and Dirtyloops. “The diversity of our music is also based on the fact that every member has a different musical background. For example, Amos Frank,the keyboardist’s, gospel influences along with Elvis Gabriel, the guitarist’s inclination towards pop music, and my layering of the violin gives our music its own identity,” elaborates Shravan.

The band’s name is a playful nod to the type of music they make. Originally starting as an instrumental band, the idea of the ensemble revolves around the violin. “The violin is like the vocals of our music, and we tried to come up with fun and quirky names that centre around that and landed on the name, The Non-Violinist Project,” says Shravan.

On being asked about the challenges of the multilingual nature of their music, the band explains how music transcends language and how they embrace that but on instances like scoring for films, they add regional elements like dholak for Bollywood or South Indian folk music for Telugu and Tamil songs, tailoring their sound to fit the context.

Tickets at Rs 499. September 13, 8 pm. At EXT Moonshine Project.

 — Anshula Dhulekar