Makka Band announces US Tour: A musical journey from studios to stage

Rahul: We have been touring for a while now, but usually it’s one city at a time, and we head back. We wanted to take it to the next level, and what better place than the US? There, we can do multiple cities back-to-back. It is also our first multi-city tour. As of now, we’re still locking in the cities, but we’re looking at about a one to one-and-a-half months-long tour.

Ranjith: Oh, it’s been a wild ride! Especially post-pandemic, live shows have exploded. The energy we get from performing in front of thousands, sometimes 50,000 people, is overwhelming. People are singing along to hits we’ve sung—like Ennamo Edho and Adada Mazha Da. It’s humbling. Earlier, we would sing a few of our songs and move on to Ilaiyaraaja sir or Rahman sir classics—but now they’re responding to our own hits. That’s a big shift. We’ve mostly been locked up in studios all our lives, but now’s the best time to step out and connect with people.

Rahul: We do concept-based medleys too. Like the Makka song, this is a nostalgic journey through time, connecting moments with songs. People have responded to it well.

Aalaap: Of late, we have been performing at shows like Chennai Sangamam, where people probably may not even know who we are. But they connect with the real energy of music. Even in places like under a flyover at Chennai Sangamam, people sang along with us. Film songs have an edge in recall, obviously. But we’ve also seen audiences respond really well to our originals, especially the Makka song. It’s designed to be a sing-along. We have released six-seven songs so far, and we are planning to perform more of our original compositions during the US tour.

Aalaap: Honestly, friendship. We’ve known each other and performed together for years. The formation of the band was very organic in 2018. We’re brutally honest with each other. That helps. No ego, just constant learning and fun. We all sing and play, and that adds to the camaraderie.

Rahul: It starts organically during jams; someone might say, “Wait, play that again!” That’s how it usually sparks.The Makka song started as an anthem for a badminton league. Then we added our own lyrics and vibe.

Ranjith: It was written by rapper Kolahalan, and it reflects our philosophy, Isaiyaal naam inaivom, which translates to “Let’s unite through music.” It’s a fun process.

Aalaap: Every stage has its challenges. Now it’s AI and short attention spans. But change is constant, right? The key is adaptation. As artistes, we’re open to learning and evolving. Social media is both a boon and a distraction. But live music—that remains untouched. People still wait for a four-hour Raaja sir show, and we hope that never changes.

Aalaap: Live performance, because you get instant feedback.

Rahul: And preparing for live shows is a full process. We jam, rehearse, and interact—it’s super collaborative. Live shows are our “exam,” and we bring our best.

Ranjith: We’ve done the Tamil and Telugu versions. Hindi is coming up this month. We’re also doing an MSV series. One will be electronic reinterpretations, the other more retro with live instruments.

Ranjith: Yes, definitely. We have a circle of musician friends, and we’re planning something before our US tour. People like veena exponent Rajhesh Vaidhya have been asking to jam.