Raman Negi talks success of his latest album and more ahead of his first 'Chaltey Purzay' tour show in Bengaluru
Singer-songwriter Raman Negi’s latest album Chaltey Purzay is finally going on stage with the Chaltey Purzay Tour, kicking off in Bengaluru! As his second solo album, Chaltey Purzay has established the rockstar as a force to be reckoned with! The former ‘The Local Train’ frontman earlier discussed with us how the album was an inward-looking musical chapter. The album, released last year, is a majestic blend of electrorock and introspective lyrics that has already captivated listeners with anthems like Kismet and Farzi Kirdaar. Fresh off his performance at Lollapalooza India 2025 and ahead of his show in the city, we chat with the rockstar about why Bengaluru is the perfect city to kick off this tour, the band that will accompany him, reflect on his solo journey and lots more...
You are bringing both Chaltey Purzay and Shakhsiyat (Raman’s first solo album) to Bengaluru for the first time! What makes this city and its audience special to you?
I am looking forward to playing both albums live in Bengaluru. It is one of the top cities in terms of listenership for my music and one of my favourite cities to play in because of the amount of love and support people from Bengaluru always bring.
Kismet and Farzi Kirdaar from Chaltey Purzay have been streamed the most! What do you think about the songs that have struck a chord with the audience?
I am really glad that people are loving Chaltey Purzay. I think Kismet and Farzi Kirdaar are streamed the most because they were released as singles and with strong visual identity and we put them out first because of their hooky, anthemy nature. I think both these songs have my best writing to date. I would go on record and say that the whole album is my best work to date and I love the fact that these two tracks are the entry point for the listeners to get into the album.
Have you had a chance to take a second and reflect on your journey as a solo artiste? How fulfilled do you feel as you get ready to kick-off the tour?
I have released two albums in two years. They both are lyrically and sonically different from each other. Shakhsiyat, on the one hand, is a raw, rough-around-the-edges and inward-looking rock record. Chaltey Purzay is a more pop/ electro rock slick record which is about how I see and interact with the world. Now that they are out, I look at them and feel proud that I was able to write and produce different-sounding records one after the other. I feel great!
Tell us about the band that’ll be accompanying you. Any fun improvisations we can look out for?
After Shakhsiyat I toured as a trio for 2 years with Gaurav Chintamani (bass) and Shantanu Sudarshan (drums) and I had a ball of a time playing the album. While writing Chaltey Purzay it was clear that I needed to cover a bigger soundscape as the songs demand it. So, now it’s a quartet with Gaurav and myself (guitars), Rahul Rai (bass) and Shantanu Sudarshan (drums). Tons of improvisations can be expected. Fun jams on the stage are guaranteed as that’s the most exciting part of doing the music that I do now. I have found amazing synergy with the band and they are always up for opening it up and trying various ways to play the same track. What a joy to play this live!
Are you working on any new music? What can we expect from you this year in terms of compositions?
To be honest with you, I am always writing new music. In fact, I wrote 5-6 new songs and made demos in January and I really like a couple of them but I am not going to delve into it as this tour is about Chaltey Purzay. I don’t want to bother my team with new music that is not recorded yet (laughs). I want to get my full band set sorted and play in as many cities. I want people to watch and see what I am trying to do. But, I can assure you that new music is always on the cards and people shall have it.
INR 499 onwards. On March 15, 8.30 pm onwards. At Bira 91 Taproom, Koramangala
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