Inside 'NU Delhi': Folk-metal Bloodywood's journey to international metal stardom
In the vast ocean of talent that is India, no genre under the sun goes overlooked. Indian metal has been catching on! And at the forefront of this, during the last few months, has been the folk-metal outfit Bloodywood.
The name sounds familiar? That’s because their single NU Delhi from their latest album of the same name recently became a viral sensation. Metal enthusiasts from across the globe took to the internet to share their reactions to the music video, even breaking it down frame by frame to decode cultural and scenic references. The band has now completely released the eight-song album and is looking forward to an incredible tour internationally! Joining us is Bloodywood member and singer-rapper Raoul Kerr, giving us an insight into the album, reflecting on the band’s rise and more!
The Primal Scream Goes Global: NU Delhi's Folk Metal Resonance
Beyond the sonic influences, how has the spirit and energy of Delhi shaped your perspectives and storytelling in NU Delhi?
Delhi has a bad reputation and that’s justified, but the good sides of Delhi shine bright as a result and we had the privilege of being raised by that side while still having to be tough enough to face the other side. The music is a reflection of this.
Could you elaborate on how you set out to achieve both aggression and healing through your sound and lyrics
Most of the time, we want to deliver a message with positivity and aggression, both because we are hopeful about what the world can become but also because we want to motivate ourselves and others to fulfil this potential. It’s a combination of a positive goal and aggressive pursuit.
Many metal enthusiasts across the world reacted to your NU Delhi track and music video. Did you observe anything interesting about the reception of the track or album that came internationally and did that intrigue you about global Indian music consumption?
People’s reaction to Tadka was the most wholesome because the internet has been butchering Indian street food for its level of hygiene and shaming India by extension. So, the fact that people loved and related to the song so much and shared that in the comments with almost no hatred was great to see.
You’ve successfully carved a niche in the international metal scene. What do you think resonates so strongly with a global audience?
There’s something primal about folk music in general, it connects with people on a deeper level. If that sound is combined in the right way with metal, the combination is explosive. It’s like they know it without having heard it before.
The collaboration with Babymetal on Bekhauf is so fascinating. How did this come about and what did you learn from blending your sound with kawaii metal?
It was an honour and a result of manifestation, we felt there might be a chance because the producer of Babymetal had attended our show and we’d become friends but the request for a collaboration came out of the blue — shortly after we had made an instrumental that we felt was perfect for a collaboration with them. The track is infused with that magic. We learned that we made a great team with them, they helped bring our vision of the song to life and when it was time to work on a song for their album, we did the same. There’s synergy and mutual respect there.
In terms of producing original Indian music in metal, what do you think are some challenges that musicians face and how are they overcoming them?
Raw determination and pure inspiration.
Who are some of your favourite artistes in the current scene?
Two rock bands, Bring Me The Horizon (UK) and I Prevail (US).
What else can we expect from you this year?
We’re going to be on support tours for the first time. We’ll be supporting Babymetal and Halestorm in the US and EU/UK, respectively. So, we’ll be playing to much bigger audiences who don’t really know us, at the arena level, so we’ll be on a mission to win them over and support the main act by warming them up.
