Indigo Children, (formerly The Superfuzz) are today one of Delhi's best rock bands. They may not be easy to classify, but they are great to just listen to. With the inclusion of two talented musicians at the top of their game, guitarist Rahul Sainani of Joint Family and drummer Sahil Mendiratta of Inherited Curse, and the return of frontman Sanchal Malhar from Music School in New Zealand has completed a near superband lineup.
The music has transformed from its simplistic White Stripey garage blues to a complex, multi-layered sound with twin guitar melodies and killer drum fills. They effortlessly cover electronica bands like Sade, thanks to the great musical sense of the drummer, and their extempore jams on stage are insane. But the one thing they haven't lost or changed is the energy with which they play their music. I saw them live recently at the CRI Chandigarh zonals which they headlined, and they stole the show away from the contesting bands that played before them. The highlight of their setlist was "Sing for me", an intense song with an awesome chorus. The crowd, populated mostly by drunks, was spellbound.
Having bagged studio slots with Yashraj studios (one of four bands from the country to do so), they are in the process of releasing several songs on an album. Keep checking their myspace page to stay updated(http://www.myspace.com/indigochildrenmusic).
Here's to these future stars, and my favourite Delhi band. This is an interview I conducted over email with the band's bassist Nikhil Rufus, a few months back for Split Magazine (but eventually wasn't published).
1) You guys have been together for quite a while now. How did it all start?It all started when sanchal joined school. We are from St.Columba's. We started playing inter school competitions. When we finished school, we decided to keep on playing as a band.
2) When and why did you drop the 'bigmuff' out of your name? Because I remember the band as Superfuzz Bigmuff when you played at Rocktaves a couple of years back.
The 'bigmuff' was dropped because we thought it was very cheesy. Also we dint want to get sued by Mudhoney. It was dropped just before we played GIR.
3) How far do you think you're inspired by Nirvana and Jack White? Is constantly being compared to them a drag?We were heavily influenced by Nirvana and The White Stripes. Nirvana is one of mine and sanchal's favorite band. We are big fans of Dave Grohl's drumming. Obviously our songs had a vibe similar to theirs because as kids we were listening to them. Being compared to them was initially quite irritating, but we've moved on from such petty issues.
4) What genre do you think your music fits into?We as a band do not like to categorize our music. We simply like to call it Rock n' Roll.
5) You've been touring all over the country recently. How were you received at the various cities you've played at? And what's it like to play at college fests?We've been received quite well in all the cities that we have played in. I remember the gig in Someplace Else, Kolkata, we took 5 minutes to reach the stage from the entry of the pub because there were so many people in there. College fests are more exciting because there are more people who come to watch you.
6) Lastly, what did it feel like after the Launchpad victory, and the chance to play at HRC NY?It felt really good after the launchpad victory because we guys had practiced our asses off for it! It was a very satisfying feeling as we had worked really really hard. Our HRC New York gig is scheduled for March next (this) year.
Cheers and stay heavy
Siddharth
