1) Mindflew

Mindflew. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Alt rock band Mindlflew, formed in 2007, makes music that endures. The band released their debut EP, The Happy Sad EP, filled with snappy riffs and grunge-pop compositions, in 2012. Mindflew also just released a new single called “Sapne – The Dream.” From the sound of it, the track is a dig at alternate healing. The band’s frontman Ritwik De says, “It’s about people who buy crystals to live a good life. But the guy who’s selling them is miserable himself because he can’t sleep.” “Sapne ”“ The Dream” will be a part of their upcoming album, which is inspired by the “Nineties cable television movies and artists like Kings of Leon.”

Mindflew is: Ritwik De on the lead guitars and vocals, Jayant Parashar on the drums, Hemant Chona on the bass guitar and Aashish Mandhwani on the acoustic guitar.

Hear “Sapne-The Dream” here:

 2) Tarana Marwah

Tarana Marwah. Photo by Parthiv Goel.

Influenced by Brit electronica artists like dance music producer Bonobo, singer-songwriter Imogen Heap and UK-based electronica duo Zero 7, 21-year-old pianist Tarana Marwah’s music is filled with subtle beats, eclectic melodies and delicate synth work. In Janurary, Marwah released her first EP titled Komorebi, (which means ”˜sunlight seen shining through leaves’ in Japanese) an experimental/electronica project inspired by Japanese animation. Says Marwah, “I’ve been an avid follower of anime since I was a child – my brother and I used to secretly watch [the anime series] Inuyasha in the night. I was fascinated with the soundtracks in every show.” Today, in her final year of college, she plays the keyboard for various acts from Delhi like the Kamakshi Khanna Collective and Tankbund.

Hear her EP Komorebi here:

3) Aditi Veena

Aditi Veena. Photo by Ashish Gupta.

Beautiful spaces filled with beautiful music is Aditi Veena’s vision for her performances. Also an architect, the Delhi-based musician took to singing when she was 15. Says Veena, “My family’s not very musical. I started singing in school because I was inspired by these other girls who did and discovered what music did for me emotionally and mentally. I just got hooked.” Previously associated with the Delhi acoustic duo Ditty and Mark, Veena recently released her folksy EP titled Mumblings, which is inspired by “four men in her life.”

Hear her EP Mumblings here and watch her video for her track “Daddy’s Little Girl” here:

4) The Doppler Effect

The Doppler Effect. Photo by Dhruv Sethi.

The Delhi-based progressive rockers started the band in 2011 and have being going strong ever since. In 2014, the band released their EP The Doppler Effect, aimed at fans of funk music, at the Gig Week Festival in Delhi. The four-piece outfit draws inspiration from American hard-rock bands like Mr. Big and Extreme and Indian electro-fusion act, Avial and is known for tight and flawless performances on stage. Says bassist Akshay Johar, who also produces electronic dance-bass music as Mojojojo, “It all started when Suyash and I met Ashwin and Sherry for a jam. It was intended to be a casual session but we ended up writing ‘Believe,’ which eventually was the first single we released. We were on a hiatus as Sherry went to study music at SAM. Once he came back, we released our self-titled EP.”

The Doppler Effect is: Ashwin Nayar on the guitar, Akshay Johar ”“on the bass guitar, Sherry Mathews on the lead vocals and Suyash Gabriel on the drums.

You can hear their EP The Doppler Effect here: