Bengaluru Prog Act Param Release Journeying Debut Song ‘Moonrain’

At Mysuru-origin, Bengaluru-based prog act Param’s shows, abstraction is very much at the center of things – soul-searching lyrics are helmed by vocalist Vijay Hegde, who is classically trained in Hindustani music. The band – completed by drummer Mayur G.S., guitarist Shreyas Urs and bassist Sanketh Kumar – live up to the progressive rock ethos of delving in grooves, solos and clever rhythms.

The band, who came together in 2013, delve in the abstract realm of thoughts with their debut single “Moonrain,” which was released on March 19th. Hegde says there have never been any boundaries or end points in their songwriting. “We were jamming with the raag Bhoop. It talks about how life is so abstract, you don’t know what happens next. What if it rains on the moon? It’s that abstract as a theme,” the vocalist adds.

Mayur chimes in to mention that what they set out to achieve in their songs is a “feel-good” factor for themselves. “As long as it feels good, the duration of the song doesn’t matter much. We don’t keep any preconceived notions about length or anything,” he says. “Moonrain” delights at every turn across its five-minute runtime, so the band’s energy is certainly seeping through the speakers. As it turns out, it was also their quickest song written, completed within three days. “That happened in the flow of things, so we weren’t targeting it to finish in a day or anything,” Mayur adds.

They did end up taking three months to land the final mix of the song, a process they undertook amongst themselves after recording at Stained Class Productions LLP in Bengaluru. Back in 2020 and pre-pandemic, Param members also recorded more songs that will be part of their upcoming seven-track debut album in Kannada and English. “Moonrain” was the last song composed but completed the soonest. It’s something Hegde attributes to the experience gained and learnings along the way of recording previous material.  

The band says to expect lengthier songs but that too is simply an outcome of Param being a band that have honed their skills performing and jamming. “There shouldn’t be a big difference between what you hear when you see us live and the studio sound. The foundation of our sound has the energy and warmth of our live performances,” Mayur says.

More singles are in the works until the album is released in full later this year. Meanwhile, Param will also launch “Moonrain” on April 10th in Bengaluru, alongside prog rockers Rainburn.

Listen to “Moonrain” below. Stream on more platforms here. Param and Rainburn perform at Fandom at Gilly’s Redefined, Bengaluru on April 10th. Get tickets here.