Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator Plot Three-City Tour This Month

(from left) Ashwin Andrew, Donn Bhat, Sarosh Nanavaty, Suhail Yusuf Khan and Sankarshan Kini. Photo: Courtesy of Donn Bhat

Most often, independent artists compose music for advertisements just for the money, but Mumbai-based guitarist Donn Bhat says creating ad jingles has a huge influence on his work with electro rock band Passenger Revelator. Says Bhat, who was previously a part of rock bands such as Friday The 13th and Orange Street, “It makes you get out of your comfort zone. You learn the psychology of music ”” one man’s happy is another’s melancholy.”

Bhat also adds that composing music on his own has made him “not have to rely on a band.” Even though Bhat composed most of his material ”“ his 2012 album One Way Circle and 2013’s Passenger Revelator ”“ “sitting in a room, shutting myself up for a year,” he wants to play as many gigs as possible with a live band. Says Bhat, “As a producer, you get used to jumping tracks easily but now I want to keep the band playing, not have the laptop driving it.” For their upcoming gigs in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune this month, Passenger Revelator’s lineup includes Bhat on guitars and samples, bassist, vocalist and trumpet-player Sankarshan Kini and drummer Ashwin Andrew [who were the first live members of the band in November 2012], along with vocalist Sarosh Nanavaty [from electro rock band Vega Massive], who joined the band for their Sri Lanka tour in March.

Passenger Revelator’s new material, including songs such as “Disco Disco” and “Sarangi Punk” are meant to be played live, according to Bhat. Other songs part of Passenger Revelator’s live set list for their shows this month include the smooth, wistful “Stars Align,” the pumped up, Hollywood-referencing “Samson Delilah” and “Was An Animal.”

Bhat hopes to do a ”˜solo-ish set’ sometime in the near future, though he says, “I have so many tracks to complete and I’m still writing more. I should probably finish the ones I have.”

Donn Bhat+Passenger Revelator perform at Humming Tree, Bengaluru on May 9^th; Jack and Jones, Mumbai on May 14^th, Blue Frog, Mumbai on May 22^nd and Euriska, Pune on May 23rd