The Bengaluru singer-songwriter, who is prepping for a South East Asia tour, marks a year since the release of his EP ‘Accept’
Bengaluru singer-songwriter on stage at his show Emotions and Words last year. Photo: Abheet Anand
When Bengaluru singer-songwriter Mahesh Raghunandan started his band Mahesh and the Mix around 2014, it was just the first of many iterations his sound would undergo. From soaring bluesy rock to stripped-down soul-drenched acoustic and duo or trio sets featuring cello and piano, Raghunandan has experimented often with the adaptation of his songs.
Even on the studio material front, his debut EP Accept offered diverse rock, blues and jazz versions of songs he’d been performing solo with either pianist Rohan Kamath or guitarist Ramanan Chandramouli (his bandmate in alternative act Blushing Satellite). Raghunandan says every little bit has helped along the way in his “musical development.” He adds, “I’m now able to explore all different kinds of musical sensibilities.”
At Emotions and Words, his launch gig for Accept at Jagriti Theater in Bengaluru last year, Raghunandan experimented with multiple formats – playing his material solo, duo, trio and with a full band. The singer-songwriter is now releasing live videos from the show, starting with a soulful solo version of “Try.” It’ll be followed by at least two or three more videos, featuring a revolving cast of guests ranging from guitarist Bharath Kashyap, singer-songwriters Michael Antony Dias (from rock band Mad Orange Fireworks) and Abhi Tambe, amongst others.
Meanwhile, his live band’s recently announced lineup comprises guitarist Bharath Kashyap, bassist Alan Santosh, drummer Prithvi Iyer and Kamath on keys. Raghunandan says, “Now it just feels so good for the band lineup to be there because it just opens a lot more room for curating the set as opposed to just playing the songs. We could do so much with the arrangement.”
The announcement comes just as he heads out on his artist label oaf records’ crowdfunded Boarding Pass tour of Bangkok, Vietnam and Cambodia later this year. The singer-songwriter adds, “There’s something new that’s going to start happening as soon as we’re back. Because our priority is just going to move completely towards the full band.”
Watch the video for “Try” below.
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