Daira Drop Adrenaline-Fueled New Release ‘Basar’

Exactly five years to the date of releasing their debut self-titled album, Mumbai rock band Daira reached back into the vaults to put out “Basar,” written in 2016. Originally written as a stipulation for a music competition (that the band were later questionably debarred from), the song brings together incendiary fretwork from guitarists Vikalp Sharma and Shivam Pant, plus vocalist Piyush Kapoor’s distinctive yowl.

The band says, “Basar talks about recognizing your talent, pursuing it and keeping at it. The song is a homage to everyone who identifies their passion, does not hesitate in taking the tough road and makes a livelihood out of what they are respected for.” With an eye on reaching a wider audience, “Basar” is accompanied by a music video featuring several Mumbai-based artists and friends of Daira — rock/fusion artist Anand Bhaskar, vocalist-guitarist and singer-songwriter Siddharth Basrur, hip-hop crew Swadesi’s 100RBH and MC Mawali, vocalist Pratika Prabhune, sound engineer and drummer Pritesh Prabhune, pop artist Arunaja and more.

The video also brings in former members of Daira including bassist Govind Gawli and guitarist Chaitanya Bhaidkar, who had originally contributed to writing “Basar” four years ago. The song is mixed and mastered by electro act FuzzCulture’s Arsh Sharma, who also features amongst the crowdsourced clips of musicians singing along.

While “Basar” aims to provide a sense of invigoration during the pandemic that has challenged normalcy, Daira are adapting to the circumstances as well. In addition to hosting a weekly live chat session called Unmasked over on Facebook, the members are also launching a Patreon account as they plot out more singles and a possible EP or album.

Watch the video for “Basar” below. Stream on Spotify, Apple Music and JioSaavn.