Kraken Announce Crowdfunding for New EP

After a few years of touring and even incorporating cosplay into their shows, New Delhi rock band Kraken are now plotting their follow up to 2017’s Lush and going the crowdfunding route. Launched earlier this week via Wishberry, Kraken are hoping to raise Rs. 1.75 lakh for their forthcoming EP.

Guitarist and composer Moses Koul says they’ve kept things “reasonable” in terms of the target and will be finishing up the five-track record simultaneously alongside the campaign, which ends in May. Koul adds, “It’s not a donation campaign, because everything has rewards. We know for a fact that if you love a band, you love getting tangible things from them. It’s just more rewarding.”

The perks for contributing range from stickers to T-shirts and hoodies, access to the new music, plus date nights with the band members or an exclusive anime movie screening invite. “The emotion behind this is that anyone who parts with money in this economy truly loves us,” Koul says.

Kraken’s Suyash Gabriel, Moses Koul, Reuben Das and Divij Kapoor (from left). Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Sonically, the new Kraken material might be a counterpoint to the wavy and buoyant sound of Lush. Koul says the guiding feeling is akin to “being jolted out of a daydream.” He adds, “It’s very real, observational. It’s still that bouncy Kraken you know and it’s almost like going back to ‘Dance Jane Dance.'” With production kept in-house for the band, this will also be the first record to feature the new lineup of Kraken, which now includes prolific drummer Suyash Gabriel, bassist Divij Kapoor alongside key members keyboardist Reuben Das and vocalist Vipul Verma. The band is clear that if the campaign doesn’t meet its goal, the record won’t see the light of day due to the financial strains. “If we exceed our target, it’s a bonus for us,” Koul says.

Contribute to Kraken’s next release here. Watch Kraken’s crowdfunding campaign video below.