Almost every band out there tries to make its own sound. And while some find it, others find a category to put themselves in. But not The Local Train. The Delhi-based Hindi rock band puts together an explosive live act that is hard to categorise and yet, infectiously amazing to listen to.
In the city to play at bFlat recently as part of a 15-city tour to promote their second album VAAQIF, The Local Train showcased their incredibly eclectic set of new and old hits that gelled well with the large Bengaluru fan following the band has.
Comprising Raman Negi on vocals and acoustic guitar, Paras Thakur on lead and acoustic guitars, Ramit Mehra on the bass and Sahil Sarin on drums, the awesome foursome took the Bengaluru audience on a thrilling ride of fun sing-along songs.
Catching up with MetroPlus, Ramit talks about their journey.
The band’s relationship with its audience is based on a simple give and take policy. “What we try to do is make good music to the best of our capabilities. Everyone has their favourites so we try and give everyone a live experience. It happens both ways since we want us and the audience to have fun together and there is never a good gig without one or the other.”
Ramit says it surprises them when they look back and see how far they’ve come. “The four of us started doing this in 2008. And in 2011, we had a small tour covering five cities for our first album. That was when we first came to play in Bengaluru after playing in Pondicherry. We had a lot of fun and we realised this is what we want to do. Since then we’ve been taking it one day at a time. When we look back, it looks like a lot of years, but it still feels like we’re fresh in the scene. Along the way, we’ve discovered a lot of new things and learnt a lot together. We’re lucky since not a lot of bands have the option of doing music the entire day.”
On what inspired the name, Ramit laughs and says they will keep answering this question forever. “We may have to make up a story for this since the actual story is no fun. When we started out as a band, the music came first. We uploaded our music online on Myspace since that was the only platform back then. We got stuck at the profile bit since we needed a name. After half an hour, we just gave up and decided on The Local Train. That song got picked up, went viral and we got invites to play at college fests. And the name just stuck. We went with it since we were too young to think about it seriously.”
At the heart of The Local Train is a strong bond of friendship and brotherhood, points out Ramit. “The four of us didn’t have any direction when we started. We wanted to make music but weren’t sure how to go about it. But we had each other’s backs. That kept us going forward. We worked together to make music and it was never a one-man show. This team is what stuck. We are four very different people with an age gap of nine years between the youngest and oldest, and yet, we have pulled through. That is the strength of our music.”Defining the sound of the new album, Ramit says it is typical of their signature sounds. “It’s got its share of loud guitars, heavy drums, and thick basslines. But we’ve tried to explore ideas rather than the sound. We’re on a path of self-realisation, on finding our dreams. After the first album, we didn’t know what to do but we did realise that we are actually making a living out of this now. So this second album is a pool of ideas. It’s not an album focussed on sound, rather it is an amalgamation of ideas of everything we were experiencing at that time. We are penning our emotions down. A band eventually finds its sound and this is just our second album. We ought to become better and define our evolution.”
Looking ahead, Ramit says they hope to continue doing the same. “We put ourselves under the radar every once in a while to find direction for our music. After the tour, we will keep composing. That’s all we know to do. Luckily, we have a steady fan base. That works for us and our music is definitely going places.” Being a Hindi rock band, Ramit says they have been asked the big ‘Why?’ “But in response, I have asked ‘Why not?’ What is wrong in making rock songs in Hindi? People associate rock music with English. If it’s Hindi, then it has to Bollywood or fusion. But we set out to change that and hopefully we’re making a difference.”
Ramit says the scene is evolving well in the country. “We’re not one genre. We can’t be. There are so many bands and festivals and the alternative music scene is really thriving in India. We’re happy to be a part of it.”