“I still am an outsider. My brief trysts with films have been nothing more than short lived flings,” says singer Palash Sen of the popular Indian band Euphoria. Sen adds that he does have a few friends in the industry but he’s “always been the doctor who rocks and walks alone...”

The band, known for their tracks such as Ab Na Jaa and Jiya Jaye Na have retained the essence of their independent music despite having worked on a few projects in Bollywood. With the boom of internet, the avenues have widened as well. “Anything that can give us a voice, is a beneficial medium for us. With the power of social media, a musician is no longer at the mercy of a label or a corporation. His/her music is out their for people to consume and decide for themselves. Sadly, I am seeing a change in that as well. The internet is also governed by advertising budgets now. So, toothpastes have more visibility than music videos nowadays,” says Sen.

The artiste who’s recently become a part of the moment #indiaforindie feels it is his moral obligation to help those who have been affected by the pandemic. “A lot of musicians I personally know were suddenly out of work. Everybody has bills to pay,” rues Sen.

He adds that independent music needs support and one should do everything to help it sustain. “While India is seeing almost all the sectors stand on their feet again, live music is going to be the last one. We are still unsure when the situation will be back to normal for us. Life is tough, but tough times bring people together. It is an effort to get the independent music scene officially recognized as a music industry. The idea is to keep music independent of films and film stars. To make sure that each hard working musician gets his/her due,” he concludes.