(L-R) Nikhil Rao, Tuheen Chakravarty, Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram and Himanshu Joshi PHOTO: SATYABRATA TRIPATHY/HT

Ever since they released their fifth studio album, Khajoor Road, in 2010, Indian Ocean decided to not work with any record label, after a label asked them for money when the band decided to use their own music for a documentary. “It was surprising when they said that we have to give money for our own music. We were shocked. That’s why we decided to not work with any label and release music on our own,” says Rahul Ram, bassist and member of the band that’s working on a new album.

He adds that in India, “the only way to sustain yourself as a musician is through live shows”. But, that has a lot of constraints, too. Ram explains, “A lot depends on the physical and mental health of a musician. What if I am injured and I can’t perform? Age is also a factor. You can’t perform your entire life. I’ll turn 60 soon.”

The fact that gigs are the only means of sustenance for many musicians worries Ram: “We are slightly privileged, because we can decide we will do finite number of shows. But not everyone can do that. So, it becomes even a bigger point [of concern] that live shows are the only way a musician or singer can make money.”