Kabir Katpalya's life can be described as anything.
If not for music, he might be remembered as a physicist.
But in college, Katpalya, who was studying physics, found herself in the center of the popular music scene, playing in popular bands such as Blink 182 and Green Day.
Ten years later Katpalya now known as OAFF won hearts with her music. Doobey (part of the Bollywood film Gehraiyaan), which he co-produced with his college friend Savera, has over 50 million views on YouTube.
Katpalya was named one of Amazon Music's Best Independent Artists of 2022. The 32-year-old musician is part of a constellation of independent artists in the Indian music industry that has grown exponentially this year.
Bollywood has traditionally dominated the music industry in India. Every Hindi film is a musical, with genres ranging from daas and sensuous ballads to patriotic melodrama, loss and nostalgia.
This industry has won millions - we laugh, scream, and love movie songs.
© Getty Images Bollywood or film music, which is often performed by famous actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, forms the backdrop for millions of Indians.But the film industry is suffering from the pandemic, and many wonder if it has accelerated the growth of indie music.
"Only one of the five most streamed songs in India in 2022 was from a film," said Rahul (who goes by one name only), head of music at Spotify India.
“Our leading player for free music, Indie India, continues to be popular and vibrant. This year, the number of subscribers increased significantly, and more than half of them will only occur in 2022.
From new genres like Gully or street rap to Hindustani techno, indie music is handcrafted, effortlessly cool and downright creative. The sharpest commentary on social and political issues has come from the fringes of India's musical society. Even love, the backbone of Bollywood music, is finding new voices across many sub-genres.
The rise and rise of indie
As in other parts of the world, indie music in India is based on a simple premise: anyone can play, compose or record music, and perhaps perform street shows.
However, in India, most indie artists make music outside of the country's film industry.
Over the years many musicians have started their own solo projects - some succeeded but many failed due to lack of funds and opportunity.
India's indie gold rush began in the 1990s when the genre found fertile ground with new music channels like MTV and Channel V paying more attention to these artists than ever before. Indian rock bands like Euphoria and singers like Lucky Ali have earned millions of new fans.
© Getty Images Pop singer Lucky Ali continues to gain popularity.However, the industry has struggled to compete with film scores, which are considered the benchmark for musical success in India. Many celebrities like singer/songwriter Vishal Dadlani, frontman of rock band Pentagram and Silk Line lead singer Mohit Chauhan eventually moved to Bollywood to build their careers.
Katpalya still remembers how difficult it was to live in Mumbai, a city where millions of people come every day to pursue their musical dreams. "He paid me money and I didn't realize I was using it," he said.
But changing consumption patterns have allowed musicians like him to reduce their dependence on Bollywood and reap creative and financial benefits.
Recent years have seen major technological and aesthetic changes in the industry - the concert culture is growing, shows are moving from small venues to full stadiums.
An increasing number of independent record companies support artists by organizing concerts, advertising projects and even world tours .
© Getty Images India has a vibrant concert and festival culture.But the biggest change occurred during the pandemic, when films stopped being made and OTT platforms changed the way content is consumed.
In 2020, people are consumed by what Bollywood has created. But as the number of films dwindled, a niche was created for non-film music. Now they also have the opportunity to open up,” said Rahul.
Social media platforms like Instagram have exacerbated this trend, creating yet another form of music where anyone can be a songwriter.
Video, the Internet dance craze, and Tik Tok have taken their music far beyond the interior of the country, giving musicians the opportunity to move beyond urban youth groups.
The change is so obvious that many Bollywood musicians like composer Amit Trivedi and singer Armaan Malik are entering the independent scene with their own projects, Rahul said.
India vs Bollywood
The way the Indian scene is changing and reinventing itself since the pandemic has also coincided with changes in Bollywood, which appears to be in crisis as most films fail to become blockbusters.
Listeners complain that Bollywood songs are either completely forgettable or mostly remixed - old songs remade with electronic enhancements.
Ihsaan Noorani of the acclaimed composer trio Shankar-Ihsaan-Loy agreed that most of the music did not leave a "lasting impression" and that "Bollywood needs to be revised".
But sadly, this is how it works in Bollywood: if the film fails, the voiceover is cut. So even if there is a good song, if there is no film, it is unlikely that it will become a hit," said Noorani.
© Getty Images Shankar-Ihsaan-Loy (RL) is one of the most well-known Bollywood composers in India.While Bollywood seems to struggle to know what it's doing nowadays, bands like Thaikudam Bridge are full of freshness befitting the experimental indie spirit of the southern state of Kerala.
Formed in 2013 by brothers Govind Vasantha and Siddharth Menon, this multi-genre band has left an indelible mark on Indian rock music.
Their music is meaningful, but what really elevates the band is their ability to blend sweet elements of Indian folk and classical music seamlessly with heavy metal. One of the first songs from Fish Rock was a list of different fish. Found in the states. The beautiful violin melodies interspersed with screams and wails add to the beauty.
"Our music has become mainstream for everyone in Kerala as we are taking old Malayalam songs and giving it a new flavour," said Vivian Fernandes, the band's bass player. "At the same time, we also took a lot from the music of Carnatic and Western bands like Metallica, whose music is a unique blend of everything you can relate to."
This is evident from the group's popularity; They have traveled to more than 24 countries and "every corner of India".
"It's been crazy so far," Fernandez concluded.
© Thaikudam Bridge Vian Fernandez said the team had a great year in performance and performance.But he added that film music still reigns supreme and is still the surest path to success.
Kathpaliya also shares the same sentiment: “It was Bollywood that gave me crazy exposure last year.
From the start, Noorani had no rivals.
“The talent of independent artists is truly extraordinary. But writing music for Bollywood is different from composing singles and relies more on script requests,” he said.
"I thought at some point it's going to be like a sequel where there's a hybrid match between the two, and I think that's perfect," said Katpalya.
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