Freshen your playlist with some of these Indian indie music releases of 2024.
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to India’s thriving indie music scene. Having said that, three months into the year, we can already tell that we’re in for a musical rollercoaster.
Music is a universal language, one that crosses borders to bind people together. In the Indian context too, we have a range of musical gifts to offer, be it our rich history in Indian classical music or our famous Bollywood numbers. In more recent years, the indie music scene has seen a boom, bringing to the forefront a whole new wave of music across multiple genres. From Desi Hip-Hop to Jazz, we’ve heard a bit of everything coming from artists across India. From forerunners of the indie music scene to the debutantes and more undercover artists, these musical gems are waiting to shine their brightest.
Our early intakes from 2024, that need to be on your indie playlists
2024 has already got us grooving, courtesy of the multiple red-hot releases straight out of the music studios. With that said, in the list below, we note 15 new albums, singles and Eps that need to be on your indie radar as soon as possible.
Tera Rahoon – BLUNT, Darksidemusic
Musician BLUNT’s Tera Rahoon tells a soulful tale. The composition is a bittersweet ode to love, relationships and everything in between. The video by Karan Sagar paired with the song is an emotional look into the midlife crisis of a married couple, who ran away from home to be with each other, playing between the themes of long-standing love and the problems it is bound to come with.
Listen to the single here.
KING Returns – Prabhdeep
2024 started with the much-awaited comeback of Prabhdeep post the artist’s retreat to Goa. KING Returns follows up on his hit EP, King, however with a more chiselled sound. The EP sees the musical mastery from Tabia with the likes of Yaadan, come together with his more recent upbeat style showcased in PRAA and THAPPAD! With the track Ethe Rakh. The short EP packs a punch, one that leaves us wanting more of the artist’s elevated sound.
Listen to the EP here.
Girls Night – Dot
Fresh off her acting success in ‘The Archies’ on Netflix, Dot returns to her musical roots with her latest single – Girls Night. Inspired by two of her own best friends, the track is a peppy number layered with Dot’s smooth vocals. The recently launched music video is as the name suggests, a look into a typical girl gang sleepover; manicures, late-night munchies and more.
Listen to the single here.
Moohfatt – Rawal
Known for his heavy tracks and in-the-face lyrics, Rawal once again makes a mark with Moohfatt – putting the fact out lyrically with the boisterous song. The black and white Kendrick Lamar-esque music video by Kyabc sees top-notch production and surprise cameos by the likes of Raga.
Listen to the single here.
Thehra – Chaar Diwaari
Delhi-based Garv Taneja aka Chaar Diwaari is known for his experimental music and videos alike. With Thehra his latest release, the music school dropout once again pushes the boundaries of conventional Hindi music.
Listen to the single here.
Gulaabo – Sanjith Hegde
Multi-lingual vocalist Sanjith Hegde is primarily known for his work in the Kannada and Telegu film industries, more recently making waves in Bollywood with his soulful vocal control. The single, Gulaabo takes on a more funk approach with the undertones of his classical music range.
Listen to the single here.
Katchi Sera – Sai Abhyankkar
The Tamil bop, Katchi Sera has quickly become a viral sensation since its release in January. The 19-year-old Sai Abhyankkar’s catchy debut single has not only been making its rounds as a trending TikTok audio with multiple dance reels to its name but has also found its way on YouTube’s ‘Global Weekly Top Songs’ list.
Listen to the single here.
Aawara – KSHMR, King, Zaeden
American DJ and producer KSHMR is known for his iconic collaborations with Indian musicians. Following the success of his 24-track hip hop album ‘KARAM’, he now joins hands with the indie pop icons King and Zaeden for the single, Aawara. Reflecting on the collaboration, KSHMR shared, “I’ve been friends with Zaeden for a long time now and we’ve wanted to do a record together for ages. After meeting KING and playing him the track, it seemed only right that we do this one together. They are both so talented, not only at singing but writing as well. It started as an idea for my album KARAM but eventually we decided a standalone single made more sense.”
Listen to the single here.
Dil Fenk Ke Marunga 2 – wolf.cryman
Part-time quirk connoisseur, part-time musician, wolf. cryman follow-up album from the first part, Dil Fenk Ke Marunga 2 once again sees the witty lyrics and jazzy tunes the artist is known for.
Listen to the album here.
Midtown Madness – Raga
Hard-hitting, raw and heavy; Raga’s new album, Midtown Madness is as the name suggests- a look into the madness of the rapper’s vision. The music epitomises the rage rap segment of India’s Desi Hip-Hop scene.
Listen to the album here.
Bechaini – OAFF, Adarsh Gourav
After a brief stint together on Netflix’s ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ where Adarsh Gourav played one of the leads and OAFF’s tracks for the official soundtrack garnered much appreciation, the two came together once again for an unexpected collaboration. Bechaini sees Adarsh Gourav’s vocals over a classic OAFF production.
Listen to the single here.
Ahana – Nikamma
Delhi-based Nikamma’s debut single is a fun indie pop track, with a music video that will have you falling in love with the fictitious ‘Ahana’ like you’re in middle school all over again.
Listen to the single here.
Yuh – Till Apes
Bangalore’s Jazz/ Hip-Hop/ Neo-Soul group, Till Apes is back with another jazzy mix. A riveting piano piece overlayed with catchy beats and Hanumankind spitting bars – a classic masterpiece straight from God’s Own Country.
Listen to the single here.
KAURA (Aura of Kaur) – Rashmeet Kaur
Punjabi artist, Rashmeet Kaur’s debut hip-hop album packs a punch, to say the least. With 25 collaborators across 12 tracks including the likes of Seedhe Maut, Ikka and Hashbass, the versatile tracklist has one thing in common – the vocal prowess of Rashmeet Kaur takes centre stage.
Listen to the album here.
DESIRE AT STAKES – VISHNU
While DHH and acoustics in the Indie music scene of India are thoroughfares, Bangalore-based Vishnu Menon brings a fresh sound to the table with the alternative rock song, DESIRE AT STAKES. The experimental track imbibes different elements with layered acoustic guitars and piano that give way to a punk rock chorus.
Listen to the track here.
Ranjha- Hashbass, Divyam Sodhi
Ranjha is a love song, inspired by the tragic story of Heer-Ranjha. The track sees a new sound from Bassist and producer Hashbass in his collaboration with ghazal singer Divyam, however, including some quintessential Hashbass flourishes.
Listen to the single here.
Hero and Feature images: Courtesy Instagram
Chirrag Guha
Lifestyle Writer
Part wild child and part philosopher with a veritable streak of whimsy, Chirrag is a lover of all things luxe. When he’s not home bartending, he’s possibly dabbling in his other passion; modeling. His daily activities include revisting his latest musical genre obsession and a whole lot of sitting by a window reading and writing, Americano in hand.
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