Ahead of a show in Mumbai, Hindi pop veterans Faridkot talk about how a reality show gave their career a fillip
The first time that we had come across Hindi pop act Faridkot was about a decade ago when they made it to the finals of Launchpad, a music reality show. Remember, this was an era when the concept of "Hindi bands" still hadn't quite taken off in India. The focus was more on individual singers (think Shaan or KK, though Euphoria was an exception). So, it was refreshing to find a four-piece outfit that wore its Dilli-wale credentials on its sleeve, singing soulful original tracks that often focused on love and loss.
Talking about their experience at the show, vocalist Inderpreet Singh tells us, "Yaar, it was actually really chilled out. We were there for two months and had to shoot for three to four hours a day. Otherwise, we were chilling in this 'House of Rock' on Madh Island. And you can imagine what was happening when you put eight or nine bands in a bungalow with a swimming pool facing the sea, right?"
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Inderpreet Singh with band member (right) Rajarshi Sanyal
He adds that the exposure helped the band in the long run by giving them nation-wide publicity. Singh says, ahead of a gig in Mumbai, "See, the Internet was not that hot back then. Toh log TV actually dekhte the. So what Launchpad did is help the band reach the whole country. And seven out of 10 people who know about us still tell us that they first saw us on the show."
He adds that deeper Internet penetration over the years has also helped a growing number of Hindi bands find a voice. So much so, that he feels there are now more Indian acts singing in the vernacular than in English. Faridkot, too, have never wavered from their Hindi roots in all these years. In fact, they recently released Get Lost, a fun, upbeat single about unrequited love in which the lyrics are almost entirely in Hindi apart from the "get lost" refrain in the chorus. And if that sounds like your cup of tea, head to the show to get a feel of its foot-tapping sound.
On: February 8, 9 pm onwards
At: Above the Habitat, Hotel Unicontinental, 3rd Road, Khar West.
Log on to: insider.in
Entry: Rs 485
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