India’s pioneer musical band focusing on promoting Indian Music Artists both on the National & International platform, Sanam recognizes the fact that the success in the music industry is intrinsically based on the value of music. Sanam made a cover of Ishq Bulaava which was a hit and the video went viral. In a tete-a-tete with TLJ correspondent, the band members open up about their journey so far.

Here’s Team TLJ’s Interview With The Sanam Band

You are the first Indian Music Artists to cross 1 million you tube subscribers. It is big news for Indian Music Industry. Had you thought of coming so far?

Samar Puri – We are really lucky and honoured to have so many wonderful people following us on YouTube and other social media. When we were growing up, the accepted truth was that, to make it in the Music industry, you need to either work under the Bollywood film industry or you need to be signed to a big music label. Those were the only options. However, in this digital age, things are different. Many of the biggest artists in the world today were discovered on YouTube by uploading simple videos made in the comfort their own homes. Money, contacts and influence are not important factors on YouTube. If your product is good and if people like it, you will find your video spreading on its own. This is what inspires us the most! Out of billions of videos being uploaded on YouTube, it is really overwhelming to know that more than a million people have subscribed to our channel and enjoy listening to the music we put out.

Being the first Independent Music Artists in India to have a Million Subscribers on YouTube is just the start. We are hoping to see many more talented independent artists come up in India real soon!
We started our YouTube channel when our manager (fifth member of our band) Ben Thomas suggested we upload a few videos online so he could showcase our work to the industry. In that process we learnt a lot by doing everything on our own. This gave us the confidence to continue to put out more music that we wanted to share with the rest of the world!

How are you bringing back the band culture and independent music into India after a notable gap?

Sanam Puri – The biggest challenge we face is to let people know that we are a “Band” and this is not just about me as a singer! We have Venky, who plays Bass Guitars and Sings, My brother Samar, who plays Lead Guitars and Sings, Keshav, who plays Drums, Percussions and Sings. India is mostly used to understanding and accepting singers because this is the culture that has been around for a while. However, things are now changing slowly for us. We are being accepted as a band. We have a lot of fun together and we feel most comfortable making music together. I think this reflects in the work we upload on YouTube.

With the help of social media, we can now share our music with the entire world from the comfort of our own homes. Like us, many aspiring artists (music or otherwise) in India are confidently uploading more and more content online that is being shared and viewed by millions! We are lucky to have such wonderful viewers who are so supportive and accepting of everything we do! The change is happening, it is only a matter of time before you see many more independent artists come into the limelight.

What is your personal favourite moment in this melodious journey so far?

Keshav Dhanraj – It is hard to pick just one favourite moment. We have gone through and continue to go through so much together! Making music, hanging out as friends, rehearsing together, experiencing the thrills of a live concert with thousands of fans screaming, travelling the world, the list goes on!!! I guess my favourite part is the fact that we are there for each other, through all the ups and downs of life! This gives us the confidence to try and do what we love doing, because we know we have each other to support us.

You are recognized for blending 4 different musical influences. Tell us more about it.

Venky S –  We lean towards a pop rock sound.. it’s common ground for the four of us. Bands were part of the popular culture when we were growing up. We love those power ballads and a big hook or riff that can make a song last a lifetime. However we have different musical leanings individually. For me blues music is the foundation for anything I play. Sanam Puri loves western classical arrangements and some guys that I know he enjoys listening to are Darren Hayes, Bryan Adams, Tiziano Ferro, Keith Urban. It’s always been Radiohead, U2 and Muse for Samar .. he also digs some of the newer hip-hop artists. Keshu loves Michael Jackson and drummers like Travis Barker, Carter Beauford. None of us are classically trained in any music form so we try and absorb the best from each style of music.

Tell us about your upcoming global projects?

Keshav Dhanraj – Our YouTube channel has been viewed in almost every country in the world! We didn’t expect our music to reach out to so many countries. We have had some really memorable experiences in our concerts abroad. Music has taken us to some of the most beautiful places on Earth. I am not just talking about beauty in a scenic sense, but also in terms of the people’s personalities! The love, support and hospitality we get from our fans across the globe is proof enough of the kind and beautiful hearts that exist around the world! We always look forward to performing live! You can stay in touch with our Facebook page for details on shows and concerts as the dates come close.

Tell us about your personal favorite tracks and singers you seek inspiration from..

Samar Puri – I listen to everything. Every genre has something that inspires or influences me.
Venky S – Too many to name. From the top of my head the ever soulful and hip tunes like Donny Hathaway -Je Vous Aime, James Brown – Out of Sight, Prince – The Beautiful Ones.
Sanam Puri – I can’t pick a specific singer or song because I have heard a lot of music that I love. Also, these days I don’t really listen to other artists much, because it affects the way I compose music and it then reflects in the final output. I want to give our songs a new sound, so I avoid listening to other artists as much as possible. When I do listen to music, I listen to a lot of background scores from video games.
Keshav Dhanraj – Melodies, interesting rhythm patterns and music production catch my attention the most. So my musical taste and inspiration doesn’t come from specific artists or bands, it completely depends on the song itself. My playlist is filled with a whole bunch of different artists of different genres ranging from Pop to Country, Metal, Rock, and Western classical… the list goes on.