How did you two come together from different backgrounds?
We both met when we were a part of The Raghu Dixit Project,
and our common love for Bollywood is what cemented our
friendship, and ultimately led to the formation of Bryden-Parth.
A lot of times when we would just jam together in our hotel
rooms, and somewhere along the way realised that this
common passion, and the chemistry we shared, had potential.
Essentially, the duo is Bryden's many years of experience
in the western music scene, heavily influenced by gospel
harmonies, along with Parth's keen understanding of the Indian
Classical music scene, presented in a contemporary way.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you?
Our music is a product of Bryden’s roots in Gospel
music and harmonies, and Parth’s background in
Indian classical music—as a friend once put it, it’s like
Bollywood Church. And we loved that description!
Our live shows are a total party, which they’re bound to be
when you have 16 people on stage! We perform with a seven-
member band of some of the finest musicians in the city, as well
as with The Choral Riff, an ensemble choir comprising of some
of the best vocal talents of the city, which lends a harmony
section to the shows, along with a unique theatrical element.
Talk to us about your music making process
we just meet, play it to each other, and let the process take over
from there. We jam, and the tune eventually evolves into a song.
What’s your take on the current scene in your space ?
There has never been a time where musicians have had
more opportunities. With the advent of social media, literally
everyone has a platform and it’s become really easy to put
your music out there for people to consume and share.
For the same reasons, collaborations also happen a lot
easier than earlier, both nationally and internationally.
Your favourite stars are literally a message or a tweet
away, and amazing things can and have happened.
But the downside now is that people have begun validating
themselves, and others, based on the number of likes
and comments they receive, which sometimes throws
things off track. It can lead to a lot of disillusionment
too, especially amongst creative professions.
As long as you remember to serve the music first, and
that everything else is secondary, you should be fine.
Artists you’d love to collaborate with.
Bryden- Clinton Cerejo. He’s my favourite producer
in the country, and always has something fresh to
offer, in any genre. I love his musical sensibilities.
Parth- Amit Trivedi. He is one of the music
directors Bollywood has had.
Describe your tech set up
Bryden- My setup is rather simple. I run my guitar into a
Fractal Audio AX8 floor unit going straight into the board.
I don’t use an amp, and now that I use In-Ears, I don’t see
the need for an amp. My sound engineer is very happy!
Parth- I run my flute through a vocal processor
which is the Voice Live 3 Extreme, which I use
mainly for effects like reverb and delay.
I use another vocal processor for my alto saxophone which
is the Boss VE-20. I use this mainly as a harmoniser.
Tell us about your upcoming projects
We’re currently gearing up for show season, which
is going to get hectic very soon, and simultaneously
spending time in the studio working on our debut
album, which is scheduled to release soon.
Interview with
18
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