We’re still discovering our sound: Vasudha Sharma

Originally known as the soulful voice behind the popular early-2000 band, Aasma, and later for her own fusion album, Attuned Spirits, Vasudha Sharma has carved a niche for herself in the alternative and independent music scene in Mumbai. Since the Lost Party in Lavasa music festival in March 2015, the singer-songwriter has banded together with a group of talented musicians to form Sharma and the Besharams. The band has come up with their first single, Hangout Hangover, which released on September 8, and has already got well over 15,000 views on YouTube. A peppy, up-beat number, the song stands out thanks to the sounds of the ukulele and banjo, which according to the vocalist, will be the signature sound of the band.

“I have always loved the sound of the ukulele and I thought that a banjo would complement the sound nicely,” says Vasudha, when asked about this unique combination of sounds. “It was really hard to find a good Indian banjo player but I finally found Chetanya, who is a guitarist but also plays the instrument really well.” The use of these instruments is not the only way in which the band plans to experiment with its sound. According to Vasudha, the band will not only be singing breezy English numbers like Hangout Hangover, but will also infuse elements of folk and Hindustani classical music into their songs. “I come from a Braj folk background, and I have also learned Hindustani classical music, so those elements will definitely be there in out songs,” she says. “The sound is not just going to be a mesh of jazz and Indian music, though. While I was at Berklee College of Music, in Boston, I was exposed to a lot of Arabic, Flamenco, Balkan and Serbian music, so influences of all these genres find a way into the songs I write. As a band, we’re still discovering our sound,” she adds.

While Vasudha has been making music with drummer Rahul Hariharan and bass guitarist Chirayu Vedkar for years, keyboard player JK, with his jazz and blues background and Kush Upadhyay (of blues/rock project, The Kush Upadhayay Group) have joined the band much more recently. Looking back on the past year, Vasudha states that her journey with her band members has been like finding friends, rather than just being band mates. “We’re really compatible as a group, and we hang out all the time, even aside from when we are jamming together,” she says. “The guys, despite the fact that they are musicians who perform onstage, are really shy and complete introverts. I do most of the talking on-stage. That’s how we came up with the name for our band, too. It’s an inside joke and seemed quite ironic. I hope someday they do become besharam though,” she laughs.

While the vocalist is currently travelling, she says that the band has quite a few new numbers lined up. “We’re planning to release another single, Baelgari, which is going to be in Hindi with an Indian folk vibe. It’ll be completely different from Hangout Hangover, with its English lyrics and bluesy sound. An EP is also in the making and we’re thinking of releasing it by mid-October,” she says.