As told by Nischay Parekh of Parekh & Singh
Join the dots between two other bands to sum up your sound.
James Taylor … Phoenix
This is a really exciting time to be chatting to you, leaving India this month for a first international tour including 3 shows for Dot To Dot, how have you been preparing for the shows and what are your expectations?
We’re going to be playing with a full band – live bass and keyboards for the first time ever, so the show we’re planning will be the most human and organic version of our universe. We’re very excited.
The sound you guys produce has often been described as ‘dream-pop’, how did your stylings come about?
I think we’re both pretty whimsical human beings, we like the strange and the surreal. We’re not really obsessed with reality, so the dream world is where our art mostly exists.
Are there any other bands from the line-up who you are excited to check out at Dot to Dot?
Pinegrove is one of them. Honestly, we’re looking forward to being surprised and discovering a lot of new music at the festival.
There is a real buzz around the band over here in the UK, how have you been received in India? What is the scene like for less traditional sounding bands in Kolkata?
Our fan base is always growing and we’re reaching all sorts of folks and it seems like our music is forming a special relationship with the listeners, so that’s a very gratifying and inspiring thing. Kolkata has historically had a good music community and tasteful listeners, we’re lucky to call it home.
We’ve got a really eclectic mix of venues at Dot To Dot, but where is the strangest place you’ve ever played a gig and how did it go?
We played a yoga festival in Goa. It was a befuddling and amusing experience. There was a swimming pool right in front of the stage, I would have rather been in the water.
Finally, hypothetically you’re DJing the Dot To Dot after party, what’s your final song of the night?
Michael Jackson’s iconic ‘Rock with You’. The perfect full stop, infinite disco.
Catch Parekh & Singh at this year’s Dot To Dot Festival, playing in Manchester, Bristol & Nottingham.
