On Our Radar: A New Wave Of Indian Indie Bands Worth Discovering

Your next favourite band might be a few clicks away from the playlist you’ve been playing on repeat. Finding new music can be a bit of a rabbit hole: one recommendation leads to a live session, a live session leads to a song you cannot stop playing, and before long, you’re looking up the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Across India’s independent music scene, musicians are working with rock, synth-pop and alternative sounds, drawing on their own influences to write songs about relationships, growing up, city life and everything that occupies the hours in between. If your listening habits could use some new names, here are five bands worth spending some time with.

Khaali Frame’s catalogue circles themes of love, distance and longing, with tracks like Safar, Dooriyan and Tere Bina exploring different shades of these familiar subjects. The project’s four-track EP, Tasveer (Side-A), released in August 2025, gives listeners a place to begin, bringing together songs that explore connection and separation through contemporary independent songwriting. Savera, featuring Aarxslan, adds another voice to the record, while the 2026 single Wajah, featuring Andrew KZ, extends the project’s catalogue.

For listeners who gravitate towards songs built around relationships and the thoughts that accompany them, Khaali Frame is worth a listen. Start with Tasveer (Side-A) to get a sense of the project’s songwriting, then follow it up with Wajah. The catalogue is still taking shape, which makes this a good time to get acquainted with the project and follow its next releases. Find them here.

Delhi’s Delhivision brings rock and roll to the everyday absurdities of city life, with songs that take on influencer culture, ambition, nightlife and the pressures of growing up. Their debut album, Day One, released in March 2026, brings together ten tracks across a 33-minute runtime. Songs such as Ringlight, Chor, Nazaara and The Old Monk Waltz give listeners an entry point into a band whose writing carries humour, social observation and a healthy degree of self-awareness.

Musically, Delhivision draws from hard rock, funk and progressive metal, with guitar-led arrangements driving its songs. The band’s writing also makes room for the peculiarities of being young in a city where work, ambition and social life tend to collide. The Old Monk Waltz, featuring Raghav Chandra, is a good starting point, while Day One offers a fuller introduction to the band’s approach. For listeners who like their rock with a sense of humour and an eye on the world outside the rehearsal room, Delhivision belongs on the list. Find them here.

Bengaluru’s Droolfox began as an electronica duo comprising vocalist and guitarist Jitesh Jadwani and guitarist, synthesiser player and vocalist Joel Sakkari. Their sound draws on eighties synth-pop, R&B, jazz and dance-oriented electronic production, bringing glossy arrangements and catchy melodies into the same room. Their debut EP, FTW, released in 2020, brings together three tracks that explore the uncertainties of commitment and the difficulty of deciding how much of yourself to give to another person.

The record’s production pairs synthesiser layers with guitar hooks, while the songs move from buoyant rhythms towards more reflective territory. Need Some Lovin’ takes a lighter approach to romance, while Trusty Shoes explores the hesitation that can accompany a new relationship. Droolfox’s catalogue is worth exploring for anyone who enjoys pop music with an electronic backbone and a little lyrical ambivalence. The duo’s later work also extends into projects such as Galat Admi and Sakré, giving listeners more avenues to follow their musical experiments. Find them here.

Mumbai-based Alchemy formed in 2016, when its members were in college, and began building its following through campus competitions before releasing its debut album, Izhaar, in 2019. The eight-track record brings together Hindi songwriting, alternative rock and progressive rock, with guitar solos and a steady rhythm section carrying songs that run for more than 40 minutes across the album. Tracks such as Chhodo Bhi Yeh, Manzil, Sakhi Tore Naina and the title track give listeners a good introduction to the band’s sound.

Alchemy’s music makes room for romantic longing, reflection and the desire to move forward, with full-band arrangements giving its songwriting plenty of room to unfold. Chhodo Bhi Yeh explores letting go and having faith in what comes next, while Manzil takes up questions about the way we live. For listeners who grew up with guitar-led rock and enjoy hearing it paired with Hindi lyrics, Izhaar is a satisfying place to begin. The album also offers a useful introduction to a band that has been developing its sound since its college days. Find them here.

Hailing from Agartala, Tripura, Another Bedroom Project began as a solo venture by vocalist Ajitesh Roy Chowdhury before growing into a four-piece with guitarist Tytan Debbarma, bassist Tutan Debbarma and drummer Pradipta Roy. The band’s catalogue includes tracks such as Fanaa, Mukhosh, Shunyota and Ekla Ghor, drawing on alternative rock and introspective songwriting. Its music gives guitar-led arrangements room to carry stories of uncertainty, distance and the search for direction.

In August 2026, the band released Musafir, the first single from its forthcoming debut Hindi album. Built around the image of a traveller moving forward without knowing where the road will lead, the song introduces a new chapter for the Agartala act. Its earlier releases, including the compilation Antarnilin, provide more of the group’s musical history for listeners who want to explore beyond the latest single. Another Bedroom Project also brings a perspective from Tripura’s independent music circuit, making its catalogue worth exploring for listeners looking beyond the usual metropolitan music hubs. Find them here.

Each of these five acts brings a different set of influences to independent music, from Delhivision’s observations of city life and Alchemy’s guitar-led rock to Droolfox’s synth-pop arrangements and Another Bedroom Project’s work from Tripura. Start with a song, follow the album it belongs to, and see where the rest of the catalogue takes you. Your next repeat-listen could be waiting in a corner of the music scene you have yet to explore.

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