The Gig Week

An interesting lineup of seventeen indie artists, spanning various genres, is coming to Mumbai this November as a part of The Gig Week (TGW) — a week long music festival that hops from one location to another. It’s not only hopping across venues but also cities. The music festival will be camping for a week in Mumbai (3-11th November), followed by Delhi in December 2017 and Bangalore in January 2018.
TGW took birth in Delhi in 2011 with the idea of creating an indie music atmosphere as well as an appreciation for local artists in Delhi. At a time when not everyone could travel to a different city to attend glamorous outstation music festivals, TGW’s organisers — Anubhav Gupta and Jubin Jacob — imagined a place where people could explore a realm beyond tributes and covers. Here’s a list of three most-anticipated artists to look forward to at the festival this year.

TAJDAR JUNAID
This Kolkata-based multi-instrumentalist singer and composer has had everybody’s eyes on him ever since he dropped his album What Colour Is Your Raindrop which allowed him to experiment with a wide range of instruments. His music is enticing in the way it draws you in and gives you a glimpse of stories from Junaid’s life. Through unexpected silences in between notes or his father’s poetry perfectly complementing the instrumental track, his music is a beautiful self-portrait of sorts. 
When: 3rd November, 2017
Where: Summer House Cafe, Lower Parel, Mumbai 

SOULMATE
Soulmate is a Shillong based band that emerged out of a collective love for the Blues and the need to take it other parts of the world. Their music is the right amount of mellow and probing, a contrast from the fast-paced lives we live today. Known for their soulful collaborations with other artists while on tour, the band always has something new to offer to the audience. 
When: 8th November, 2017
Where: AntiSocial, Khar, Mumbai

DHRUV VISVANATH
Dhruv Visvanath is known for singing his way to the hearts of people through his tunes like Enigma and Rain. He released his debut Orion in September 2015 and then began touring the country with a guitar on one side and a love for performance on the other. An assorted mix of percussion and electro-acoustic sounds, his melodies are an invitation into his own journey of being an artist.
When: 9th November, 2017
Where: The Finch, Powai, Mumbai   

THE FAMILY CHEESE
The Family Tree is a band that materialized after the trio met at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music and is known for its Progressive Rock intertwined with elements of Carnatic music. Formed in 2011, it has come a long way with its debut album comprising a diverse variety of songs. From a boy rapping about the lack of privacy in a Parsi household to instrumental sounds that take you on imaginary journeys, their music is the coming together of their experiences from different parts of the country.
When: 8th November, 2017
Where: AntiSocial, Khar, Mumbai


Text Pankhuri Shukla