Coming a full Psy 'O' Circle

Delhi-based rock and roll band Psy ‘O' Circle was formed in February 2013. With a number of gigs behind them, the four-member band, comprising founder and lead singer Vinit R Rai, guitarist Sarthak Bhattacharya, drummer Varun Verma and bassist Suraj Biswas, have recently launched their first composition Psychopomp online. They also plan to launch their EP by end of October and then go on a six-city tour. Rai chatted about the band and their music:

Members of Psy ‘O' Circle during a rehearsal

Q. How was Psy ‘O' Circle born?
A. I started my music career with my Pune-based Vedic rock act, Bhramm, which is still active. I moved to Delhi a year ago and wanted to experience a different genre of music. That's how I formed this rock and roll band. I met my guitarist Sarthak, who worked in the same company as I and told him about the kind of band I had in mind. Soon, he was on board. Varun, our drummer and Suraj the bassist, joined
us later.

Q. Why did you choose the name, Psy ‘O' Circle?
A. I'm a big fan of psychedelic music, and rock and roll is something I grew up listening to. I wanted to fuse the two - that's Psy ‘O' Circle for you.

Q. All the band members must have different influences. What do you have in common?
A. We all prefer an open forum - nobody ‘owns' Psy ‘O' Circle. I founded it, but I don't own it. Everyone is welcome to share their ideas. Sarthak is a die-hard metal fan, while Varun is into progressive and modern rock. Suraj and I are both fans of psychedelic music. We all bring in our influences to the music we play. At the moment, we have three compositions coming up which will be part of our EP. We have recently launched Psychopomp, which has an old school metal feel. The next song, My Lover, has a bluesy feel while Post War Rock is entirely psychedelic. Since we all come from different influences, the
end product is always
something unique.

Q. Tell us a bit about Psychopomp.
A. Initially, Sarthak and I planned to name the band Psychopomp. But later, we realised that it doesn't really define us. That's when Varun and I decided to do a composition with this title. The song is influenced by Greek mythology. There is a creature called Psychopomp who acts as a spiritual conductor and carries the spirits of the dead. In exchange, he gets a gold coin from god. We are cracking a deal with him to spare us and leave us on Earth and the only thing we can trade is our rock and roll. The song gives a typical classic rock and old school metal feel with grungy vocals and groovy bassline, powered with heavy guitar solo reminiscent of early '80's tones and a power-packed rock ‘n' roll beat.