Witness Sikkim's rock veterans Still Waters in Mumbai this weekend in Andheri

Abhishek Gurung and Sonam Lachungpa at an earlier performance

There must be something in the air of the North East. The region produces an interesting mix of musicians with a taste for experimentation as well as a passion for nostalgia. From the folk rhythms of Tetseo Sisters to the heavy strings of Girish And the Chronicles and Minute of Decay, to the bluesy-rock melodies of Soulmate, the variation is far beyond anything the plains produce. "It comes down to community," says Abhishek Gurung. On Sunday, the vocalist will lead the veterans of the 23-year-old rock band, Still Waters, down from the hills of Sikkim for their first performance in the city in the last decade.

Founded in 2001 by Sonam Lachungpa and Anant Pradhan, the band was among the first English rock bands out of Sikkim to break through at the Great Indian Rock Festival. For Gurung, who grew up watching Lachungpa, the band remains a standard for old-school rock. "I remember watching them on college circuits, and dreaming of it. It is hard to explain how it feels to actually be a vocalist in a band you admired," he says. While the group has been constantly changing, the fidelity to old-school rock remains constant.

Abhishek Gurung

Rock music, Gurung notes, is part of a community experience in the North East. With competitions, college circuits and regular festivals including the genre, it has become a part of the culture. This explains the prevalence of bands, rather than soloists, in the region.

The Mumbai trip is a first for the new line-up, remarks Lachungpa. The founder was last here in the city when the band participated in the band competition, Taking Pole Position, in 2010. "It was the perfect way to catch the attention of a mainstream audience. Independent music has its limitations," says Gurung.

Sonam Lachungpa

With a strong influence of Western rock, the band bonded together. "It is easy to play when you respect each other," the vocalist remarks. The music is ‘feel-good-riff-rock,' he says. Their first album in 2002, Rock to the Rescue, with its riff-heavy tracks and raspy vocals, the album is a throwback to the bands from the ‘80s.
Isn't that a little too old-school, we ask? "Why change if it works," Gurung laughs. Returning to the city for the first time since 2020, Gurung reassures that the performance will be a touch of the old, with a promise of something new. "We are working on a few new sets, and hope to bring that style to the stage. We hope to release these in the coming months," he adds.

On October 6; 9 pm onwards
at The Stables, Peninsula Redpine Hotel, near Airport Road Metro Station, Andheri-Kurla Road, Andheri East.
Call 9326824004 (for details)
Entry Rs 499