2024 IS THE YEAR FOR NEW MUSIC, SAYS THE LOCAL TRAIN
After a five year hiatus, the alt-rock band says that their path has led them back to live performances
It’s been a while since Hindi alt-rock band The Local Train — known for hits like Khudi and Aaoge Tum Kabhi — bid farewell to their frontman Raman Negi and even longer since they released new music.
Now, the Chandigarh and Delhi-based group is back in action after a five year hiatus; they marked their comeback last month, having collaborated with singersongwriter Lucky Ali on a single titled Tu Hai Kahan,
which feature d on the soundtrack of the recently released film, Do Aur
Do Pyaar. The current trio comprises guitarist Paras Thakur, bassist Ramit Mehra and drummer Sahil Sarin, who say they are grateful for the past but are “solely focussed” on the present and their upcoming music.
“We’re not sure when exactly we’ll release music. But 2024 feels like the year to share our music and rediscover the joy of the process,” notes Thakur, who asserts that the group has always prioritised creating music based on personal experiences, free from external expectations. However, they have enjoyed hearing from fans, even over the hiatus. “Validation is significant, whether or not you actively seek it. It feels great when people express how much they’ve missed seeing us on stage.
Many are discovering the band and our songs even today,” adds Sarin.
Ask if their sound has changed over the years and Thakur explains: “Frankly, you’ll have to listen to our new music to grasp our future sound because we can’t put it into words. What we’re doing now is what we’ve always done — chasing excitement.” Will fans get to see the band back on stage? “Ultimately, our path leads back to live shows. We’ll share whatever we create when it feels right. Our audience will be the first to know,” he concludes.