As vocalist, guitarist and front – man of Indie pioneers Indus Creed (formerly Rock Machine), Uday Benegal has completed over 35 years in the Indian music scene. He is one of the true rock renegades of the music industry. Benegal alongwith his bandmates have contributed immensely to the rock scene in India, with the band’s songs continuing to delight the old and the new rock music lovers.

Verus Ferreira goes back in time with the legendary singer Uday Benegal to unravel memories of his time in the band, his solo career, theatre and his latest project.

You started in 1985. You think that the sound of original rock is lost today?

Rock music is an ever evolving form and that is one of its greatest strengths. It has gone through multiple changes and absorbed and borrowed from many other genres and will continue to do so. With that in mind I’m kicked to be a part of ‘The Socho Project’, a new series that aims to showcase Indian indie music across multiple genres. This will be the first time I’ve voiced songs on a web series, so that’s pretty cool for me too.

What is the future of rock music in India according to you? Who from the current times can become successors to the Indus Creed?

The future of rock music is like the future of anything at all in the world: unpredictable. It will shape shift and alter itself in many ways and keep evolving into something more exciting. There are also no hierarchies in art forms and, thus, no successors. But there will always be new creators with new ideas who will reinvent the forms in fascinating ways.

What are your views on the commercialization of the current music industry? Has the originality completely withered away?

The word ‘commercial’ is a double-edged sword. No artist wants to be considered a ‘sell out’ while also desiring to sell a ton of albums and tour the world. That said, the music industry worldwide has morphed from record labels run by impresarios and real talent scouts to lawyers, accountants and assembly line producers. It will change. Originality will never die. But spreadsheet-obsessed corporate types will.

What are the ingredients needed for one to be a good musician and songwriter?

Innate skill, dedication to your craft, tenacity in the face of incessant hurdles and a commitment to living life expansively, warts and bumps and all.

Despite maintaining that it is important to belt out original music, why have we only seen 4 albums coming from the Indus Creed?

While we have given ourselves to the band over the years, we also have our own personal projects and ambitions. Maybe a fifth one will happen before too long

You’ve entered the web space now with a series. Why did you choose The Socho Project as your debut in the web space? What is in store for your fans?

I was very glad to be invited by Mrinal and Abhigyan Jha to sing a couple of songs for their upcoming first ever musical web series ‘The Socho Project’. When I heard the storyline, about how the series is centered on the trials and tribulations of the indie music business in India, I had no hesitation in signing in. Slated to release in early 2021, the show revolves around the lives of aspiring artists struggling to find a foothold in the Indian music business dominated by one monopolistic music label. The characters’ stories reflect many of the real problems that the music industry faces today, principally the lack of originality and the slim space for new talent to showcase their work while pushing them into the abyss of commercialization for survival. People can expect to hear my voice on a couple of hook-laden heavy-hitting tracks, including the show’s title track ‘Socho’.

Behind the scenes, does your team consist of millennial music enthusiasts? Any takeaways from them?

We don’t really judge anyone for the kinds of music they listen to. Our own interests go much further than just heavy rock ‘n’ roll. And we believe that newer generations of musicians and music lovers will always have fresh ideas to share which we are only too happy to receive. I’ve always loved working with newer generations of musicians, who bring not just fresh musical ideas but also offer new perspectives on life itself.

Can you name five of your all time favorite Indus Creed songs?

That’s an impossible question to answer since the songs have been written over such a vast swath of time and, thus, across so many phases of my own evolution. But without nailing down on favourites I’d say that the ones closest to my heart (in no particular order) are Pretty Child, Fireflies, Dissolve, Come Around and Rock‘n’Roll Renegade.

You are part of the band Indus Creed, moved forward into solo career and also into theatre. Which do you find the most satisfying?

Playing music live is what I enjoy most. I’m very happy to explore the myriad ways to do that but I’d say that few things beat the joy of getting on stage with a rock’n’roll band.

Can we one day see a new album from Indus Creed sometime this year 2021 after 2012’s ‘Evolve’?

I would say that it’s possible

What other projects are you working on?

At the moment The Socho Project, set to launch early next year, is the newest stuff I’ve been working on. Besides this the project I am working on is recalibrating my life in the global phase shift known as the pandemic. More after the calibration is complete.

You have been around as a musician for the last 30 odd years. How has the journey been and how you foresee it in a time of the pandemic for you and other musicians?

The journey has been an incredible ride that I would not trade for anything in the world. I have met and worked and played with some of the most amazing humans I could have imagined over the years, been to places I would normally only have been able to dream of and had the most fun I could have ever asked for. Which is not to say that the journey hasn’t had its crazy-ass bumps and falls, but that’s rock’n’roll. You’ve got to take the crap with the cream. The pandemic is here now and will be gone soon but music will never die.

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira