The Local Train is an Indian rock band formed in
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
in 2008, and based in
New Delhi
New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
since 2015. The band's current lineup consists of lead guitarist and vocalist - Paras Thakur, bassist - Ramit Mehra, and drummer and percussionist - Sahil Sarin. In April 2022, the band announced that their vocalist / frontman Raman Negi has left the band.
Having started their career by releasing a stream of singles, the band's debut album ''Aalas Ka Pedh'' was released in 2015 and their second album ''Vaaqif'' followed in 2018. Both the albums have been among the top 5 most-streamed rock music albums on
Apple Music
Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...
India. The band is known for its Hindi and
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
lyrics, often touching on topics like
communalism
Communalism may refer to:
* African communalism, a system of interdependence in rural Africa
* Christian communism, form of religious communism based on Christianity
* Communalism (Bookchin), a theory of government in which autonomous communities ...
and
faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...
.
The Local Train frequently performs at live events and music festivals in India. They performed at Bacardi NH7 Weekender, SULAFEST, One Plus Music Fest, Red Bull Tour Bus, Grub Fest and Sympulse Fest. Their music has been featured in
Pan Nalin
Nalin Kumar Pandya, popularly known as Pan Nalin, is an Indian filmmaker, best known for directing award-winning movies like '' Samsara'' (2001), '' Valley of Flowers'' (2006), '' Angry Indian Goddesses'' (2015) and the semi-autobiographical ' ...
's 2015 film
Angry Indian Goddesses, which premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
.
Band members
*Paras Thakur – Lead & Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*Ramit Mehra – Bass Guitar
*Sahil Sarin – Drums, Percussion
Past Members
*Anand Sharma - Guitarist, Vocals
* Raman Negi – Lyrics, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
* Abhinav Bansal - Acoustic Guitar
* Abhinish Goinjihar – Acoustic Guitar
History
Early years
The Local Train began in
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
in 2008 when Ramit, who was working in radio, theatre and performing with several local bands, collaborated with Raman on a song. Soon after, Ramit introduced Raman to Sahil, a well-known independent musician and educator in the circuit, who had known Ramit since their school days and they formed The Local Train. In 2011, Paras joined the band, replacing Abhinav, and dropped out of his
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...
course. In 2012, Raman quit his job at TCS to pursue music full time and the band relocated to
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
.
Throughout this period, they functioned independently; they handled the management and logistics while simultaneously working on songs and releasing them online. Their single "Choo Lo" was released on
MySpace
Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
in 2009 and continued to be refined until its music video release in 2011. Other singles released then include "Aaoge Tum Kabhi" and "Kaisey Jiyun" in 2014.
2015–2016
The Local Train had recorded most of their debut album ''Aalas Ka Pedh'' when they won
Sennheiser's first Top50 band talent hunt in India in 2015, bagging an endorsement from Sennheiser. They finished the album, which contained two of their previously released singles, and released it with Flying Carpet Productions in September 2015. The album was mastered by
Chris Hesse and was one of the highest selling Indian rock albums of the year, featuring on the “Most Streamed Rock Albums
'' list on
Apple Music India. In November 2015 they signed on with Spectal Management.
The Local Train worked extensively with The Morpheus Productions for their initial music videos. The first video was for "Aaoge Tum Kabhi", which featured in
Pan Nalin
Nalin Kumar Pandya, popularly known as Pan Nalin, is an Indian filmmaker, best known for directing award-winning movies like '' Samsara'' (2001), '' Valley of Flowers'' (2006), '' Angry Indian Goddesses'' (2015) and the semi-autobiographical ' ...
's 2015 film
Angry Indian Goddesses that premiered at The
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
. Their second music video for Kaise Jiyun featured a performance by choreographer Ryan Martyr. The Dil Mere video was shot in
Solang Valley and
Manali, and was produced by Snow Leopard Productions, and Atharva Studios.
2017–present
The Local Train released Khudi in 2017, a single from their second album. Its music video starred
Arjun Mathur
Arjun Mathur (born 18 October 1981) is a British people, British-Indian people, Indian actor working predominantly in Bollywood, Hindi films, web series and television serials. He was seen internationally in the British drama series ''Indian Su ...
, was directed by Vijesh Rajan and produced by Jungle Book Entertainment. It won Platinum Film of The Year at the 2017
India Film Project Awards. The second album Vaaqif was released in January 2018, with mixing and mastering done by Erich Talaba. The band toured extensively in 21 cities before the album launch. In 2018, they released Mizaaj's music video, their first foray into animation that was conceptualized and animated by Ekabhuya Animation. A cyber-punk themed animated video for Gustaakh soon followed, produced by Plexus studios and edited by Shreyas Beltangdy. It was selected for the 18th Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival, and chosen as one of
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
’s 11 best Indian music videos for 2019.
The band has posted on their Instagram channel to confirm about the release of a third album.
In April 2022, it was revealed that vocalist Raman Negi had left the band in December 2021. However, the band reported they will continue making music. Raman Negi released his debut solo album, "Shaksiyat" later that year.
The band collaborated with Lucky Ali in 2024 on Tu Hai Kahaan for Shirsha Guha Thakurta's "Do Aur Do Pyaar".
Style and themes
The Local Train’s music uses a blend of
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
and
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
lyrics, and has been described as soulful, evocative, and anthemic.
The band cites their musical influences to include
Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
,
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
,
U2,
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
,
Lucky Ali
Maqsood Mahmood Ali (born 19 September 1958), better known as Lucky Ali, is an Indian singer, songwriter, and actor. He is considered an important artist to popularize pop culture and albums in Indian music and is considered one of the finest a ...
,
The 1975
The 1975 are
an English pop rock
band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...
, and
Alt-J
Alt-J (stylised as alt-J, real name Δ) are an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds. Their lineup includes Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Thom Sonny Green (drums), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals), and formerly Gwil Sainsbury ...
.
They have expressed a desire to “put the Hindi in the indie”, and to make a mark on audiences looking to switch from mainstream
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
to other genres of music.
While Aalas ka Pedh was more
pop-rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
inclined, showing the evolution of the band's music, the band started to experiment with larger themes in their second album Vaaqif. The tracks and accompanying videos explore diverse topics and stories including those about
communalism
Communalism may refer to:
* African communalism, a system of interdependence in rural Africa
* Christian communism, form of religious communism based on Christianity
* Communalism (Bookchin), a theory of government in which autonomous communities ...
,
faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...
,
existentialism
Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and valu ...
,
self-actualisation
Self-actualization, in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, is the highest personal aspirational human need in the hierarchy. It represents where one's potential is fully realized after more basic needs, such as for the body and the ego, have been fulfill ...
, over-dependence on technology, and oppressive regimes.
Tours and live shows
Music festivals
*Falcon Festival, Dima Hasao, Assam(2021)
* Grubfest (2017)
*
Bacardi NH7 Weekender (2017, 2018 )
*
Bacardi NH7 Weekender Express (Jaipur 2018, Chandigarh 2018 )
* Red Bull Bus Tour (2018)
*
OnePlus Festival (2019).
*
Udaipur World Music Festival (2019)
* He Ha Story (2019)
* Repertwahr festival (2019)
* SULA fest (2020)
Tours
* 7 City Summer Tour (2018)
* 7 City Summer Tour (2019)
College festivals
The band has performed at colleges in more than 90 cities across India including
* Confluence 2016,
NIT Kurukshetra
National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra (NIT Kurukshetra or NITKKR) is a public technical and research university located in Kurukshetra, Haryana, India. In December 2008, it was accredited with the status of Institute of National Import ...
* Kashiyatra 2017
IIT (BHU) Varanasi
* Synapse 2017 & Synapse 2018
DA-IICT (Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology), Gandhinagar
* TechNITi 2019
National Institute of Technology Jalandhar
* Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi
* Vivacity 2015, 201
The LNM Institute of Information Technology, Jaipur*HILLFFAIR 2016, 2019
National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur
National Institute of Technology Hamirpur (NIT Hamirpur or NITH) is a Public university, public technical university located in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India. It was declared to be an Institute of National Import ...
*
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune (IISER Pune) is an autonomous public university established in 2006. It is one of the seven Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, and was one of the first IISERs to be ...
*
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
*
Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-Hyderabad or IIT-H) is a public technical university located in Kandi near the Sangareddy district in the Indian state of Telangana. As with all Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), IIT Hy ...
*
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT- Delhi) is a public institute of technology located in Delhi, India. It is one of the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology created to be a Centre of Excellence for India's training, research and developme ...
*
Indian Institute of Technology, (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad
*AARUUSH 2018,
SRM Institute of Science and Technology
SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) is a private deemed university located in Kattankulathur, (near Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India. Founded in 1985 as SRM Engineering College in Kattankulathur, it gained the deemed University status ...
*Breeze 2018,
Shiv Nadar University
Shiv Nadar University (Institute of Eminence) is a private university located near Greater Noida, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was founded in 2011 by Shiv Nadar, the founder and chairman of HCL.
History
The university ...
*Effervescence 2018,
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad
The Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (IIIT-Allahabad), is a public university located in Jhalwa, Prayagraj (previously known as Allahabad) district, in Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the twenty-five Indian Institutes of Infor ...
*Waves 2019, BITS Goa
*Kaalrav 2018, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology
*Espektro 2020, Kalyani Government Engineering College
* Ingenium 2018,
Ahmedabad University
Ahmedabad University is a private, non-profit research university located in Gujarat, India. Established in 2009 by the Ahmedabad Education Society, it comprises six schools and ten centres. The university offers a liberal education focused on ...
*Odyssey 2017,
Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi
*MAFFICK 2019, MANIT Bhopal
*VIT Bhopal 2019
*Symbiosis Jaipur 2019
*Recstacy 2019,
National Institute of Technology, Durgapur
National Institute of Technology Durgapur (also known as NIT Durgapur or NITDGP), formerly known as Regional Engineering College, Durgapur (also known as REC Durgapur or RECDGP), is a public technical university in the city of Durgapur in Wes ...
*NITRUTSAV 2016, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela
Other shows
The band has performed at venues including
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a chain of theme restaurant, theme bar-restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos, hotels and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll ...
, Farzi Cafe, Flea Bazaar Cafe, Fandom Bangalore, and Phoenix Market City.
Discography
;''Aalas Ka Pedh'' ()
Released on 25 September 2015.
;''Vaaqif'' ()
Released on 19 January 2018.
Film
* ''
Do Aur Do Pyaar'' (2024)
** "Tu Hai Kahaan"
References
External links
Official WebsiteYoutube ChannelFacebook PageInstagram PageTwitter Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Local Train, The
Indian rock music groups