ARTICLES | WEIRDO

Interview with Kieran Dhanjal, guitarist of Ishtar Terra

Kieran Dhanjal, guitarist and founder of extreme metal band Ishtar Terra chats with Meerat Kaur about life, music and his love for the heaviest of metal ahead of the release of the band's debut EP 'Isolator'.

MusicWEIRDO ZineAugust 19, 2024Meerat Kaur, Interview, Indian, UK, Extreme MetalComment

We Are Lady Parts returns for its 'villain era’

Nida Manzoor's We Are Lady Parts returns for its much-anticipated second series on Channel 4. The British TV series follows all-female Muslim punk band Lady Parts as they navigate friendship, love and music in London.

Film / TV / StageWEIRDO ZineMay 30, 2024Aditi D, Review, Muslim, UK, PunkComment

Interview with Alexandra D’Sa – cast member of new play SILENCE exploring Partition

SILENCE, the new play from Tara Theatre, brings personal testimonies from Partition to life on stage – to break the silence. Swetha Charles interviews cast member Alexandra D’sa about her relationship to Partition and her thoughts on the play.

Film / TV / StageWEIRDO ZineApril 8, 2024Swetha Charles, Interview, Indian, Partition, UKComment

Interview with Dalit rights academic and activist Dr Suraj Yengde

Leading Dalit rights academic and author of Caste Matters (2019) Dr Suraj Yengde recently featured in Origin, the film based on the life of journalist Isabel Wilkerson as she writes the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Puja Nandi chats with Suraj about the film, Dalit rights and the diaspora’s lack of engagement in conversations around casteism.

ActivismPuja NandiApril 8, 2024Puja Nandi, Interview, Indian, Dalit, India, Caste Comment

Interview Arvin Bancil – Popes Of Chillitown bassist

Arvin Bancil, bassist in London-based ska/punk/dub/reggae band Popes Of Chillitown, chats to WEIRDO ahead of their headline set at Gorilla for Manchester Punk Festival.

MusicWEIRDO ZineApril 6, 2024Tayyaba, Indian, UK, Ska, Ska-punkComment

WEIRDO Collective at Manchester Punk Festival 2024

“Both Manchester Punk Festival and WEIRDO have given me such a sense of belonging.” WEIRDO Collective members reflect on their time at Manchester Punk Festival 2024 and share highlights from the sets of Saffiyah Khan, Popes of Chillitown, KILL, THE ICON! and King Prawn.

Events, MusicWEIRDO ZineApril 5, 2024Neil Parmar, Tayyaba, Naz Toorabally, Indian, Pakistani, Mauritian, UK, Punk, Ska-punkComment

The Rise of South Asian Diaspora Narratives in Gaming

As the gaming world diversifies the narratives and stories being told, Neil Parmar shares his thoughts on the rise of South Asian diaspora gaming narratives in games like Venba and Thirsty Suitors.

WEIRDO ZineMarch 27, 2024Gaming, Neil ParmarComment

Origin: depicting Isabel Wilkerson’s extraordinary book on caste

Origin, tells the story of Isabel Wilkerson as she embarks on writing and publishing her book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents was published. Starring Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and directed by Ava DuVernay (When They See Us, 13th). From Nazi Germany to caste discrimination in India, this film explores how people can be capable of such hate.

Activism, Identity / CultureWEIRDO ZineMarch 11, 2024Puja Nandi, Review, Film Review, USA, CasteComment

South Asian Women in Rock Music

A non-exhaustive list of South Asian women making rock music. When people ask “where are all the South Asian women in rock music?” send them this list!

MusicWEIRDO ZineMarch 8, 2024Naz Toorabally, Zee Ahmed, Nandita Suria, Ella Patenall, Listicle, Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Nepal, Punk, Goth, Shoegaze, Metal, Post-punkComment

Ithaca's Sam Chetan-Welsh on the evolving landscape of diversity and inclusion in metal

Neil Parmar interviews Sam Chetan-Welsh, a guitarist and a founding member of British metalcore band Ithaca, about how his Indian heritage has informed his music and the evolving landscape of diversity and inclusion in metal. This interview is part of WEIRDO’s ‘We Are The Weirdos, Aunty-ji’ series.

MusicWEIRDO ZineFebruary 19, 2024Neil Parmar, Interview, Indian, Hindu, UK, Metal, We Are The WeirdosComment

Urvah Khan: Scrap rock, self-belief and success across borders

Zee Ahmed interviews Canadian-Pakistani musician and festival organiser Urvah Khan about being a Pakistani kid growing up with the music scene in Toronto, reconciling Muslim tradition with Western culture, and what inspired her to start ScrapFest. This interview is part of WEIRDO’s ‘We Are The Weirdos, Aunty-ji’ series.

MusicWEIRDO ZineFebruary 19, 2024Zee Ahmed, Interview, Pakistani, Muslim, Canada, Punk, We Are The WeirdosComment

My Vitriol’s Som Wardner on nu-gaze, burnout and what success looks like

Neil Parmar interviews guitarist and lead singer of My Vitriol about his career in the music industry and the band’s 14-year hiatus. This interview is part of WEIRDO’s ‘We Are The Weirdos, Aunty-ji’ series.

MusicWEIRDO ZineDecember 12, 2023Neil Parmar, Interview, Sri Lankan, UK, Shoegaze, We Are The WeirdosComment

“Were we this sick?” In conversation with Rupa Marya, author of Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Justice

Rupa Marya is a doctor and the co-author of Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice. In this interview, Rupa speaks about the core theme in the book: the relationships between our health and the injustices of our political and economic systems, and shares the ways in which she’s dismantling systems of oppression through mutual aid.

Activism, LiteratureWEIRDO ZineDecember 8, 2023Rajen Bhatt, Interview, Indian, Sikh, USA, Mutual AidComment

Sonic Boom Six release new single ‘Future Shock’ and announce RE:Generation compilation album

Genre-smashing Sonic Boom Six are back with a boom! Recently dropped ‘Future Shock’ is the brand new track and lead single off their upcoming compilation album ‘RE:Generation’. Plus, the band are on tour this October.

MusicWEIRDO ZineOctober 7, 2023Review, Pakistani, UK, Ska-punk, Punk, TayyabaComment

Cornershop’s Tjinder Singh on Enoch Powell, how making guitar music was sacrilege and the meaning of ‘Brimful of Asha’

Puja Nandi speaks with Tjinder Singh of the influential British band Cornershop who formed in the 90s. This interview is part of WEIRDO’s ‘We Are The Weirdos, Aunty-ji’ series.

MusicWEIRDO ZineOctober 3, 2023Puja Nandi, Interview, Indian, UK, Indie, AlternativeComment

Nabihah Iqbal dazzles London’s EartH Hackney

Nabihah Iqbal dazzles at her biggest headline show to date at EartH Hackney, ending her UK tour at home in London. The British Pakistani artist takes her audience on a journey through her ethereal, shoegaze, electro-inflected world.

MusicWEIRDO ZineOctober 2, 2023Puja Nandi, Review, Pakistani, UK, ShoegazeComment

10 Famous Bands With South Asian Members

South Asian musicians have always been present in rock music. Here’s a list of ten of the most famous and influential bands with South Asian members from the UK and North America.

MusicWEIRDO ZineAugust 29, 2023Listicle, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Tamil, British, American, UK, North America, Punk, Rock, Britpop, Grunge, Indie, Naz Toorabally Comment

Pinkshift bring down The Underworld in London

Pinkshift have been non-stop touring in the US and are finally back in the UK for the second time for what they’ve called the ‘Britshift’ tour (plus a show in Belgium). We caught their show at The Underworld in Camden Town, London, with support from The Sex Patels and Just.

MusicWEIRDO ZineAugust 25, 2023Review, Live Review, Indian, USA, North America, Emo, Grunge, Post-hardcoreComment