10 Famous Bands With South Asian Members
Words by Naz Toorabally
South Asian musicians have always been present in rock music. Yet, people in the music industry (and many fans alike) still believe that there are “no Asians in guitar music”. With thriving rock and metal scenes across Asia - including the Indian subcontinent – as regularly documented by Unite Asia, we know it’s bullshit. It’s not by accident that South Asian representation in alternative music is almost non-existent on the big stages if industry professionals openly tell emerging artists that “Indians don’t sell” and that we have to “appeal to white people to be successful”. The lack of support and discrimination even comes within our own communities by those who see us as devil worshippers, weirdos, coconuts, and white-washed for simply liking alternative music.
But despite this, South Asian people around the world continue to listen to and create alternative music. In the UK and North America, there have seen several bands that have risen to fame with South Asian members over the past few decades. This is a list of ten of the most famous and influential bands with South Asian members.
Disappointingly, only one of these bands features a South Asian woman. That’s not to say that South Asian women aren’t making guitar music because they are, and you can discover some of the brilliant South Asian women in alternative music via our Spotify playlist. Women are notoriously underrepresented in rock music – and this is especially true for women of colour – in part due to the wider discrimination and lack of opportunities faced by women across the music industry.
Here’s a list of ten famous rock bands with members of South Asian heritage. You’ll likely be familiar with most, if not all, of these bands - but were you aware that one or more of their members is of South Asian descent?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, so let us know who is missing in the comments.
1. Soundgarden - Kim Thayil (lead guitarist)
Kim Thayil is a guitarist and was a co-founding member of American grunge band Soundgarden, who formed in 1984. He is a self-taught guitarist and started teaching himself to play guitar at the age of 15. Kim is a renowned guitarist having been named the one of the ‘100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time’ by Rolling Stone in 2010 and has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.
His signature heavy riffing, irregular time signatures and heavy chorus effects made Kim one of the most inventive guitarists in the ‘Seattle Sound’ scene of the 90s. A scene that birthed many successful grunge bands including Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam. He also played in post-punk band Identity Crisis and provided significant instrumental contributions to electronic band Pigeonhed, demonstrating his versatility.
Kim’s parents emigrated from the state of Kerala in India to the United States. He was born in Seattle, Washington and raised in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Shanti Thayil, was a music teacher who studied to be a concert pianist at the Royal Academy of Music.
Despite his mother being a concert pianist, Kim credits his musical education to listening to Kiss as a teenager, putting the record straight in an interview with Spin in 2017: “My mom’s been going around saying how proud she is of me, but she also talks about the good genes she supposes I hate and what my excellent musical upbringing did for me. Sorry, mom. I know you studied to be a concert pianist at the Royal Academy of Music, I know you were a music teacher for 20 years, but I got my musical education from locking myself in my room as a teenager and listening to Kiss.”
We couldn’t find Kim on social media, but he and the surviving members of Soundgarden regularly share updates on the official Soundgarden Instagram and @nudedragonsofficial on Instagram.
2. No Doubt - Tony Kanal (bassist)
Tony Kanal is the bassist and co-writer of American ska punk rock band No Doubt. He started learning bass at the age of 15, although the first instrument he learnt to play was the saxophone - it was his father’s favourite instrument, so he bought him one.
Tony joined No Doubt at the age of 16 after being invited to the band’s first official club show in 1987 by their original drummer as they were looking for a new bassist. The band subsequently launched to fame after signing to Interscope Records in 1991.
Although No Doubt has been on hiatus since 2015, Tony has remained the bassist in the band. He is a versatile bassist, drawing inspiration from ska, funk, soul, disco, punk and more. He also played in new wave supergroup DREAMCAR, worked with artists such as Pink and Weezer, and has toured with The Offspring as their session bassist.
Tony’s father was originally from Sukkur, Sindh (in what is now Pakistan) and his mother was from Mumbai, India. His parents emigrated from India to London, England, where he was born and spent most of his early years. After spending brief periods living in Toronto, Canada and Munster, Indiana before eventually returning to London, Tony and his family moved to the United States when he was 11 years old, where they settled in Anaheim, California.
Outside of his work as a musician, Tony is also an animal rights activist and has been vegan since the birth of his daughter in 2012.
Follow Tony on Instagram where he shares updates with his family and friends, throwbacks and music updates.
3. Cornershop - Tjinder Singh (vocals, guitars, bass, dholki)
Tjinder Singh is a multi-instrumentalist (vocals, guitar, bass, dholki) and a founding member of the iconic British, genre-defying band Cornershop. His dad moved to Wolverhampton in the West Midlands from India on recommendation by a family member, and was followed by his mum and older brother, Avtar. Tjinder was born in Wolverhampton in 1968 – the same year that Enoch Powell (then MP for Wolverhampton South West) gave his infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech. In an interview with The Guardian, Tjinder recalls “my father said to me once: they’ll not always want you here in this country. That’s always stuck with me. And that’s why our songs have always reflected that right from the start.”
Before Cornershop there was General Havoc, formed by Tjinder and Ben Ayres (guitar, keyboards, and tamboura) in 1987. They then formed Cornershop in 1991 in Leicester, England along with Tjinder’s brother Avtar (bass, guitar, vocals) and drummer David Chambers. Avtar left the band in 1995.
Cornershop’s music expertly blends Punjabi folk, indie rock, electronic dance music and pop influences. To date, Cornershop have released 9 albums and a number of singles and EPs. Their third studio album ‘When I Was Born for the 7th Time’ (1997) received high critical acclaim – which features ‘Brimful of Asha’, made world famous following Fatboy Slim’s remix. Cornershop also toured with Oasis, Beck and Stereolab.
In a soon-to-be-published interview with WEIRDO, Tjinder said “Me and my brother [Avtar] liked alternative [music], so we were cut off from our own community. It was our own Asian community that ostracised us before anyone else. For an Asian to be in a band, it was as rare as hen’s teeth. For an Asian to have a guitar, that was sacrilege.” But that didn’t stop them, and just as well because Tjinder and Cornershop have paved the way for many British South Asian musicians.
Follow Cornershop on Instagram for a glimpse into Cornershop HQ.
4. Echobelly - Sonya Madan (lead vocals)
Sonya Madan is the lead singer and lyricist in the alternative rock band Echobelly. Born in Delhi, India, Sonya moved to England with her family when she was two years old. Sonya is another person on this list who we interviewed in the second issue of WEIRDO Zine, where she mentioned that the stereotype of Indian parents being unsupportive of their children pursuing a career in the arts sadly prevailed for her. However, she also told us that her dad “mellowed a little after reading about Echobelly in The Times of India,” which is a classic Indian dad seal of approval.
In 1992, Sonya met Glenn Johansson (guitarist) and soon after they formed Echobelly, releasing their debut single ‘Bellyache’ in 1993. Little did they know how successful the band would go on to be, playing world tours and being dubbed as one of the most influential British bands of the Britpop era and beyond. They received much praise from R.E.M (who they supported on tour), and Madonna who tried, unsuccessfully, to sign them to her label. Their second album ‘On’ was the most commercially successful, reaching number four on the UK album charts.
While Echobelly’s lineup has changed over the years, Sonya and Glenn remained collaborators, and they continue to perform live under Echobelly today, and in 2021 released remastered versions of albums ‘People Are Expensive’ and ‘Gravity Pulls’. Sonya also featured in the Netflix docuseries ‘This Is Pop’ in the episode ‘Hail Britpop!’ alongside Miki Berenyi (Lush) and Skin (Skunk Anansie).
For updates from Sonya, follow her on Twitter or Echobelly on Instagram.
5. Billy Talent - Ian D’Sa (lead guitarist)
Ian D’Sa is the lead guitarist and co-songwriter of Canadian rock band Billy Talent. He is also a producer and co-produced Billy Talent’s second album ‘Billy Talent II’, and entirely produced the band’s fourth and fifth albums. Fun fact: Ian co-wrote the track ‘Ain't That Kinda Girl’ by Canadian hard rock band Diemonds which is fronted by Priya Panda.
Born in Southall, London to parents from Goa, India, Ian and his family moved to Ontario, Canada when he was three years old. He started learning to play the guitar at the age of 13 - he asked for a guitar for his birthday after being inspired by the Led Zeppelin film ‘The Song Remains the Same’ (1976). We interviewed Ian in The Music Issue and he reflected on how supportive his parents were of him in being involved in the arts and they encouraged him to enrol into art college.
After trying to form several bands during high school, Ian met his longtime bandmates at a high school talent show. They formed a band called Pezz in 1993 and would later be known as Billy Talent in 1999. Billy Talent played in the underground scene for years before they gained more mainstream success.
Ian has a signature guitar style characterised by a cleaner tone and fast multiple-note riffs creating a percussive sound. Of his style, he said to Ultimate Guitar: “I wanted to figure out a way to play leads and rhythms at the same time and I guess I kind of just developed that style of playing.”
Ian isn’t too active on Instagram, but you can sometimes find him interacting with fans on Twitter (although, he hasn’t shared an update since 2022 at the time of writing).
6. Sum 41 - Dave ‘Brownsound’ Baksh (lead guitarist)
Dave Baksh, also known by his stage name Dave Brownsound, is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter of Indo-Guyanese heritage. He’s best known as the lead guitarist in Canadian rock band Sum 41. He joined Sum 41 as the third member in 1997 after Deryck Whibley and Steve Jocz formed the band in the summer of 1996. He brought metal influences to the band, with his heavy guitar solos involving shredding and sweeping techniques.
In 2006, Dave quit Sum 41 (although he made a live guest appearance in 2008) to focus on his heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade which he co-founded with his cousin Vaughn Lal. He rejoined Sum 41 in 2015 and subsequently released two studio albums with the band. He also plays guitar in Organ Thieves alongside members of Brown Brigade and death punk four-piece Black Cat Attack. Dave also co-founded the merchandise company, Loud & Immortal.
Dave is pretty active on Instagram, sharing great guitar videos, behind the scenes updates and family updates.
7. Flyleaf - Sameer Bhattacharya (Guitar)
Sameer Bhattacharya is the lead guitarist and co-writer in American rock band Flyleaf. The band formed in Belton, Texas in 2002 and their debut album went platinum after selling more than one million copies. In 2016, Flyleaf went on hiatus and returned to making music together in 2022.
During Flyleaf’s hiatus, Sameer joined P.O.D on tour as their keyboardist between 2016 to 2018. He then made music as Belle and the Dragon, recruiting Flyleaf bassist and P.O.D drummer. He released his debut album ‘Birthrights’ in 2020 which he described as “an existential crisis put to music,” in an interview with PRS Guitars. He is also the founder and owner of Professor Bombay Sound, a music and studio production company based in Southern California.
Sameer is of Bangladeshi heritage and follows Christianity. And it’s Flyleaf’s shared Christian faith that has seen them be referred to as a Christian rock band and led them to amass a loyal Christian fanbase.
Follow Sameer on Instagram for tour updates.
8. Young the Giant - Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals)
Sameer Gadhia is the lead singer in American indie rock band Young the Giant; he also plays percussion, keyboards and guitar. The band formed in Irvine, California in 2004 as The Jakes and changed their name to Young the Giant in 2010.
Sameer is Indian-American and was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but grew up in Irvine, California. He comes from a family of musicians, particularly Indian classical, and his sister, mother, and grandmother are singers. He studied Human Biology at Stanford University, with the aim of going on to medical school, but in a classic move that would horrify most South Asian parents, he dropped out to pursue a career in music.
Sameer hasn’t posted on Instagram since 2022 at the time of writing, but you never know when he might start sharing updates again.
9. Bombay Bicycle Club - Suren de Saram (drummer)
Suren de Saram is the drummer of British indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club, named after a now defunct chain of Indian restaurants in London. The band formed in Crouch End, London in 2005 and released four albums and toured internationally before going on hiatus in 2016. In 2019, Bombay Bicycle Club announced their return to making music together and released their fifth studio album, ‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’, the following year.
Suren is the son of renowned UK-born Sri Lankan cellist Rohan de Saram, and his mother is of English heritage. His drumming and percussion skills extend beyond the drum kit as Suren also plays the timpani, tabla and the Kandyan drum of Sri Lanka.
Suren hasn’t posted on Instagram since 2021 at the time of writing, but who knows, he might start sharing updates again soon.
10. Kaiser Chiefs - Vijay Mistry (drummer)
Vijay Mistry is the drummer in British indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs. He’s self-taught and learnt by ear, and had been drumming for 18 years and playing in bands in Leeds before joining Kaiser Chiefs in 2013 following Nick Hodgson’s departure. He was invited to audition by Simon Rix (bassist) who was his former bandmate when he was at university in Leeds.
It was hearing his brother blasting Nirvana’s debut studio album ‘Bleach’ and subsequently ‘Nevermind’ when he was 13 years old that got him wanting to play music. He then started learning the drums when he was 14.
In an interview with DrumWise, Vijay talks about how his first drum setup was with dining chairs, pillows and wooden spoons. But after months of trying to persuade his parents to buy him a drum kit, he eventually managed to convince them. He finally got his hands on a kit after finding a listing for an old battered drum kit being sold by someone in a nearby village.
Vijay is Gujarati, and in an interview on BBC Asian Network he talks about how his parents were supportive of his desire to play music, saying “My folks have been great…properly ace from the beginning.” He also comments that his dad used to tap on the table and that watching him do that is partly what got him into drumming.
Follow Vijay on Instagram for sporadic updates.
Collage by WEIRDO // Image credits: Kim Thayil by Frank Schwichtenberg via Wikimedia Commons, Tony Kanal by SEarlbaum via Wikimedia Commons, Tjinder Singh by unknown, Sonya Madan by unknown, Ian D’Sa by Trevor Bowman, Dave Baksh by Stefan Brending via Wikimedia Commons, Sameer Bhattacharya via Discogs, Sameer Gadhia via Discogs, Suren de Saram by unknown, Vijay Mistry by unknown.
