The first time I watched Bloodywood live, it was a rip-roaring ride through sonic hybrids that sounded good on paper but had never been executed with such confidence and skill. Watching this metal band live is an experience to remember. This high-octane group seems to have cracked the code to incorporating desi music into the metal genre, and gaining global recognition for Indian metal, a feat that seemed unachievable until now. Not only is the New-Delhi-based group playing at practically every significant music festival in India, they had a successful U.S. tour in 2022 (called 'Nine Inch Naas') and are currently touring across 10 countries including Germany, Italy, UK and Belgium.
Bloodywood is the first Indian metal band to break into the Billboard charts with their debut album, Rakshak. After the release of the album back in February 2022, it debuted at number 93 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart and at number 46 on the Top Current Album Sales chart.
The reason this band has exploded not only in India but also globally is because it brings a whole new flavour to the heavy metal genre with its own kind of fusion inspired in equal parts by bhangra, Bollywood and folk. It comprises Karan Katiyar on guitars and flute, Jayant Bhadula and Raoul Kerr on vocals, Roshan Roy on bass, Vishesh Singh on drums and Sarthak Pahwa on Indian percussion.
They are all set to perform at the first Indian edition of the iconic Lollapalooza festival to be held at Mahalaxmi Race Course in South Mumbai in collaboration with Bookmyshow. With a lineup boasting 40 international (including Imagine Dragons, Greta Van Fleet and The Strokes) and Indian acts (including Easy Wanderlings, Prateek Kuhad and The F16s) performing music across genres. In an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal on the eve of the festival, rapper and vocalist Raoul Kerr said, “We leave every single bit of energy we have on that stage, every single time.” He talks about what to expect when they take the Lolla stage on January 28th.
Congratulations on being the first Indian metal band to break into the Billboard charts, with your album Rakshak. What makes the album special for you?
Thanks! It's special to all of us in the same way because it was nice to prove to ourselves and everyone else what we're capable of. It represents the best of our efforts to build on our original sound. It was about taking risks, evolving and a couple of wild experiments that all paid off. We also saw a new level of support from our followers – which is saying something because they're the reason we can be full-time musicians and chase our dreams, but the way they pushed the album was unbelievable.
The way Bloodywood combines Indian folk with metal is uninimitable. How did the band arrive at this particular sonic signature?
It was more like a moment of inspiration. Karan experimented with layering the dhol with heavy guitars and discovered there was something there. He immediately tried it on our cover of Mundian to Bach Ke and we got a very big response from the audience. We used in Tunak Tunak which was even bigger and then in Ari Ari we added hip hop and the flute and it went viral across the world.
Bloodywood has become the poster child for Indian metal overseas. You've been playing the festival circuit harder than any Indian act in 2022-2023. How do the members stay in peak mental and physical shape in the midst of all this traveling?
We have a laugh every single time the opportunity presents itself and our travels, not matter how difficult they have been at times, are filled with a lot of happy memories. We also have open discussions after tours to give each other feedback and discuss the good and bad sides of the tour to ensure we're all on the same wavelength. Apart from that, a few of us work out regularly. Some of us work out in the build up to tours and some of us don't work out at all because at the end of the day the performance itself is so physically intense that playing every day is enough to keep anyone in decent shape. Not to mention lifting and setting up all our equipment.
You're performing at the first iteration of the iconic Lollapalooza festival in India. What can we expect from Bloodywood's set at Lolla India 2023?
A riot. This set is harder than anything else we've had to do live but we're carrying 6 months of rigorous practice and hardcore experience into our performance at Lollapalooza India 2023. The festival has generated a lot of hype and we can tell how excited everyone is, so we're going to do our best to match that hype and go beyond.
Your band is known to sing from the gut and play from the heart. How do you manage to rouse the same level of infectious energy in the crowd gig after gig?
We leave every single bit of energy we have on that stage, every single time. The credit goes to the crowd who is able to match that energy and sometimes even raise our energy levels in return. It's a two-way street.
Apart from music, what other interests do the group members bond over?
Videogames, movies, football and anime.
What's next after Lollapalooza India 2023?
The 'Odball' festival in Delhi and Bangalore in February.
Tickets available on Bookmyshow.com
