A unique soundscape is taking over the city. If you enjoy dancing your Friday nights away, chances are that you have heard of homeBound. Started by three Kolkatans, this one-of-a-kind project is crafting experiences with music from around the world, but with a touch of home. My Kolkata brings you their story.
Bringing the team together
The trio were raised in Kolkata, but their journeys diverged onto different paths. While (stage names) PhreshPrince moved to Nottingham for university, TEEJ spent a decade working in New York. RVD moved to Mumbai to pursue hip-hop, and was signed by a management agency. Somehow, fate brought them together this April, when TEEJ decided to move back home.
“New York is a melting pot of all cultures, and I wanted to incorporate sounds from the entire world that I had been exposed to, while making music at home,” TEEJ explains. With this vision, he reached out to both Phresh and RVD.
“TEEJ and I connected on Instagram last year, when I came across his production edits. He told me about his plans to move back to India, and expressed a desire to work together,” shares Phresh. RVD had a similar encounter, “When he decided to return to India, we got on a call, discussing how we could create a community for art and culture through music. A safe space where people could be themselves and belong.” Phresh had DJ’d at RVD’s rap gigs before, so the thing came full circle.
RVD is the emcee and rapper of the group, making crowds sing along to his verses
The goal was simple: to combine their unique sensibilities in world music with their roots not just in Kolkata, but across India. Instead of the popular Bollywood tunes that prevail at most clubs, their gigs would draw inspiration from hip-hop, R&B, soul, jazz, afro beat, Punjabi folk, Bengali folk, Indian classical, kuduro, house and even rap.
Armed with this idea, Phresh, TEEJ and RVD performed their first gig to a packed Miss Ginko on May 3. Five gigs and five months later, the enthusiasm is just as electric.
What is ‘homeBound’?
“Despite being scattered around the world, those with roots in this city always find their way back. homeBound is for anyone who left Kolkata, but always found home waiting for them here. The feeling you get when you return for Durga Puja — that’s what we want to make people feel at our gigs. It’s actually ‘anti-nostalgic’, because these sounds never left you,” beams RVD.
The priority is quality over quantity, especially when it comes to sound. A lot of the investment has gone into production, with live sound engineers ensuring that the audience has the best auditory experience. The trio have also collaborated with guest performers across genres like sarod-player Soumalya Sareswari and tabla-player Sukrit Sen to provide room for serendipity. “We want to give an 8-D experience, where people feel that the sound is coming from all the sides, but doesn’t hurt their ears or chest,” smiles RVD.
(L-R) Both PhreshPrince and TEEJ produce original music across genres
Another non-negotiable aspect is to build a community through the gigs. “We don't just perform, we make the audience a part of our performance. From the get go, they chant and jump with us,” he beams. TEEJ adds, “To make it an inclusive and safe space, we reached out to marginalised communities who haven't historically felt included in spaces like this. We're trying to keep it accessible by not having exorbitant ticket prices, and each homeBound event has a healthy balance of different social groups coming together.” homeBound has forged a partnership with Make Calcutta Relevant Again (MCRA) to further this vision. “We have volunteers from MCRA at our gigs to help out. Anytime anyone feels even the slightest bit uncomfortable, they can just tap one of them on the shoulders, and the situation will be taken care of,” explains TEEJ.
In order to give back, homeBound has partnered with several small businesses run by marginalised groups to create opportunities for them to market themselves at gigs. They have also used the gigs as a platform to raise funds for storm-ravaged areas in the Sunderbans. “We want to change the dynamic with venues, where folks from organisations or communities that are normally not seen at clubs, aren't discriminated against at the door,” Phresh says.
The desire to ‘give a little extra’ is an integral part of their gigs. The idea is to be an accessible and personalised experience, rather than an exclusive one. “Everything from the light and decor to the accessories is curated with attention. We keep Japanese fans for people to cool off with while dancing, which they can take home too. Much like how moms would give us dahi-cheeni for any big event, we conclude our gigs with ice cream to thank people for dancing with us,” RVD smiles.
The journey so far
While the troupe started small with the gig at Miss Ginko, they have since only grown bigger, with performances at Cobo Calcutta and Taki Taki. Last month, they even dropped by Offbeat CCU to pep up the Durga Puja celebrations. The next gig is slated for October 26 at Little Bit Sober, getting the city into the festive mood once again. You can get your tickets here.
Phresh has observed a marked evolution among audiences since their first gig. “We started with playing more popular tracks, but the response has really instilled confidence within us. We’re playing more niche music now, which really feels like our sound,” he adds. RVD recounts an instance from their first gig at Cobo, where a technical failure brought a halt to the sound, prompting the audience to join in with their chants. “I decided to go into freestyle rap, and another member of the audience joined with their instrument!”
TEEJ emphasises on sustainability as their next goal. “Our job as musicians is to earn their trust with familiar sounds, and then push their boundaries. Once we build this base, our eventual plan is to build a model where everyone who works with us gets paid well. Since we see this as a long-term thing, our goal is to make it profitable, while keeping it accessible.”
Singing off, Phresh expresses a vision for homeBound that transcends boundaries. “Seeing the response has given us confidence to organise even larger gigs. As the cultural capital, we want to take our sound outside the geography of this city, and even this country!”