Whether it’s a shoegaze band from Chandigarh, thrash metal act from Visakhapatnam, rapper from Kashmir, vocal folk quartet from Kohima, Tamil indie pop act from Madurai, or a singer-songwriter from Mussoorie, Maed in India is where you’ll discover it. Started in 2015, music nerd and ex-radio presenter Mae Mariyam Thomas showcases the best talent coming out of South Asia and its diaspora. The show is India’s first indie music podcast and prides itself on being the premier destination for new…
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We've hit the big 1-0, baby! And we've gone full circle (and slightly off the rails). Over the past few weeks, we've been rewinding through the years, bringing you our Best Of specials circa 2015. And now, we've gone COMPLETE inception with a 'Best of Best Of' special. Yep, you heard that right. Ten years, 300+ episodes, and countless bad jokes, Mae's back behind the mic, joined by Shaun, her…
Maed in India is 10 YEARS OLD and this episode we are spinning back to 2019! This year was a medley of emotions: righteous anger, spontaneous joy, extreme chaos, much yearning, an urge to leave parties early to go to sleep - it was also the year before we knew how bad the world could get. In this episode, we celebrate songs that reminisce about the time (almost) everyone left the band, and…
Maed in India is 10 YEARS OLD and we're going back to 2018. It was a year of hip hop, prog rock, pop, RnB and some unforgettable Maed moments: we hit our 150th episode (!!), got roasted by Benny Dayal's band Funktuation, and chatted with the gals from Ladies Compartment about feminism and constipation in the same breath. Essentials, I tell you. We also heard Smalltalk and Enkore jam on a song…
This week we're rewinding to 2020: a year that needs no introduction. Grief, loss, anxiety, chaos - it was heavy. And somehow, the music we featured that year mirrored all those messy, chaotic emotions of helplessness, of isolation, and loneliness - all of which came spilling out uncontrollably. This episode is about taking a pause and taking stock of the tiniest things. The good, the bad, the…
10 years of Maed in India and this week we're rewinding to 2017: a year of big firsts, bittersweet moments, and a whole lot of goosebumps. It was the year Maed in India went LIVE (!!) with Blackstratblues, celebrated our 100th episode with legends Indian Ocean in their Delhi studio, and even had Apache Indian drop by to sing acapella while on tour in India. We had tracks that gave us Goa vibes,…
It's our 10th birthday and this week we're flashing back to 2022 - a year full of musical catharsis, pandemic hangovers, and.... Ummm, well, mostly, pandemic hangovers yeah. We talked about how rainy day funds helped a band like Swarathma, others inspired #MaedMixtapes (looking at you, pop rock band from Nagaland, Trance Effect), and even music videos that were only made possible with samosa…
It's our birthday week, month, YEAAAR. Maed in India turns 10 and we're still feeling emo, nostalgic, and very, very proud. As we blow out the candles on a decade of discovering awesome Indian independent music, we're throwing it back to one of our most jam-packed years yet: 2016. We dropped a wild 45 episodes that year - a fever dream of folk, punk, blues, alt-rock and more. While most bands are…
We're 10 years old!!! And we're still reelin', reminiscing, and replaying the bangers that made our indie hearts beat faster. This week, we're flashing back to the not so distant past - our Best of 2023 - a year that gave us Assamese jazz-pop, Urdu blues, Punjabi folk, and a Marathi abhanga with a guitar solo that's soooo good, it deserves its own Aadhaar card. We even celebrated our 300th episode…
Maed in India turns 10! And the party continues as we throwback to the Best of 2015: Part Deux to celebrate a whole decade of Maed magic! Though this was released originally in 2016, it's looking back at 2015. It features artists who were just beginning to make waves, songs that didn't even have names, and even a track that became our studio engineer's ringtone. True story. This repackaged gem…
IT'S BEEN 1O YEARS! Yes, shocking but true, 10 years of Maed in India means it's time for us to show off some of the awesome music we've had on the show. You'll be getting a blast from bast as we celebrate Maed in India's 10th BIRTHDAY! Today, we're throwing it waaay back to where the magic began… in 2015 (the same year Hotline Bling was haunting us). This was the first time Mae picked her fave…
For the final episode of our Lost & Found series, Kolkata-bred dream-pop duo Parekh & Singh chat with Mae about how their musical upbringing influenced their songwriting today, why they aren't called "Zap" anymore, and the story of the classic tailor who makes their signature suits. They also dive deep into the making of The Night is Clear, an album that's as personal as it is dreamy. Some…
For the final episode of our Lost & Found series, we're handing over the aux to Maed in India's Head of Admin, HR, Production Coordinator, and all-round boss lady, Natasha. She's cooked up a mixtape packed with the most gangsta tracks, perfect to hype you up on a lame day, a much needed boost of confidence when you're feeling low, or even a sneaky dance break during an awkward conversation. So…
Next up in our Lost & Found series, we're bringing you an episode that proves music and self-discovery go hand in hand. Mae is joined by indie-pop singer-songwriter and producer Atteev. They also chat about his Ed Sheeran sad boy days, balancing a nine-to-five business career with his musical pursuits, his love for efficiency (I'm talking about Lima Sigma Seven Ninja Black Belt… whaaaaat), and how…
Ever lost something so good you kicked yourself for it? Well, we did. But lucky for you, we've found it! Welcome to our Lost & Found series, which features episodes we recorded but you've not had the chance to see! On the episode we've got brothers Sarthak and Shashwat Karkare with their rock duo, St. Cyril. If spending every waking minute with each other wasn't enough, then why not start a SECOND…
Pulling up at the best station from this nation, we have the Ladies Special coming in with Producer & chillwave, trip hop electronica artist from Delhi, Tarana Marwah aka Komorebi. She’s out with a new record that released in Sept 2023 called The Fall. It was a behemoth multimedia project that was 6 years in the making and includes a 6-song album, a 30-page comic book and music videos made with…
Halt all engines! For the 2nd instalment of our #LadiesSpecial, our train has taken us to jazz pop singer songwriter and budding actor Aditi Saigal, aka Dot.. Tune in as we find out about the first song she ever wrote (filled with that glorious youthful angst we know and love), as well as how she began playing piano at age of 6 and composing at the age of 12. Mae and Aditi bond over their Welsh…
Choo choo! Yaatri kripya dhyaan dein… Mumbai ki Maed in India Ladies special will be releasing a new episode every week in March, with women who inspire us in all the right ways. Agle station ki tayyaari rakhein. Opening this season is **drumroll** hip hop artist, singer, and metal vocalist: Pratika. She spills the beans about her days growling into a mic when she was barely a teenager for her…
Here’s a very special episode of Maed in India. You may have heard of this very cool gig called the Red Bull Tour Bus. It’s a behemoth music tour that travels across India, bringing you extraordinary Indian indie performances. It’s now been 10 years since it started and recently, our very own Mae Mariyam Thomas along with fellow music aficionados Nirmika Singh and Amit Gurbaxani were the judges…
On the special occasion of Sri Lanka’s Independence Day on Feb 4th, Mae sits down with Sri Lankan reggae/dub/rock band, The Soul. They chat about the band's insistence on NOT being a cover band and making only original music (and being a broke musician in the process), the sad sad situation of Sri Lanka’s economy but also how it’s not sad and everything is perfectly fine (right?). When talking…
This week on the show, we have bass player and producer NATE08 joining Mae in the studio. They discuss his debut full length album Furaha, from which he performs three songs with a little help from Jeremy D'souza on drums, Sid Shirodkar on keys, Harsh Gadhvi on the guitar, and Azamaan Hoyvoy on vocals. Nate also tells us about how his dad bought him his first bass, how a good drum-bass pairing…
It's that time of the year again, where we settle into changing 2023 to 2024 in our diary. However, before we completely say goodbye to 2023, Mae brings you the Best of 2023 (and no we’re not talking about that bikini vacation in Andaman), with her favourite music performances from the ghosts of Maed in India’s past! From celebrating 300 episodes with a cult band from the early 2000s, to Assamese…
We have New Delhi-bred, Singapore-based artist Anirudh Singh Chohan in the studio this week, as he chats with Mae about how his Dad introduced him to music from Mozart to ghazals to Simon & Garfunkel, starting an Instagram Live show during the pandemic, and about his extensive guitar collection. He also tells more about his debut EP Unequal Music , from which he plays us two songs and another…
We’ve got a new mixtape for you from our newest member of the Maed in India team, audio engineer & sound editor, Sarthak Ray. Savera is his recipe for mornings sponsored by Delhi nostalgia (yes, he’s a Delhi boy). Each song takes you through moments when you just want to stay in bed a little longer or need a big bang to kickstart your morning workouts. From comfort-pop, to funk rock and…
Mae gets chatting with Anoushka Maskey, a singer-songwriter originally from Gangtok, this week on Maed in India. Anoushka gets candid about feeling like she doesn’t belong anywhere, learning to play a right-handed guitar as a lefty from her elder brother, struggling at her corporate jobs before quitting to pursue music, and what it was like making her debut EP in her bedroom during the first…
Tune in this week for an auditory adventure led by Jishnu, the man behind Maed in India's visual wonders. This 'khichdi of a mixtape,' as he puts it, has been a long time coming, and takes you on a whirlwind of a musical journey with artists and genres reaching far and wide. From fuzzy guitar jams in Sikkim to indie rock in Chicago and some soul music from Delhi, we can't help but groove to these…
Kasto cha?! This week on Maed in India, we have an indie dream pop act band all the way from Kathmandu on show… Phosphenes! Mae chats with band members Abhishekh, Aman, and Prajwal about the indie music scene in Nepal, producing music in their bedrooms, visa woes and why Nepali momos are the best momos. And, of course, they perform four songs from their discography - harmonies and all. Song List:…
This week we have another new Maed in India producer, Meghna Gulati, with her first ever #MaedMixtape, 'Raahat - it translates to the cosiest kind of comfort. You know, that warm hug from a dear old friend or floating around lazily in a pool - it’s a gentle pause amidst the chaos. The songs on her mixtape are a whispered peace to her busy brain. And she hopes to bring that calm to you too. Song…
This week we have Maed in India’s newbie producer Ruchi Sawardekar with her first ever #MaedMixtape - Platypus. As an animal enthusiast, no creature has piqued her curiosity more than the odd looking, platypus. Ruchi brings you some of the most fascinating and bizarre facts about this Australian-native amphibian that’s got a paddle-shaped tail like a beaver; a sleek, furry body like an otter; and…
Maed in India’s sound wizard and Head of Audio Production, Kartik Kulkarni is back with his second mixtape. After the success of his previous mixtape ' Catnip ,' Kartik found himself in a creative drought, experiencing a 'Nakabandi' of ideas in his head. And guess what? That's exactly the title of his new mixtape! Grab your headphones and get ready to have your ears arrested to the beats of…
Maed in India’s illustrator and graphic designer Alika is back with another Maed Mixtape. As with her last mixtape ‘ Hippocampus ’, she chose the name because she really wanted to draw an islet, but came to realise that the songs she chose on this mixtape were also like islets – standout pieces of music amongst the waves. So put those headphones on, and head out to Alika’s islet! — Song List:…
Back with another mixtape after ‘ Mirinda ’ is Nikkethana aka Nikki, our producer at Maed in India. This time, she’s drawn an analogy between the changing seasons of nature and the changing circumstances of our lives. Let the songs on this mixtape make you experience a year full of Seasons! Song List: Utsavi Jha - Chanchal Mann (01:46 - 04:46) Nikhita Gandhi - Maharani (05:36 - 08:05) Sanskar…
This Maed Mixtape was brought to you by Sakshi, who works as an HR, Admin, and Production Assistant here at Maed in India. We’re not sure if she missed the memo and thought she was making a food video to teach us how to prepare her favourite dum biryani recipe, but she managed to bring it back to regular programming. So you get to enjoy a mixtape of great music while also getting to figure out how…
Put your backpack on and your school name tag because Mae’s back on mixtape duty and this time she’s brought her water bottle in tow. Those Milton water bottles were not just containers that stored water but the ultimate school accessory in the 90s. So grab your water bottle, take a refreshing sip and get ready to go dive into a pool of musical adventure with Mae. Song List: Till Apes - Whoa There…
Next up in this Maed Mixtape takeover by the Maed in India team is our audio engineer Lakshman. As a follow up to his previous mixtape ‘ Popcorn ’, something he can’t get enough of, he’s named this one after something even more dear to him – his beloved cup of joe. His methodical (read: obsessive) preparation process is the best part of his day, and the songs on this mixtape give him a similar…
We’re back with our second round of Maed Mixtapes made by yours truly, the Maed in India team! This week, Maed in India producer Husein returns with an aptly named mixtape with a playlist of songs that will transport you to a dreamy place far, far away. So fasten your seatbelts, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Thank you for choosing Maed in India Airways! Song List: Gooth - Her Song (02:27 -…
It’s time for yet another mixtape in this round of Team Maed mixtapes, as our very own graphic designer and illustrating wizard Alika Gupta puts together her own playlist of Indian indie music she enjoys. As a visual person, she named her Maed Mixtape after a mythological creature she wanted to draw for the mixtape cover. Nothing wrong with playing to your strengths! Nonetheless, it gave us a…
We may have left the Ladies Special behind us in March, but the conversation around woman in music must not end. So, on this episode of Maed in India, we’re featuring the prolific percussionist and producer, Swarupa Ananth. She tells us what it was like growing up around her first musical inspirations – her mother and grandmother, picking up the tabla at the age of 7, and how Zakir Hussain’s…
It’s the final chapter of our 2023 Ladies Special, and we’re featuring Bhojpuri folk artist Nimisha Shankar. She chats to Mae about how learning classical music as a child wasn’t something that interested her as much as singing folk music, interacting with Bhojpuri-speaking people from over 16 countries, and setting up Recalling Roots, a project that brings together musical & cultural identities…
This week, on our Ladies Special, Mae is joined by Carnatic musician and vocalist Sushma Soma, based in Singapore and Chennai. Sushma opens up about quitting her Big Four accounting job to pursue music full time, her passion for sustainability and the environment, as well as preserving traditional artforms. She even opens up about the often problematic power dynamic between guru and shishya in the…
Our Ladies Special is chugging along very nicely, and this episode is no different! We feature Assamese Soul-pop folk singer-songwriter Sampriti, who talks about instances of colourism she’s had to face in her life, landing a job as a performer on a cruise ship, and writing in Assamese coming to her naturally. Of course, she performs three songs in her signature style that marries Assamese lyrics…
We declare the 2023 edition of Maed in India’s Ladies Special open for your listening pleasure! It’s our annual celebration of women in independent music in India, and our theme this year goes back to our country’s musical roots. We’re featuring artists who showcase India’s rich heritage through their identity, regional language or music style. To get this show on the road we have…
It’s happening. No, this isn’t a dream. We can’t contain our excitement any longer. We have two HUGE reasons to celebrate. It’s Maed in India’s 300th episode!!! We’re celebrating this milestone with a band that’s been the soundtrack of the lives of college students through the late 90s and early 2000s. Mae has the iconic alt rock band Zero in the studio to celebrate 300 episodes of the show! And…
Our series of team-made Maed Mixtapes returns this week with ‘Mirinda’. Yes, the bright orange soda. It also happens to be a word in Esperanto, which is the world's most widely spoken constructed language. The person who curated this effervescent mixtape is Nikkethana aka Nikki, a producer at Maed in India! She’ll tell you why she chose ‘Mirinda’, and more about the songs on her mixtape. So pop…
This week, on Maed in India, we’re featuring songwriter, composer and guitarist from Ahmedabad – Chirag Todi! Mae chats to him about building up the confidence to sing again after a 10 year hiatus, overcoming stage fright, approaching collaborators for his EP Panodrama, and milestones, past and future! He also performs 3 of his songs solo on vocals and guitar, specially for Maed in India! WSong…
We’re back with another Maed Mixtape this week! This time, Sakshi, our HR, Admin and Production Assistant, has put together an eclectic mix of indie artists and songs with one thing in common – you’ll hear distinct touches of Indian classical or folk music in all of them. Presenting Raga, an ode to Sakshi’s love for classical fusions! Song List: Rakuuth - Rasam N Rhymes ft. Rap Kid India (02:18 -…
We’re a full house in the studio on this episode of Maed in India, with the 6 members of contemporary folk fusion band Abhanga Repost joining Mae this week! The group revives traditional Marathi abhangas or devotional poems of saints from Maharashtra, into contemporary renditions . Along with performing three special abhangas, they also tell Mae about how they came together, their process of…
We’re back with another Maed Mixtape, and keeping our series of Team Maed mixtapes going with the first one of the year by Sonali Gupta, an Assistant Producer here at Maed in India. From our vast selection of music submissions, she’s picked the songs that made her bounce the most! And she hopes these tracks make you bounce too. Swaying or rocking from side to side are also appropriate responses…
Back in the studio, Mae is joined by Urdu-Blues music composer, performer, and writer Sameer Rahat! He talks about his relationship with poetry and music, coming from a family of poets, how classical ghazals and traditional blues came together in his music, how Urdu as a language is dying a gradual death, and on his experience being a music composer for film and TV. He also performs a stripped…
In January 2021, we released a special Maed Mixtape called FOMO, in the belief that, on Maed in India, we “leave no song behind” (at least not the good stuff). Now we’re back with another edition of FOMO to feature the tunes that are giving Mae some major FOMO. Well, in that she thinks she missed featuring them in 2022! Song List: Daira - Mazaar (01:30 - 07:17) Meba Ofilia, Khasi Bloodz, G'nie,…
HOW IS IT THE END OF 2022 ALREADY?!?! Okay, everyone calm down. CALM DOWN. There’s only one thing we can do to come to terms with this, and that is – take a listen to some of the most incredible performances from our Maed in India studio sessions this year. Please know that if Mae could, she would feature all performances from Maed in India 2022 in her Best of, but alas, she picked 10 of her…
