Deriving their name from the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang, two college students — Sagar Shastri and Vishruti Bindal have started their own band and have already performed at venues like Big Pitcher, B Hive, and Easy Tiger.
Taking things a step further, they have also founded a start up – Eden Blues, where they plan on showcasing local musicians with original content.
The duo, who started out as street artistes, had their base at the MG Road metro station and performed for the people bustling on the street. “Though it was memorable, busking was definitely frustrating because a crowd was not promised everytime. It took quite a while for us to start getting gigs,” reveals Sagar, who admits that they have come a long way.
How did the band come to be, we want to know. “Sagar and I met at a college fest didn’t plan on starting a band together initially,” reveals Vishruti, a student of AAT Media College, before adding, “We lived close by and used to jam together. But it sort of fell into place despite our musical influences and tastes being so different.”
The duo seem to be juggling well between their college work and making a name for themselves as musicians. We find out whether their parents approve of their choices. “My parents have always been supportive of my decisions and constantly guide me. They let me pursue audio engineering and their trust in me fuels my passion even more,” says female vocalist who boasts of a heavy ‘jazzy’ voice! While Sagar who is studying at Ramaiah, admits that his parents “aren’t all for me becoming a musician as education is still given more respect in our country. But they still do support me as my journey has just begun.”
Yin and Yang, also perform as solo artistes, Vishruti with her Ukulele and Sagar with his guitar and Kannada folk music. “The scene for independent Kannada musicians is very poor right now – almost non-existent. Only established folk artistes like Raghu Dixit are encouraged which is quite discouraging for beginners like me. That’s something I wish I could change,” says Sagar in conclusion.
