Gauley Bhai (brothers from back home) is a Contemporary Folk-Rock quartet formed in 2017 when Veecheet, Anudwatt, Joe and Sidhant met in a studio in Bangalore. Their sound emerged from a shared memory of growing up in small towns- Veecheet, Anudwatt and Sidhant grew up in Kalimpong, and Joe in Calicut- and migrating to big cities. Their musical inspirations draw from sounds of childhood like Nepali folk (Jhalakman Gandharva, Bir Bahadur Biswakarma) and South-Indian Singari rhythms as well as blues, rock n roll and hip hop. The result is a sound that is strongly rooted yet nomadic. Although the band sings in Nepali, one of the striking features of Gauley Bhai is how audiences across contexts are able to connect to their music, establishing them as a regional and global sound. In 2019, they released their debut album Joro ("Fever" in Nepali), exploring the physical and psychological state of love, loss and (un) belonging. The album was critically acclaimed for its eclectic, genre blending sound and the band's enthralling live performances. The album toured extensively through India and Nepal and was performed live in England at the “Joon Festival”.  Their music pushes the body and mind into a state where the familiar turns absurd, and everyday life appears like a hallucination.

 

Gauley Bhai is set to release their second studio album in 2025. The album sees a shift from their earlier live-jam approach to one that has integrated sound design, technology and an emphasis on production, resulting in a sound that is more dense and textured. It meanders through a range of musical styles, from folk-blues to a more contemporary sound inspired by Hip Hop and Afrobeat, evoking a dream state that is at once melancholic and edgy, a sense of freedom within confinement. 

 

The band is also involved in various collaborations. In 2022 the band worked intensively with young people in the Teesta highway region, mentoring them to write, record and produce their own music. The need for this work emerged from the rampant unemployment and substance abuse amongst young people in the area, seeding the idea of a creative space where young people could express themselves freely, interact and collaborate. This led to the birth of the 'Teesta Creative Space' and a new collective called the Teesta Troupers, consisting of young writers, rappers and musicians. Gauley Bhai worked as facilitators and co-musicians with the Troupers, on their album 'Sound of The Streets' which was produced by Gauley Bhai. In the coming years, the band hopes to continue this kind of work, as a way to create opportunities for young musicians from difficult political and economic conditions.