Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera

To understand Narada Michael Walden is to understand the very heartbeat of modern music’s most profound transitions, moving from the visceral grit of Detroit’s Motown into the dizzying mathematics of progressive rock, and ultimately into the sanctuaries of Pop royalty. The narrative effectively begins in the psychedelic wreckage of 1970. Shaken by the tragic, untimely death of Jimi Hendrix, a youn...

For Steve Smith, the stadium shaking bombast of Journey could have been a comfortable, lucrative terminus, but instead, it was merely the prologue to one of the most profound ethnomusicological quests in modern rhythm. Freddie Gruber taught Steve Smith that brute force is a trap; true sonic power, the elusive big sound,is conjured by surrendering to the natural physics of rebound, allowing the ins...

If there is a thesis statement to Mick Box’s six decade career, it is his rejection of the cerebral in favour of the visceral. Tracing his sonic lineage back to the revelatory shock of Jeff Beck’s 1969 Wah Pedal explorations, Mick Box doesn't view effects as mere ornamentation. For him, the Wah is a structural weapon a frequency shaping tone controller engineered to carve a path through the dense,...

In a landscape often obsessed with pure chops and algorithmic perfection, Thomas Lang operates on a completely different frequency. This conversation peels back the veneer of sheer technical showmanship to reveal the kinetic architecture behind one of modern drumming's most formidable minds. Thomas Lang approaches the drum kit not merely as a collection of percussive surfaces, but as a mechanism f...

Dream Theater’s legendary guitarist John Petrucci painted a vivid picture of the band’s current monumental era, framed by their 40th-anniversary tour and the hauntingly thematic new album, Parasomnia. Delving into the dark, cross-cultural phenomena of sleep disturbances, he revealed that he penned the lyrics for the album’s sprawling 19 minute epic centered on sleep paralysis. To bring this concep...

Rob Araujo’s artistic journey from a pharmacology graduate student to a pioneering force in the modern Jazztronica movement underscores a profound philosophical evolution where the empirical rigors of science are traded for the visceral, communal joy of sonic experimentation. At the core of his ideology is the absolute equivalence of sound design and composition; he argues that because music is fu...

Legendary percussionist Bickram Ghosh outlines his multifaceted journey from rigorous classical roots to becoming a trailblazer of global fusion. Raised in a strict musical household by Patiala Gharana vocalist Sanjukta Ghosh and tabla maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh who famously poured water on him to wake him for practice. He uniquely completed a Master's degree in English Literature before fully c...

Jack Gardiner's foundational musical style is deeply rooted in R&B, Funk, Soul, and gospel music, which drives his staunch prioritisation of live, unquantized human grooves over the sterile, algorithm driven perfection that dominates modern digital production. This commitment to authenticity is a central theme in his latest album, Kintsugi, a deeply personal synthesis of 1980’s and 1990’s Funk...

Residing in the vibrant landscape of Miami while harbouring a steadfast devotion to Manchester United, Nic Collins has gracefully transcended the monumental, global legacy of his father, Phil Collins, to forge a fiercely independent and deeply profound musical identity. Navigating the delicate balance of growing up with a global icon who maintained a strict professional boundary while remaining de...

Brian Tichy stands as a towering rhythm architect in the modern rock landscape, seamlessly blending the raw, unquantized power of 1970s stadium rock with the rigorous technical precision of his Berklee training. As a premier drummer for legendary acts like Whitesnake, Billy Idol, and currently the Gene Simmons Band, Tichy fearlessly rejects the sterile, digitized crutches of modern music such as c...

Rakesh Chaurasia distinguishes himself as a curator of intent, breaking his usual silence to engage in a rare dialogue aimed specifically at listeners who value substance over spectacle. His artistic timeline is a study in fearless evolution; traversing decades of discipline, he has successfully grafted Western orchestration and fusion experiments onto the delicate stem of the Bamboo flute. Whethe...

Ian Haugland defines his rhythm not by technical obsession, but by the feel, explicitly trusting producers with the mechanics while he focuses on serving the song with Bonham-esque grooves. His evolution saw him trade the complex precision of Neil Peart for a more melodic pocket, a style that ultimately fit him better than the ceremonial doom of his brief, slower-paced stint with Candlemass. The e...

Tony Ann delves into his visionary approach to composing music, particularly through his ambitious 360-degree Zodiac project, where he aims to capture the unique personality traits of each star sign through sound. Drawing from his deep-rooted exposure to structured compositions, where he naturally weaves intricate structural elements into his work. He reflects on the rewarding challenge of transla...

Here's a very in-depth interview with Markus Kaarlonen and Tukiainen of Poets of the Fall.

In this enlightening episode, Aditya Veera engages with renowned musician Walter Trout, exploring his profound connection to music and its transformative power. From his early days with John Mayall to his battle with addiction and health challenges, Walter shares how music serves as his calling and catharsis. The conversation delves into the importance of personal interpretation in classic music,...

Here's an incredible interview ft. Mr. Boombastic a.k.a Shaggy.

Here's a very special interview with the Queen of Latin Pop music.

Dhruv Ghanekar's approach to creating Voyage 2 combines bursts of spontaneous inspiration with disciplined deadlines. Balancing his commercial media compositions with personal projects, he found setting deadlines crucial to completing the album. Despite the logistical hurdles of coordinating with multiple artists post-COVID, Ghanekar’s collaboration resulted in a vibrant project. Some tracks were...

In this episode of Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera, Kavitha Jayaraman, a renowned vocalist, and Vainika discusses her multifaceted life as an artist, educator, and philanthropist. The interview begins with an exploration of Kavitha's journey into social media. She discussed her initial reservations about self-promotion, rooted in the traditional training of Carnatic musicians to focus on the...

KOIAI is a Japanese rock band, comprising Hazuki (NEMOPHILA-global), Kotono (ex-IRONBUNNY), and Li-sa-X. Formerly recognized as the Li-sa-X band, it emerged in 2022. Li-sa-X and Kotono were featured on Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera ahead of their performance at the February 2023 Oddball Festival. Aditya opens the podcast warmly, discussing Lisa’s birthday celebration. This marks the band’s...

In this edition of Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera, in partnership with the Oddball Festival, the spotlight is on Moses Koul and Suyash Gabriel from Kraken. The band, featuring Vipul Verma (vocals), Moses Koul (guitar), Reuben Das (keys), Divij Kapoor (bass), and Suyash Gabriel (drums), is known for their diverse musical journey, from the EP Lush to the recent hit Club Namaste. Aditya delves...

This episode of Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera, Season 2, features notable guests John Patitucci and Sheldon D'Silva. It begins with John discussing his recent projects, including performances at Birdland in NYC and scoring a film during the pandemic. The conversation explores John's multifaceted career in recording, composing, and teaching at Berklee College of Music. Aditya guides the disc...

This episode of Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera, Season 2, features the celebrated musician Bruce Cockburn as the guest. Bruce, a renowned Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist, has earned global recognition throughout his extensive career, marked by numerous awards, including 13 Juno Awards. He holds a place in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Adi...

In this illuminating episode of Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera, we delve into the remarkable journey of Jordan Rudess, the American keyboardist, composer, and a member of the super group Dream Theater. Joining him in this conversation is Yogeendra Hariprasad (Yogi), a founder, producer, and keyboardist. The interview begins with host Aditya Veera asking about Jordan's early years and his tim...

This episode of Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera features distinguished guests Richie Kotzen and Tony Das. The episode marks the first ever Indian premiere of the brand new album Winery Dogs Album III, featuring Richie Kotzen. The interview begins with Richie’s initial foray into music, to which he fondly recollects how a poster of The Beatles sparked his desire to become a musician. Aditya sh...