It was a three-day musical weekend at Pune’s Bacardi NH7 Weekender, which returned in full avatar with a multi-faceted lineup this year. International artists Dirty Loops, The Lumineers and J.I.D performed at the fest for the very first time in India and turned headliners for each day respectively. Needless to say, they all delivered power-packed performances giving us moments we’ll never forget.
Although NH7 Weekender has always been a space that gets the noteworthy names in the Indian and international music industry, it has also become synonymous with giving upcoming artists a platform to showcase their talent. As attendees, sure we love to listen to our favourite artists and jam to the songs we know, but it’s also a place where you get to discover extremely talented musicians that our country has.
Describing the fest as a “Thali of India”, Akshat Rathee, founder of NODWIN Gaming (the group that has now taken over Bacardi NH7 Weekender) says that the team aims to bring upcoming Indian artists across all genres while still also trying to get some of the international names. The point is to not just vibe to the songs you already know but also surprise yourself by finding new artists and new music. And that’s exactly what I experienced attending the music event over the weekend. Ahead, we give you a list of artists we loved, discovered and got us grooving to new beats.
1. Saachi
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If you’ve watched the show Four More Shots Please!, you would probably recognise Saachi’s voice from its OST tracks like Yahaan – Here, Falling In Love With My Body, Back Together among others. The singer/songwriter developed an interest in music in her childhood but she only discovered her penchant for songwriting when she studied at the Berklee College of Music in 2016. From gaining internet fame with her song covers, opening for international acts like Grammy award-winning Shaggy and Brit boy band The Vamps, to packing a sensory punch with a moving EP and multiple singles, Saachi has been on a roll in the Indie music scene. Her smooth-like-butter vocals serenades us at NH7 Weekender.
On ELLE’s Playlist: Stop, Yahaan- Here, If There’s A Sign
2. Adi
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Performing for the very first time at NH7 Weekender, the Mumbai-based rapper and hip hop artist impressed us with his smooth vocal delivery, well-written lyrics and great music. Rain Girl is the song that shot Adi to fame. He is heavily influenced by Indian and Western cultures having spend some years in New York. He’s only in his early 20s but has already made some waves in the Indian hip hop scene. Talking about what got him into rap in the first place, he shares, “I started playing the drums when I was seven years old and that gave my backing for rhythm. Rap is just a means to express whatever I had in my head unfiltered.”
On ELLE’s Playlist: Rain Girl, LOCKED IN, COP CAR
3. Wild Wild Women
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The group of female rappers gained popularity after dropping their track ‘I Do It For Hip Hop’ on Women’s Day earlier this year. Hard-hitting lyrics and brilliant flow along with an energetic performance featuring break dance and hip hop moves in vibrant outfits got us hooked to this girl gang.
On ELLE’s Playlist: Doing Okay, Game Flip, Uddu Azad
4. Dappest x Adl
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We were pleasantly surprised while watching the Shillong-based singer and producer duo’s on-stage vibe and the way their music drew the crowd. Drawing inspiration from a multitude of genres like pop, afrobeat, soul, rap and RnB, Dappest (Dapher Laloo) x Adl (Adiel Massar) has carved a niche for themselves and got us playing their music on repeat.
On ELLE’s Playlist: GYSO, GoLo, Wishes
5. Pranati Khanna aka Peekay
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While some singers draw inspiration from positive, cherished memories, it’s not always the same for everyone else. Pranati’s music came from a dark space after being in an abusive relationship. Her songs would be a cry for help. But it was also music that eventually gave her an outlet. It gave her strength to cope in those tough times and the courage to speak up about it. Music helped her heal and she changed her genre from angry rock to soul and R&B with elements of pop and jazz. Pranati changed Hyderabad’s underground music scene. The singer has a calming presence on stage and her performance at NH7 Weekender brought that evidently.
On ELLE’s Playlist: Squeaky Clean, You Don’t Have To, Good,old Fashioned in Love
6. The F16s
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The alternative band hailing from Chennai romanticise melancholia and borrow inspiration from the mundane everyday life that reflects the city they’re from. With catchy pop vocals and upbeat, groovy music, the F16s created a chilled out vibe at the Weekender.
On ELLE’s Playlist: Sucks To Be Human, Moon Child, Amber
