9 young musicians and bands to spice up your night-outs

Zikrr
Through their electric fusion of Sufi folk numbers laced with a contemporary rock twist, Zikrr has created a novel definition of fusion. The Delhi based band that calls itself a 'fusion rock band', plays Sufi and Punjabi melodies blended seamlessly with Hard Rock, Jazz, Blues and Pop.

Spirituality and lyrics are very important to Zikrr. The band consists of Nidhi Gussain and Jatin Arora (Lead Vocalists), Mohit Sharma (Bass Guitarist), Lavanya Khanna (Keyboardist), Himanshu Rai and Dhruv Yadav (Guitarists) and Max Sharma (Drummer). If you are a Sufi with undying love for raging guitars and drums, they are your pick.
Next gig: Lanterns Kitchen & Bar, 163/164, Rajendra Place; July 23; 9 pm onwards.

The Copycats
Maroon 5 might not be coming to India anytime soon but if you wish to get the live experience of listening to their songs, then head onto TabulaBeach 2.0 on July 22. Delhi-based band The CopyCats, which has paid tributes to bands such as Coldplay, RHCP and others before, will be performing some of the catchiest songs of the American band. The band consists of Prabhtoj Singh, Aman Sagar, Danik Ghosh, Pranay Parti, Aveleon Giles Vaz and Dan Thomas. The July 22 tribute night will also be accompanied by a Maroon 5 themed bar menu.alcoholic deals.
Next gig: TabulaBeach 2.0, Asiad Village Complex, Khel Gaon Marg; July 22, 8 p.m. onwards.

Also read: Britney Spears just dropped her new song Make Me

Curtain Blue

Under the guise of Curtain Blue, Abhishek Bhatia will be launching his second EP on July 21 in the Capital. The EP (Unbroken) comes only a year after Bhatia released his debut album (Drones) in 2015. Bhatia, who is also the vocalist of the Delhi-based rock band, The Circus, performs songs that are akin to the styles of Radiohead and Jon Hopkins. He has performed at several venues and festivals, such as Bacardi NH7 Weekender and Magnetic Fields, as Curtain Blue.
Next gig: Antisocial, Hauz Khas Village; July 21, 9 p.m. onwards.

Gurbax
Kunaal Gurbaxani aka GURBAX is one of the freshest DJ/producers whose journey started in the city of Bengaluru where he played guitar in punk rock and thrash metal bands. Now, a self-taught DJ and Ableton certified producer from Dubspot School of Music Production in New York City, he has played shows in and around Atlanta and NYC and is now looking to catalyse the bass music movement in India. He has played in cities around the country and shared the stage with artists such as Steve Aoki, David Satori, Hang Massive, Christina Novelli, GANZ and GAUDI.
Next gig: Raasta, Hauz Khas Village; July 22; 9 p.m. onwards.

Anhad

Anhad started out as a college band three years ago and has now performed in cities across the country. They are basically a spiritual rock band that focuses on hymns from the Sikh scriptures. Jaskaran Nischal (Vocals), Harshit Goyal (Lead Guitar), Hartaj Singh (Keyboards and Electronics), Vineet Singh (Percussion) and Dev Saluja (Drummer) roll out Sufi, Rock, Bollywood medleys and vintage songs from the 80's. Anhad claims that they can make 'anything sound good'.
Next gig: Bollywood Bistro, 23, North West Avenue, Club Road, Punjabi Bagh; July 22, 9 pm onwards.

Also read: With a new track already leaked, the big Spice Girls reunion takes a giant leap

The Limited Experience
This gig will be a two-in one affair. Not only will the Delhi perform live, they will also launch their new EP, Epic, at the venue. Consisting of Palash Bedi, Gavin Pacheco, Mridul Luthra and Niladri Chakravarty, The Limited Experience brings together soul, pop and rock for their acts. All four band members are respected, and gifted, musicians. Bedi (the drummer) acts as the producer of not only this band but other acts in the Capital as well. Pacheco (the bassist) on the other hand, has played the bass for acts such as Faridkot, Desi Roots, Harshdeep Kaur, Swanand Kirkire and others. Khosla (the guitarist) has been playing (and teaching) the guitar for 19 years while Chakravarty (the singer) is a blues and rock vocalist, and is also the vocalist and co-founder of The Flying Pink Hippos.
Next gig: Hauz Khas Social; July 31, 10:45 p.m. onwards.

Kamakshi Khanna Collective

A little more than a year after releasing her debut EP (Much Mellow), Kamakshi Khanna is stronger than ever. The Delhi-based singer, who performs live with the Kamakshi Khanna Collective (consisting of Tarana Marwah, Pranav Pahwa, Anugrah Pandey and Ishaan Gandhi), creates songs that are a mix of soul and pop. Her singing idols are Norah Jones, Adele, Evanescence, Sara Bareilles, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, among others. Much Mellow is available at on Soundcloud and OK Listen.
Next gig: Hauz Khas Social; July 31, 9 p.m. onwards.

Red Mawkin
As Red Mawkin, Delhi-based musician Nikhil Mawkin dabbles in the genres of blues, rock, jazz, funk to produce eclectic productions and compositions. His first album was released independently in January 2012 and his second was released a year later. The moniker Red Mawkin signifies a myriad of things, just like the mention of the colour can throw up images of anything from roses to blood.
Next gig: The Piano Man Jazz Club, Safdarjung; July 28, 9 pm.

Also read: Taylor Swift tops Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Celebrities list of the year

Arjun Sagar Gupta
The man behind the Piano Man Jazz Club, a restaurant-cum- music space, is a musician himself. Arjun Sagar Gupta's musical journey with Jazz began in his early teens. He has been an active member of the board of Capital Jazz, the organisation behind the Jazz Utsav. Being a musician himself, Arjun wanted to create a space that was dedicated to the live performing arts and has invited artists from all over the world to come and perform at The Jazz Club.
Next gig: The Piano Man Jazz Club, Safdarjung; Every Sunday.