When it comes to progressive rock in India, Agam has carved a unique niche by fusing Carnatic music with the genre. Led by the multi-faceted Harish Sivaramakrishnan—who also serves as the head of design at Kunal Shah’s CRED—the band has become a trailblazer in the country’s music scene. Fans are eagerly awaiting Agam’s upcoming performance at the Kutti edition of South Side Story music festival in Mumbai on December 14, following their much-acclaimed set at the festival’s Delhi edition in September. Ahead of this highly anticipated event, indianexpress.com caught up with Sivaramakrishnan to discuss the band’s journey, their creative process, and his dual life as a designer and musician.
Q: Experimenting with carnatic music means breaking conventions and formats. And you have done this for years. Elaborate on that, please?
Harish Sivaramakrishnan: Nothing we do is premeditated. I believe every art form is open to improvisation, and the aim isn’t to break it but to layer our interpretation onto it. Over time, this has led to a style that deviates from the conventional classical music, but this evolution wasn’t deliberate. We never set out to change, break, or create something new—it unfolded organically. As time passes, audiences have grown more open to fresh interpretations and experimental sounds. True innovation isn’t forced; it emerges naturally, as it did with us.
Harish Sivaramakrishnan: As creators, we receive both appreciation and criticism. No art resonates with everyone, and criticism helps us reflect and improve. Artistic feedback has been invaluable in our evolution as musicians, and we’re grateful for it. Change often meets resistance, as people are conditioned to familiar norms. Our role as artists is to acknowledge this resistance while staying true to our vision.
Bringing Carnatic music to a broader, more diverse audience has been rewarding. We’re grateful our efforts broke barriers and reached new listeners, resonating with them. That’s the essence of being an artist—expanding the reach of your art and connecting with people in new ways.
We don’t really know what is pure. Most of our understanding of purity in music is anecdotal—someone told us this is pure, and it is passed down through generations. There’s no empirical way to tell what is pure music. I only know music the way it was taught to me and the way I hear it. For me, I never understood the idea of purity in art. We don’t need to argue over this, just need to spend time listening to more music and learning about the art.
Q: How do you juggle pursuing music with a full-time, hectic job?
Harish Sivaramakrishnan: It’s tough, but it’s a function of wanting to make it work. Our parents, especially working mothers in the 80s and 90s, managed far more. For me, it’s just performing on weekends and working during the week—nothing extraordinary. We’re passionate about music and committed to making the most of this opportunity. Instead of saying it’s impossible, we’re saying, ‘Let’s try it.’ While we have the time, energy, health, and privilege, we’re simply doing our best to keep the journey alive.
