Melbourne-based, world-conquering originators of vintage Bollywood-inspired surf, spy, disco and funk, The Bombay Royale, make an exhilarating return with their second album, The Island of Dr Electrico (out June 2 on HopeStreet Recordings via Rocket). From their unlikely beginnings in the suburban wilds of Melbourne, The Bombay Royale have taken their unique sound to audiences throughout Europe, UK and the USA, where their performances have been met with astonishment and critical acclaim.
The Bombay Royaleʼs debut album You Me Bullets Love (HopeStreet Recordings, 2012) catapulted the 11- piece band (fronted by singers Parvyn Kaur Singh and Shourov Bhattacharya, and led by musical director Andy Williamson) on to the world stage. Featuring eight dazzling originals and two fascinating re-workings of long-forgotten Bollywood production numbers, You Me Bullets Love demonstrated the band's evolution from interpreters of 1960s and 1970s Bollywood soundtracks, to creators of a new and completely original music which synthesises Indian classical and folk music with Western styles such as surf, rock and disco. The album won universal critical acclaim, a place in iTunes Best of 2012, and #1 on the iTunes World Music charts. The last 12 months have seen the band debut their sound to international audiences, with tours of the US (Kennedy Centre, Global Fest), UK (Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Cambridge Folk Festival and WOMAD) and Europe (Fusion Festival - Germany and Sommarscen Festival - Sweden). The backstory of The Bombay Royale's protagonists is as rich and enigmatic as their music. Parvyn Kaur Singh (“The Mysterious Lady”) is the daughter of Dya Singh, a traditional shabad singer. Bollywood dance teacher by day and rock chick by night, Singh is a product both of Melbourne's music scene and a lifetime of performing traditional Indian music. The band's male lead, Shourov "The Tiger" Bhattacharya, is a second generation Indian-Australian musician of Bengali descent whose day job is computer genius and IT entrepreneur. Band leader Andy "The Skipper" Williamson is saxophonist to the stars, who's clocked up over 2000 shows on the Australian festival circuit with bands such as Labjacd, the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra and Diafrix as well as accumulating a record collection that's the envy of crate-diggers and a source of the band's collective inspirations.
Listen back to The Breakdown with DJ Manchild for a live set from The Bombay Royale.
