Mannat Chauhan
In 2025, Roshan Cariappa, Puneet Shankar, and Kishan Hebbar met over breakfast and decided to jam. They were meeting for the first time after the pandemic.
The session brought back the thrill of playing for different bands, as they used to during their college days, and they decided it was time to start a band of their own. That's how Rocket Raja, a pop act with roots in blues, folk, and rock, was born.
Although they have day jobs, they treat Rocket Raja as a serious, long-term pursuit. Hebbar, the band's guitarist, manages an organic farming business, Shankar, the percussionist, works in the education sector, and
Cariappa, the lead vocalist, heads marketing for a startup.
The trio did not take pop music seriously at first and took time to appreciate its nuance. Today, they aim to create music that can "stand the test of time and truly move people", drawing inspiration from artistes such as Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Zakir Hussain. Their storytelling draws from everyday life, from the highs and lows of relationships to the beauty of the mundane.
The band has written 15 songs so far, but hasn't released any. Their first single, 'Mud and gold' (in English and Punjabi), reflects on love, loss and longing. 'Yaarondige hogide', with its bluesy Kannada sound, explores the tension between personal identity and the chaotic world. It asks: Where are we headed as a world?
The band is in no hurry to release an album; they are focusing on "building a catalogue of music that feels like a continuous emotional journey, rather than a collection of disconnected singles".
Their priority is live shows, which "carry more weight than ever as AI-generated music catches up". They believe the 'art and science' of music is best experienced through the raw energy of a live performance. As Shankar puts it, listeners today "crave" the imperfection of live performances.
Alongside originals, they occasionally play covers at gigs. They see them as a way to break the ice and open audiences up to their original music. The Rolling Stones' 'You can't always get what you want' is a favourite,
which they have reworked with a '60s Motown-style interlude. They also perform The Beatles' 'You've got to hide your love away', which they often follow up with their own 'Song #6'. They say it helps shift the mood from pensive to upbeat.
Although based in Bengaluru, the band prefers to compose at Hebbar's farm in Mangaluru. With its slower pace, the coastal city has become their songwriting oasis.
Their live shows in Bengaluru are intimate, and with each one, they are working towards crafting a "perfect" three-hour set and the stamina needed for bigger stages. Their dream is to perform at Glastonbury by 2030.