Sutej Singh from his 2023 single “Land of Gold.”
Guitar ace Sutej Singh and his band will bring his majestic style of instrumental rock to four cities as part of his summer run of shows kicking off on June 7th in New Delhi.
The artist from Solan, Himachal Pradesh – who notably opened for American guitar legend Steve Vai on the latter’s India tour last year – hits The Piano Man, Eldeco Centre in the capital today. He’ll also perform in Pune on June 14th, in Mumbai at antiSOCIAL on June 15th and later this month in Bengaluru.
The summer tour comes nearly a year after releasing his single “Land of Gold,” which Singh says is part of his upcoming EP. There’s a 90-minute set that’s in store at these upcoming shows, something that the artist and his band have prepped for, after festival sets and opening for the likes of Vai. “We’ve finally got a chance to play our full set,” Singh says. The setlist includes songs from his 2018 debut album The Emerging and unreleased music like “Mayflower” from the EP. “I had to make a few adjustments and changes in arrangements to better suit the live environment (for songs with long orchestra sections). It is just going to be a pure musical experience. I think people are going to love it,” he adds.
While songs like “Oceans Apart” have become staples, Singh and his bandmates note that songs like “The Emerging,” “Walk My Path” and “The Comeback Trail” are also there but much more challenging to pull on in terms of the odd-time signatures and “shreddy licks.” He says, “Combine all this with stage lights (sometimes blinding) and the pressure to nail it in front of a (potentially guitar-centric) audience, it becomes extra challenging.”
Singh’s “Land of Gold” came out in July last year, nearly five years after The Emerging was released. The guitarist says he “expected bigger things” from the single since it showcased an evolution from his debut album. Nevertheless, he says it’s steadily begun getting noticed.
Among the things that helped, no doubt, was opening for Steve Vai in Mumbai and Bengaluru in December last year. Singh says, “Opening for Steve Vai was something I never thought of. I wouldn’t lie and say it was a dream come true. But yes, I wanted to do it as soon as I heard about his India tour.”
Still, the artist says opening for an international act “isn’t as fun as we think it is.” He cites a “lack of commitment towards opening bands” but leaves it at that. Singh adds, “On the positive side, I was excited by the fact that I would get the audience that listens to guitar instrumental and is aware that this genre actually exists. It sure was tough to please that audience but I think we succeeded.”
Singh’s next move after the tour is to put out the EP. “It’s prog, melodic and majestic, just like my previous work. But again, my style and musicianship has evolved a lot ever since. It’s going to be a four to five song EP. A couple of tracks were actually written back in 2019-2020,” he adds.
Sutej Singh Summer Tour 2024
June 7th – The Piano Man, Eldeco Centre, New Delhi (Get tickets)
June 14th – Pune
June 15th – antiSOCIAL, Mumbai (Get tickets)
TBA – Bengaluru
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