‘Home Is Our Anchor Of Comfort And Discomfort,’ Say Gen Z Boyband Outstation

In the late 90s boybands were all the rage, more so in the West, until we had our own desi boybands like Band of Boys and Sanam. Fast forward to the GenZ when Indian-American producer and composer, Savan Kotecha set out to form the first Gen Z boy band from India which we know as OutStation.

The five boys picked from across the country in a Goa Bootcamp audition are Bhuvan Shetty (from Udupi/Karnataka), Hemaang Singh (from Prayagraj), Mashaal Shaikh (from Goa), Kurien Sebastian (from Delhi/Kerala) and Shayan Pattem (from Hyderabad) who are barely in their 20s, with the exception of Bhuvan Shetty being the oldest at 22. The quintet recently released their debut EP ‘Homecoming’ in July after a 12-city tour across India.

Post their album launch performance at antiSOCIAL, Lower Parel, the boys spoke to Verus Ferreira about their latest EP, ‘Homecoming’, their definition of home, their journey so far and what lies ahead.

Excerpts from the interview:

How did OutStation come together and what made each of you audition for the band? Did you know what to expect at the Goa bootcamp?

Kurien: The five of us came from different parts of India and were all on completely different journeys when we saw the audition for the Greatest Indian Boy Band. We felt it could be the start of something new for Indian music, so we decided to audition. After several rounds, we were shortlisted for the Goa bootcamp, where we competed in singing, dancing, acting, performing, busking, open gigs and open mics. We were friendly but competitive, and honestly, we didn’t know exactly what to expect, but we knew we were part of something exciting.

Coming from different parts of India, how have your hometowns shaped your music and the band's identity?

Bhuvan: Coming from different parts of India, we’ve all grown up around different rhythms, sounds and cultural influences, and that naturally reflects in our music. Our sound is rooted in where we come from, and we can’t really separate the two. In places like Udupi and Goa, Kerala, Hindi music isn’t always the dominant sound, so growing up with those different influences gave us a broader musical perspective. Being exposed to different cultures and sounds helped us experiment freely, and that diversity eventually became a big part of Outstation’s identity.

How has life changed for each of you since becoming OutStation?

Shayan: Before Outstation, all five of us were either pursuing music or following paths that could have eventually led to a typical nine-to-five life or some sort of profession in music. Once Outstation came together, the possibilities suddenly felt limitless. We may each have different ideas of what Outstation means for our future, but we all believe we can achieve those dreams through it.

Hemaang: There’s even a running joke among us that the Homecoming music video is basically a glimpse into our alternate reality. Bhuvan’s character is stuck in a nine-to-five, coming home stressed to his mother, and honestly, that could very easily have been our lives. Outstation gave us the chance to choose a completely different path.

Was there one song on the album that resonated with you more than the others?

Mashaal: I think all five of us can agree that we loved Kho Sa Gaya Hun, even before it was meant to be part of the EP. It was actually not in the original release plan, but after we performed it on India’s Got Latent, a controversial show with a massive reach, we realised how strongly people connected with the song.

Kurien: This was a track that the five of us really believed in, even though the millennials involved in the process weren’t initially familiar with its vibe, so it was put on hold. But seeing its mass appeal to the GenZ made us change direction and push the song through. In the end, it became something incredibly personal to us, and honestly, the unplanned decision turned out to be one of the best things that could’ve happened to Outstation.

The album title and song Homecoming feels deeply personal. What does "home" mean to each of you today?

Bhuvan: Living in Mumbai for over a year meant for us to be away from our homes. It has been a leap from the nest, as though we’ve been pushed off for us to finally adapt to our wings. Our dreams are constant but the nostalgia of comfort and family still remains intact. Since we all were brought up in different parts of India and environments; Home to all of us has a personal sense of emotion. Home is our anchor of comfort and discomfort when we compare our previous lives to our new adventure.

Each song on the five track Homecoming tells a different story. How did you shape the emotional journey of the EP?

Hemaang: We wanted our EP to feel like a journey rather than just a collection of songs. Each track represents a different emotion, experience or stage of growing up, so together they tell a bigger story. There’s love, confusion, nostalgia, ambition and a little bit of chaos, basically, the things we’ve all experienced while figuring ourselves out. We didn’t want to force a single narrative; we let each song have its own identity while making sure the five tracks felt connected as one Outstation story.

Your early singles, Tum Se, Khoya, Aaj Kal, introduced listeners to your sound. How personal are these songs, share a bit on the lyrical side of the songs?

Bhuvan: Tum Se and Aaj Kal are especially personal to us because they were songs we performed for audiences before they were even released. People would sing them back to us, and that connection made those songs really special. At the time, we were still figuring out our sound, and honestly, we’re still defining what Outstation’s sound is.

Hemaang: With Kho Sa Gaya Hoon, there’s a line that really captures what the song meant to us: “Hawaayein mujhe ab le jaaye teri hi disha mein, raahein teri na pehchane yeh dil hai na jaane kyun laapata” It’s about someone who feels lost emotionally but somehow keeps moving towards the person they’re drawn to. We like that it can be interpreted differently by different people, and that’s what makes the song so personal.

What's the most valuable advice Savan Kotecha has given you about music or life as a band?

Mashaal: One of the most valuable things Savan Kotecha has taught us is to not be afraid of our Indian identity. He often talks about how a lot of Indian artists try to replicate Western sounds, when the beauty of Indian music is actually in what makes it Indian. There are already so many incredible artists in the West creating Western music, so why should we try to recreate something that already exists in abundance? Savan believes that the Indian touch is what the world is missing, and that bringing our own sounds, culture and identity into our music is what can truly make it stand out globally.

re you open to writing and recording songs in English?

Kurien: We’d absolutely love to make songs in English. All five of us are equally drawn to Bollywood and English music, and some of us are even more comfortable expressing ourselves in English. There’s also something really playful about writing in English, you can put a word like “refrigerator” in a song and somehow make it work. Hindi has its own beauty, but it can come with certain lyrical limitations. So yes, we’re definitely open to exploring English songs and seeing where that takes Outstation.

Who were your biggest musical influences growing up, and how do they reflect in OutStation's sound?

Hemaang: A major part of Outstation’s inspiration comes from One Direction, and I think that influence definitely shows. But the two of us who weren’t as exposed to them brought a different perspective on what a boy band could be.

Mashaal: We love how One Direction were witty, charming and completely filterless, and we’ve definitely carried that spirit into Outstation. At the same time, our inspirations go beyond traditional boy bands. Artists like The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Nirvana have also shaped our sound, energy and identity.

Shayan: We’re not trying to replicate any existing boy bands. We’re taking inspiration from the artists we love while creating something completely our own, something that feels distinctly Outstation.

Tell us about the idea behind the 'OutStation Prom'. What inspired it, and how did fans respond?

Bhuvan: One of our members has never experienced a prom, and some of us had the same experience because our schools and colleges were, let’s just say, pretty stingy with the whole idea. So we thought, why not give everyone the prom they never got? We started with the idea of a concert disguised as a prom or maybe a prom disguised as a concert. We tried it in Mumbai and it was a blast, so we took it to Bangalore and actually did a full prom. One of the best parts is seeing everyone dress up for an Outstation show. Our audience, who we call “passengers” are incredibly fashionable, and it becomes their moment to show up. And when we play the slower songs, people find someone to dance with too. It’s basically the prom experience we never had, but now we get to create it for everyone.

What unexpected opportunities has OutStation brought you over the past year?

Mashaal: OutStation is a boyband that envisions to be “The Greatest Indian Boyband” the opportunities that come with it range from a materialistic aspect to a spiritual and a physical metamorphosis. OutStation has given us a platform to meet people, tell our stories, and create experiences that stay with us. However simultaneously it has given us an opportunity to be ourselves and contemplate diving deep into what makes us ourselves.

Your '14 Days, 11 Cities – Homecoming Bus Tour' was a unique celebration. What moments from the journey will stay with you forever?

Bhuvan: We wanted to do a tour differently, so instead of flying from city to city, we went old-school, travelling by bus with all our equipment, stopping either for concerts, food stalls and dhabas or sometimes stopping because of cops; due to our suspiciously fancy vehicle, and making our way from one city to the next.

Shayan: In every city, we’d literally park the bus and perform on or around it, giving people a concert they probably never imagined they’d experience. It was chaotic but incredibly memorable.

Kurien: The biggest memories are definitely our vehicle getting robbed, the ridiculous travel times, an ETA of 8 hours somehow turning into an entire day on the bus, and the sheer amount of paneer parathas we ate at dhabas. No matter how questionable the food was, paneer paratha never let us down.

You opened for Akon in Mumbai. What was the biggest lesson from sharing the stage with an international superstar?

Shayan: Before opening for Akon, we were mostly performing for smaller audiences of 60 to 500 people. So going from 500 to around 14,000 people was an insane jump, it was a completely different level of adrenaline and energy. We also experienced things we hadn’t worked with before, like IEMs, a full backing band and a much bigger production setup. It was exciting, but it also made us realise how much we still had to learn and how much we needed to lock in to truly own a stage of that scale. Being the opening act was an incredible experience, but more importantly, it showed us the level we need to reach to do it again, and own it.

With Homecoming now out, where do you see OutStation heading next, and what can fans look forward to?

Shayan: Big things are coming, and we’d like to keep it all a surprise for now. We’re constantly working on new music and exploring different sounds and ideas as a band. There’s a lot we’re excited about, and we can’t wait to share what’s next with our fans.