We received the link of a new song on our inbox from a reader on Friday. The message just said, “Wow”. As we opened the link to find out that it’s from a band that we have never heard of before, we were not expecting much from the song to be honest. The video started and we saw two guys walking into a store to buy guitars. And then they started playing them and we were like, “Wait! They are good.” Then the music of sarangi started and the guys started singing. We didn’t even realize when the next four minutes finished as we were so much into the song and the music video. And we were like, “These guys are going places.” In next 30 minutes, we had a new post on our Fresh Tunes segment, which read, “Gorkhali Takma’s ‘Walking Firiri’ is Absolutely Refreshing!”

In less than 72 hours, the song has crossed over 40,000 views on YouTube which is definitely a very good number for an aspiring new band who have released their very first music video. We talked to Atul Raj Neupane who is more popularly known by his stage name ‘Safic Hop’, the frontman of the band, to know more about Gorkhali Takma. Excerpts.

Tell us about the band.

We are Gorkhali Takma, a country fusion band formed in 2013. We consist of me and my brother Ajit Neupane on vocals, flutists Deepson Putwar and Susan Putwar and Bijay Karki on guitars. We hire sarangi players and drummers according to our needs.

All of you look very young. How old are you guys.

Yes, we are quite young. I am 21, Ajit is 22, Deepson is 15, Susan is 17 and Bijay is 19.

Tell us about the song ‘Walking Firiri’ which is the most viral thing on internet these days.

Well it’s the title track from our debut album ‘Walking Firiri’. We tried to do something new and so tried playing with different western and Nepali folk instruments to create the fusion music. We are extremely happy that it worked and people are liking what we did.

What was the inspiration behind the song?

The inspiration was the experience from our own struggles. We used to play at bars in Thamel at night and as we couldn’t afford a taxi at that hour, we had to walk home. The only thing we could afford to buy on our way back home after playing for hours was a bottle of coke.

Tell us about the album. When can we expect it to be out?

We have seven songs in the album and all of them are country pop songs. The album is to be released under the record label of The Basement. We feel honored to be working with Bishesh Pandey aka Chronic Beatz who is the producer and arranger of all our songs. It wouldn’t have been possible without him to even think about releasing an album so soon. We all have been working very hard on every single song to make each of them very special for our listeners. We are trying our best to release the album by August this year.

Which instruments do you play?

I play guitar, drums and harmonica. I also beatbox and rap. I do produce beats and record tracks as well.

Where are you all from? Are you engaged in any other activities when you are not making music?

All of us are from Kathmandu. Apart from being musicians, we are students. Me and Ajit are pursuing our Masters degree and other members are in college as well. We also teach music to children in various orphanages and preschools as well.

Is there anything you would like to say to your well wishers and listeners?

We are absolutely thrilled to receive such amazing responses from you all and we are even more motivated to come up with more beautiful music. We would soon be releasing our album and we are hopeful that we’ll have your support. Thank you for your love!

Some people surprise us with their talents and these young guns from Gorkhali Takma are one of those. We are extremely hopeful that this band will be successful in redefining the meaning of fusion music in Nepali music scene. Connect with their YouTube channel to stay updated with their works.

Here’s ‘Walking Firiri’ for you. Enjoy!