For a growing number of music lovers in India, the most unforgettable moments now occur when the distinction between performer and audience softly fades away. Across bustling Indian cities, informal jamming sessions are steadily replacing traditional, polished concerts with something far more relaxed and genuinely human.
The Heart of the Movement: Backstage Siblings
Backstage Siblings sit right at the core of this cultural shift. They did not intentionally set out to create a new format. Instead, they simply recognized a feeling that many people had forgotten how to describe.
Based in India, siblings Prachi and Raghav have been performing together since the early 2020s. They never viewed music as an activity that demanded a formal stage. For them, music was always something you sat with, something intimate and shared.
Roots in Tradition and Shared Sound
Years of attending satsangs and listening to bhajans with their father deeply influenced their understanding of sound. They learned to appreciate music as collective, unpolished, and profoundly grounding.
"We grew up singing in spaces where nobody was performing," they explain. "You just sat there, and something settled within you."
What began quietly in living rooms gradually expanded into larger spaces across major cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi. Even as the circles grew wider, they carried that same foundational instinct with them.
Creating Comfort Through Voice
This sensibility naturally flowed into the small, informal gatherings they started hosting with friends. There were no rehearsals and absolutely no pressure to sound perfect.
"We weren't trying to put on a show," they emphasize. "The whole point was to get people comfortable using their voices, however they came out."
As more people began to attend—first just a handful, then filling entire rooms—the gatherings grew in size without becoming rigid in form. The essence remained loose and welcoming.
Inside a Backstage Siblings Jam Session
A Backstage Siblings show is crafted in real time, according to the duo. The evening never follows a pre-decided setlist or order. The music naturally shifts and flows depending on who is in the room and what energy, stories, or melodies they bring into the space.
"The music doesn't start with us. It starts with the room," they remark. For many attendees, that is precisely the unique appeal.
Audience Experiences and Personal Connections
Hriday Agarwal, a product designer from Chennai attending an upcoming show, shares his perspective. "I've been to enough concerts where you just stand there and film the whole thing on your phone," he says. "This feels more like being an active part of something, instead of passively watching it from a distance."
Pariksha K, who plans to attend a session with her parents, finds a familiar, comforting rhythm in the format. "It reminds me of sitting on the floor during bhajan sessions at home, where everyone sang at different volumes and nobody cared how it sounded," she notes. "You weren't performing for anyone. You were just present. That's exactly what I'm hoping this feels like too."
This movement highlights a growing desire for authentic, participatory musical experiences across urban India, moving away from the spectacle and toward shared, human connection.
