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For guitarist Lachlan Stuckey of the Melbourne band Surprise Chef, walking into Shah Music Centre in the Old Delhi suburb of Daryaganj felt like being in a time capsule.
“We’re huge fans of Bollywood music from the ‘70s and ‘80s, particularly the work of RD Burman, Bappi Lahiri, and Kalyanji-Anandji. So, naturally, we had to seek out their LPs when we landed in India,” Lachlan Stuckey said about his band’s debut trip to the country.
“We could not believe our eyes,” he marvelled. “We found every record we were looking for. We also gained a wealth of knowledge of music we were unaware of from the shop’s owner.”
While most locals may view long play (LP) records as relics of the past, for Australian instrumental quintet Surprise Chef, these discs are a musical goldmine.
(Source: Supplied)
The band spent two days immersed in the shop, listening to records, soaking in the musical heritage, and expanding their vinyl collection.
For the Melbourne band, this unexpected find wasn’t just about shopping for music — it was about rediscovering forgotten rhythms and melodies that have shaped generations.
Surprise Chef were recently in Delhi to attend the third edition of Jazz Weekender – an international jazz festival featuring a mix of homegrown and global names. Hosted in the lawns of 1AQ in Mehrauli, the event took place on September 28 and 29.
India calling
Performing for an Indian audience was exhilarating, Stuckey told Indian Link.
“The audience was awesome. They were lively, and seemed super grateful to be able to see niche music in that setting. We felt like the crowd was present and connected to the music on stage. Very reactive and tuned-in.”
Surprise Chef features Lachlan Stuckey on guitar, Jethro Curtin on keys, Carl Lindeberg on bass, Andrew Congues on drums, and Hudson Whitlock on vibraphone.
The band has built a reputation for blending jazz and funk to create immersive soundscapes — genres not typically familiar to Indian audiences.
(Source: Supplied)
So, how did they plan to introduce this unique style to listeners in India?
“While some might not immediately recognise our music or its influences, the world of sound that inspires us has also influenced Indian music in the past. Many Bollywood composers like RD Burman and Bappi Lahiri infused funk and soul into their film scores, so perhaps there’s an element of what we do that will feel familiar to Indian listeners.”
The band’s brief time in Delhi was “incredible”.
“It’s a city we’ve wanted to play in for years,” shared Stuckey.
And apart from playing at the Jazz Weekender, the band got the rare opportunity to entertain music fanatics at the official residence of the Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green.
“It was an incredible blessing for which we are grateful,” Stuckey observed.
The gig at the High Commissioner’s Delhi home was a whole lot of fun since the band had never played for an audience of diplomats before.
“It was a privilege to be hosted in such a setting. The crowd was receptive and open-minded to our music. It was great to see instrumental funk music welcome in such spaces.”
An enthusiastic Green even took to Twitter to celebrate the band. “Love it!!!!” he wrote.
Serious piece of #Melbourne cool at our Residence the other night. @surprise_chef the very best of chilled out, but immersive vibes. Love it!!!!
Don’t miss out, catch them perform at Jazz Weekender tomorrow, on #jazzweekender#jazzmusic #JazzFestival pic.twitter.com/6iaQR6VQas
— Philip Green OAM (@AusHCIndia) September 28, 2024
Evoking moods, winning hearts
Formed in 2017, Surprise Chef’s debut album was titled All News Is Good News. Ever since, they have won fans worldwide with non-lyrical yet infectious rhythms.
How does the band manage to build a connection with their audience in the absence of lyrics in their performances?
“When there are no lyrics, the listener has greater freedom to interpret the music,” Stuckey explained. “We can certainly express ourselves more freely and accurately with music rather than words. The hope is that the listener can become familiar and connect with us.”
Ahead of international tours, like the recent one in India, much planning goes into managing energy.
“There’s so much to do and see, and we want to experience everything we can while we’re in an incredible country like India, but we also need to have enough energy to perform on show night,” he said. “The audience deserves to see us at our best, and that is harder to deliver when we’re exhausted from travelling. Hopefully we find a balance between enjoying as much of the city as we can and performing to the best of our ability.”
(Source: Supplied)
While this might be their first trip to India, the band has certainly found musical influence in the Bollywood records they found at the Shah Music Centre.
“The arrangements and compositions are pretty mind-blowing. The use of synthesizers will definitely be rubbing off on us – particularly the angular bass drones found on tunes like the legendary Asha Bhosle’s Dum Maro Dum. Classic!”
So what’s next for the quintet?
“We recorded an album earlier this year, and are about to record another. Both will have been written and recorded in our home studio in Coburg, Melbourne. The second record, after our trip to India, will undoubtedly be shaped in some way by our time in Delhi and the music that came into our lives there. Both of those albums will be coming out in the near future.”
The band also wrote a new score to a classic Australian film called Wake In Fright, to be recorded in December.
Read more: Comedy, Curry and Chaos: Scary Strangers’ debut tour in India
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