Indus Creed
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Predecessor | Rock Machine |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Fate | Reunited in 2010 |
| Headquarters | Mumbai , India |
| Products | Music albums |
Indus Creed is a rock ensemble originating from Mumbai, India. Established in 1984 under the name Rock Machine, the group underwent a rebranding in 1993, dissolved in 1997, and then reunited in 2010 with an updated roster.
In 2014, Rolling Stone India recognized their tracks "Top of the Rock" (1988) and "Pretty Child" (1990) as part of the "25 Greatest Indian Rock Songs of the last 25 Years."
Rock Machine
The band was initially formed in 1984 by Mahesh Tinaikar on lead guitar, Mark Selwyn handling bass, Ian Santamaria as vocalist, Aftab Currim on rhythm guitar, and Suresh Bhadricha playing drums. Early lineup alterations included Jayesh Gandhi taking over rhythm guitar from Currim, Mark Menezes replacing Bhadricha on drums, Uday Benegal stepping in for Santamaria as lead singer, and Zubin Balaporia joining to play keyboards. The core lineup for most of their career consisted of Tinaikar, Selwyn, Gandhi, Benegal, and Balaporia.
Beginning as a cover band performing popular and hard rock numbers from groups such as Thin Lizzy, The Who, Deep Purple, and Rush, Rock Machine was among the pioneering Indian bands to extensively tour college campuses and rock festivals nationwide. They soon transitioned into composing and performing their own original songs.
In 1988, Rock Machine launched Rock'n'Roll Renegade, marking India's first album entirely composed of original rock music, which achieved notable acclaim. Their follow-up release in 1990, The Second Coming, showcased a more refined production quality.
By 1992, drummer Mark Menezes departed and was succeeded by Bobby Duggal.
Indus Creed
Aiming to evolve beyond their collegiate band persona towards a globally influenced sound, Rock Machine reemerged as Indus Creed in 1993. Their music began integrating traditional Indian instruments such as the tabla and sarangi. The band also produced the acclaimed video "Pretty Child," which earned an MTV Asia Video Music Award.
In 1995, Indus Creed debuted their first album under this new identity, supporting it with videos for tracks like "Trapped" and "Sleep." That year witnessed another lineup change when drummer Bobby Duggal was replaced by Adrian Fernandes.
Disbandment
Facing challenges within the changing landscape of the Indian music industry and exploring other creative avenues, Indus Creed disbanded in 1997. Founding members Uday Benegal and Jayesh Gandhi moved to New York City where they created the fusion rock group Alms for Shanti, releasing a self-titled album in 2000.
Reunion
Upon returning to Mumbai in 2008, Uday Benegal collaborated with Mahesh Tinaikar on an acoustic initiative named Whirling Kalapas. Two years later in 2010, they revived Indus Creed alongside former member Zubin Balaporia while adding bassist Rushad Mistry and drummer Jai Row Kavi—reducing the ensemble from six to five members. The band officially relaunched on 7 October 2010 by headlining Mumbai’s Harley-Davidson Harley Rock Riders concert.
Post-relaunch, Indus Creed toured extensively across India on their Reboot Tour, performing at prominent events such as the Cherrapunjee Indigenous Festival and Independence Rock Festival XXV. In June 2011, they were honored with induction into the Indian Recording Arts Academy Hall of Fame.
Evolve (2012)
On 21 April 2012, Indus Creed unveiled Evolve, their first studio album in seventeen years via Universal Music. The record contains eight tracks and was self-produced by the band; mixing duties were handled by Grammy-nominated engineer Tim Palmer while mastering was completed by Andy VanDette. The album’s launch attracted widespread media coverage including a February 2012 cover story in Rolling Stone India.
At the Jack Daniel's JD Rock Awards held in Mumbai in 2013, Indus Creed secured accolades for Best Band, Best Keyboardist, and Best Drummer for their work on Evolve. In total, they received seven nominations spanning categories such as Best Album, Best Song, Best Vocalist, and Best Guitarist.
Band members
Current lineup
- Uday Benegal – lead vocals, guitar, programming
- Mahesh Tinaikar – guitar, backing vocals
- Zubin Balaporia – keyboards, backing vocals
- Krishna Jhaveri – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Jai Row Kavi – drums, backing vocals
Former members
- Ian Santamaria – lead vocals
- Aftab Currim – guitar
- Suresh Bhadricha – drums
- Mark Selwyn – bass guitar
- Mark Menezes – drums
- Bobby Duggal – drums
- Adrian Fernandes – drums
- Jayesh Gandhi – guitar
- Rushad Mistry – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Shri – percussion
As Rock Machine
- Rock'n'Roll Renegade (1988)
- The Second Coming (1990)
As Indus Creed
- Indus Creed (1995)
- Evolve (2012)