Girish and the Chronicles bring their hard rock power to Hyderabad

Mention Bengaluru-based Girish and the Chronicles (GATC) in a room full of rock fans and watch the mood shift — soaring vocals, powerful guitars, and memories of the band’s blistering live sets take centre stage. For over a decade, the four-piece band has been a driving force in India’s hard rock and melodic metal scene. Originally from Sikkim, GATC comprises Girish Pradhan (vocals), Nagen Mongranti (drums), Yogesh Pradhan (bass), and Suraz Karki (guitar).

Having shared stages with rock royalty — Guns N’ Roses, Skid Row, Nazareth, Alter Bridge, and Megadeth’s Chris Adler during his India tour — GATC’s resume reads like a metalhead’s dream. But speak to Girish and the conversation returns to Sikkim, where it all began.

“My brother and I were discovering music on our own,” Girish recalls. “We grew up in the cassette era, which forced us to really listen. Yogesh was playing around with guitars, and I started taking vocals seriously at around 14. Music was always around — our mum’s a singer and most of our cousins played guitar.”

That early exposure, thanks to cassettes and classic MTV, was formative. “Shows would play everything from Iron Maiden and Bon Jovi to Lenny Kravitz and Metallica. Songs like Jaded, It’s My Life, and Fly Away just blew our minds. Later we realised many of these bands were already legends from the ’80s!”

Girish credits their musical awakening to the rich, music-loving culture of the Northeast. “We were lucky to grow up in it.”

Their first band, Anarchy, formed when Girish was in Class 11 and Yogesh in Class 9. “I was on vocals and rhythm guitar. Yogesh started out on drums. Our dad, Shyam Pradhan, who was a football commentator, was incredibly supportive,” Girish says. Their breakout moment was at a school show in 2004 that drew over 5,000 people. “We were blown away,” said Girish.

Now, over two decades later, GATC is set to perform in Hyderabad on May 31 at Hard Rock Café. “It’s not our first time in the city, but we’re always excited to play. Every show feels new,” says Girish.

Girsh and The Chronicles | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Those early gigs were more than just performances — they were GATC’s initiation into the world of concerts and crowd energy. Over the years, the band took every opportunity that came their way. Their commitment to rock ‘n’ roll often earned them the wrong kind of attention. “There was a phase when people labelled us as ‘boys with bad habits’ just because we were in a rock band,” Girish recalls. “It wasn’t pleasant. But nothing is permanent, thankfully.”

When asked what fuels his songwriting, Girish says it is deeply personal. “I started writing from a young age, and my songs often reflect my own situations — what kind of year it’s been, what’s going on in my life or around me.”

Was there ever a moment when the dream felt uncertain? “Absolutely. I pursued nothing but music. I was in a band that didn’t work out. Then I went solo and dropped out of engineering—without telling anyone. It was a risk. But I knew this was what I had to do.”

That decision took him to Kathmandu, where he spent a transformative year immersed in the city’s vibrant music scene. “Kathmandu was my real college. I learnt everything I could about music there.”

In 2009, he returned to Gangtok and recorded his first single, Angel, with his brother, who was home for the holidays while studying sound engineering. Around the same time, Girish’s YouTube channel began gaining traction. “YouTube became a turning point. It’s how music lovers discovered us,” he says. “Honestly, YouTube and Facebook were our passports to popularity.”

The momentum continued. In 2010, GATC became the first band from the Northeast to be invited to a European music festival— Suncane Skale International Music Awards Festival in Montenegro, Europe. Two years later, in 2012, they spent a full year as the house band for a major club in Hong Kong. Their debut album released in 2014 — and now, their fourth album is slated for a September 2025 release.

Girish And The Chronicles will be playing at Hard Rock Cafe, Hitec City, Hyderabad on May 31.