Sutej played at White Lotus Club, Bengaluru on 1st November with an ensemble featuring guitarist Baiju Dharmajan as a guest performer
“As a guitarist, I aim for a smooth tone that satisfies. It could be any piece of gear. Something that inspires me to write more music”, is what Sutej Singh described as his guitar philosophy in a nutshell. Among the slow but steadily rising ranks of Indian instrumental guitarists, Singh has steadily cemented his place.
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Having come a long way from his debut album, The Emerging, which he had started recording almost a decade ago, Singh has been touring across to promote his latest second album Restless | Relentless. With appearances at Bandland, Ziro Festival, Mahindra Independence Rock, and an opening stint for Steve Vai under his belt, we caught up with the guitar virtuoso at the Bengaluru show of his 10 city tour at White Lotus Club on November 1.
Baiju Dharmajan, guitar legend from Motherjane, was the guest performer for the night, bringing his own fire for an extended improvised instrumental version of Kaadambari that had everyone on edge. “I was telling him that I used to mess up my fingers playing Fields of Sound”.
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Speaking about the transition in sound he envisioned for his latest album, he drew inspiration from Andy Timmons and Nick Johnston, whose longer and more expansive melodies gave compositions a greater sense of space.
The night was peppered with other mesmerizing moments, including a drum solo by Paarth Koser midway through the signature song Land of Gold and a vibrant improv with violinist Disha. John Jeenu locking in the rhythm guitars with the phenomenal Aditya Negi on bass, ensured an overall exhilarating performance on stage.
Another great moment of the night was Sutej’s tribute to David Gilmour, with the mash-up of his own Come Into Existence with Comfortably Numb. Some of the other songs played included Oceans Apart, The Comeback Trail, Mayflower, For The Lost Ones, among other tracks. Despite some lengthy tech hiccups that threatened to derail the evening, the band delivered a performance that kept the audience enthralled.
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Speaking of gear, it would be no surprise to fans that Sutej Singh is endorsed by Ernie Ball Music Man and plays John Petrucci signature guitars. While he is also endorsed by Synergy amps, which he used for studio recordings, on stage, he relies on a Headrush Prime pedalboard. He does his demos on Reaper, while for the actual recording, they have used Cubase. At the end of the day, “I want to enjoy my own music when I play live,” he reflects. While those tasty guitar chops are part of his skillset, he wants to
“craft solos that people can listen to, solos you can sing and truly enjoy.”
Sutej Singh will be performing next live in the following cities as part of his Restless | Relentless India Tour 2025.
Chennai: Nov 15 | Tickets
Kochi: Nov 16 | Tickets
Shimla: Dec 7 | Tickets
Chandigarh: Dec 28 | Tickets
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