From pop-punk and emo to garage rock and genre-bending alt-rock, these 7 Indian bands are bringing the best parts of the 2000s back with a fresh local twist.
The late 90s and 2000s gave us some seriously addictive alt-rock. From the garage rock revival and emo explosion to pop-punk, post-grunge and hard rock, this was the era of bands like The White Stripes, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Foo Fighters, Nickelback, Creed and Deftones ruling playlists everywhere. And if you’re anything like me, there’s a good chance you’re still blasting them in 2026.
India has had its own alt-rock story running alongside all of this. Over the years, homegrown bands have experimented with everything from garage rock and punk to emo, shoegaze and heavier sounds. Now, a younger generation of musicians is picking up those influences and giving them a fresh spin.
So, if you’ve been missing the sound of loud guitars, angsty lyrics and riffs that make you want to start a band with your friends, here are eight Indian acts bringing that nostalgic alt-rock energy back into the spotlight.
Avial (Kerala)
Formed in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in 2003, Avial became one of the early names to put Malayalam alternative rock on the national indie map. The band blends alternative rock with Kerala folk, electronic elements and Malayalam poetry, a sound they describe as “Alternative Malayali rock.”
The current lineup features Tony John on vocals and turntables, Rex Vijayan on guitars and synthesiser, Mithun Puthanveetil on drums and Binny Isaac on bass.
Avial broke through with their 2003 single Nada Nada, before releasing their self-titled debut album in 2008. The eight-track album featured songs such as Chekele, Njaan Aara, Arikuruka, Aranda, Karukare, Aadu Pambe and Ettam Paattu. The album went on to win six Jack Daniel’s Rock Awards.
Their later catalogue includes singles such as Aanakallan, Ayyo, Thithithara, Kali and Arambath. They have also contributed music to Malayalam films including Salt N’ Pepper, 22 Female Kottayam and Second Show.
Street Stories (Meghalaya)
A pop-punk band from Shillong, Meghalaya, Street Stories was formed in 2010 by brothers Riko and Pezo Kronu.
The band features Pezo Kronu on vocals and guitar, Riko Kronu on bass and Gideon Kom on drums. Their music moves between punk, indie, pop, rock and blues, making it pretty difficult to squeeze them into one neat genre box.
Street Stories released their debut EP, The Apple & the Clown, followed by the acoustic EP Summer Calling in 2013. That same year, they dropped the single Stuck in Today. In 2016, they returned with their second EP, Deaf Punk.
The band picked up the pace again in recent years with Party at My Funeral in 2022 and Left Me on Read in 2025. The latter was part of a big year for Street Stories, as they also released their first full-length album, The Best Album In The World, which brought together their newer material with previously released tracks.
Five Stack Height (Assam)
Hailing from Assam, Five Stack Height came together in November 2025 after a group of friends found themselves playing a backyard gig together. What started as a casual jam quickly turned into a band built around years of friendship, DIY shows and a shared love for loud music.
The band brings together alternative rock, emo-shoegaze textures, heavy pop hooks and math-rock idiosyncrasies.
The lineup features Felina on vocals, Monjit and Srinjoy on guitars, Abhilekh on bass and Kalyan, aka Kaju, on drums. Their influences include Paramore, Deftones, American Football and Simple Plan, while their songs tackle heartbreak, mental unrest, growing up and the general confusion that comes with figuring life out.
Five Stack Height made their debut with Losing My Mind in July 2026. Built around cathartic guitars and raw emotion, the track gives you a pretty good idea of what the band is about. Their upcoming single, Long Legs, is set to arrive in September 2026.
For a band that is barely a year old, Five Stack Height are already making a strong case for keeping an eye on the new generation of Indian alt-rock.
Murder In Space (Meghalaya)
Meghalaya-based instrumental emo/math-rock trio Murder In Space was formed in 2019 by cousins Andrew Kamei and Romeo Kom, with Along joining them on drums.
Andrew handles guitars, Romeo takes care of bass and Along sits behind the kit. Together, they create atmospheric compositions where the guitars do most of the talking.
Their sound sits somewhere between instrumental rock, math-rock, emo and post-rock, with intricate guitar parts meeting deep bass grooves and off-kilter drumming.
The band released their first single, Change, in 2022, followed by the EP Welcome Home later that year. They returned in 2025 with the singles Lantern and Until We Meet Again, followed by the EP In Between.
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Hoirong (Delhi)
Noida indie rock and noise-punk band Hoirong started out in March 2013 as a solo project by multi-instrumentalist Kamal Singh, formerly of Bengaluru band Lounge Piranha. The project eventually grew into a four-piece, bringing together a wonderfully chaotic mix of sounds.
Punk, post-rock, noise, art-rock, disco and pop all find their way into Hoirong’s music. The result is abrasive, unpredictable and full of energy, with gritty textures, noisy guitars and raw programmed drums.
The lineup features Kamal Singh on guitars and vocals, Samar on guitars and vocals, Akhil Sood on guitars and Akshat Nauriyal on drums.
Their discography includes The Resurrection of the Princess of Woee and Her Vampire Hound Posse (2013), Dandaniya Apraadh (2014), Mwah (2016), Cow Gives Milk (2019) and Hope & Light (2020). They also teamed up with Signal W for Starfall on the Recoloured album.
Junkyard Groove (Tamilnadu)
Chennai-based alternative rock band Junkyard Groove were formed in June 2005 by singer-songwriter Ameeth Thomas. Over the years, the band has become a familiar name in India’s independent rock circuit, known for catchy guitar hooks, sharp melodies and energetic live shows. Thomas remains the band’s frontman on vocals and guitars, while the lineup has featured musicians including Joshua Mark Raj, Sajith Satya, Shashank Vijay, Vikram Vivekanand, and brothers Jitesh and Ritesh Dharmaraj.
Their early catalogue includes Nicer in a Minute (2008), Accidental Hero (2010) and Movie (2010), alongside the album 11:11 from 2009. The band continued releasing music throughout the 2010s with Plus & Minus (2016), Junkyard Groove (2018) and Head Above Water (2020).
Their recent output has been even more prolific. Singles such as Beacon, Fable and Show Me The Way arrived in 2022, followed by a long run of releases through 2023 and 2024, including Pulling Tides, Scars, Like to Like, Tax Man, Legacy, We Are and Change. They also collaborated with ThisisSHARDUL on Lines (Radio Edit) in 2024.
In 2025, the band released Adaline, Wish, Starlit Canopy, Borrowed Time and Home. Their 2026 releases include JYG Unplugged Vol. 1 and the single Goodnight.
Junkyard Groove have also taken their live show outside India, earning an opening slot at Dubai Desert Rock Festival in 2007 and performing at festivals including Rock ‘N India, NH7 Weekender, IIT Bombay’s Mood Indigo and IIT Madras’ Sarang.
Skrat (Tamilnadu)
Chennai garage rock trio Skrat were formed on July 15, 2006, and have built their reputation around loud guitars, high-energy performances and a proper DIY attitude.
The current lineup features Sriram T.T. on vocals and guitars, Jhanu Chanthar on bass, and Tapass Naresh on drums and vocals. The band has also created a comic-book-inspired lyrical universe, giving their otherwise heavy sound a playful personality.
Skrat released their first album, Bring Out the Big Guns, in 2013, followed by The Queen in 2014 and Bison in 2017. Their early catalogue also includes Mutant Macha (2008), a collaboration with Farhan Akhtar and Vishal Dadlani.
Following their debut album Design, the band took a hiatus to explore a new musical direction before eventually returning with a refreshed sound.
More recently, Skrat teamed up with Dhruv Visvanath and When Chai Met Toast for Friday Night Plan, featured on the soundtrack of the 2023 original motion picture. They followed it with the EP Circus Act in 2025, continuing their blend of garage rock revival, gritty blues rock and their unmistakable DIY spirit.
Editor’s Pick
Albatross
While not technically an Indian band, it is hard to ignore the insane following this Nepali alt-rock band has gained over the past three decades across the entire north-eastern Indian belt. Albatross has been active since 1998 and still selling out stadiums. The band mostly sings in their local dialect so their music has not traversed much beyond the hills. But this hardly affects their sales, since they are extremely well-renowned in their country and are often called the pioneers of Nepali alternative rock.
We have excluded acts who choose to play commercial cover-heavy live sets and kept our focus on bands who are better-known for their original sound.
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neurotic but nice 🙂
