VIJAYAWADA: Murali, Bidit, Vishanth, Justin, Charan and Prasanna have taken their music from college stages in Vijayawada to Charlotte in the US, collecting more than 50 performances and two Battle of the Bands wins along the way.
Their band NYX is now a professional venture, and they want to build it into a lasting live-music name. All six are still pursuing B.Tech, but when they get on stage, their music brings different worlds together. The story began at OneHeart, a music club at SRM AP, where they met and started performing at college events. After nearly two years of playing together, they officially became NYX in early 2026. As drummer Prasanna recalls, the familiarity they built makes a difference on stage. “Sometimes we don’t even have to consciously think about it, we just understand where the other person is going musically,” he said.
That connection is especially important to Vishanth, bassist, whose idea of performance comes down to one thing. He began with guitar in Class IX before switching to bass in college, drawn to the instrument’s sound and groove it brings. “For me, the important thing is groove. I focus on locking in with drummer because bass and drums together form the foundation of band,” he said.
He has had to put that instinct to the test. During one live show, a bass string snapped. Vishanth continued playing with three remaining strings, determined not to let the audience notice. At 19, he also manages NYX’s finances, balancing his role on stage with business behind it.
For Bidit, joining the band meant finding his voice in more ways than one. Interested in singing since childhood, he learnt by singing songs on his own without formal vocal training. Becoming part of NYX also gave him a reason to learn Telugu songs.
Performances at KL University and in his home country helped him recognise how much he had grown as a singer. People beside him on stage have become just as important as music itself. “It’s amazing sharing the stage with my bandmates. They feel more like family now,” he said.
That sense of belonging sits alongside very different musical influences. Justin, who picked up guitar in Class X, is drawn to rock and heavier sounds. He describes NYX as a regional rock band with a funky and energetic sound, but said the group enjoys experimenting with different styles. Setlists change according to the event, audience and what suits the vocalist to make the performance an experience people remember.
For keyboardist Charan, music carries family story. His father had wanted to learn music but could not pursue it because of personal circumstances. Instead, he encouraged Charan, who began learning keyboard in Class V.
Today Charan contributes chord progressions, intros, lead parts and interludes to the band’s arrangements. For Murali, lead singer and guitarist, the first US event in Charlotte remains a defining moment. Taking music from Vijayawada to audiences across borders made the band’s ambitions feel tangible.
“NYX is not just a band; it’s something we’re building with a lot of heart and purpose,” he said. Bidit too has begun to see music as a possible career. “It’s one thing that interests me more than anything else,” he said of the decision to pursue it professionally.
For NYX, that future means bigger stages in India and abroad and a live music venture that can create opportunities for musicians. Their story began with six students finding one another through a college music club. Now, with every performance, they are working out what the band can become.