If you ask someone to name a few Indian bands, the answer might come quickly but a few Indian girl-bands might take a while. After all, all-girl bands in the Indian music landscape are not a common phenomenon. Brainchild of New Zealand-based composer and creator Mikey McCleary, World inka Stage Hai (W.i.S.H) is indeed breaking these odds. Those whose favourite pastime is scrolling through social media reels have probably come across W.i.S.H’s 126,000-follower account showcasing their catchy songs or them doing trendy dances. Now, the group, who created Whatever It Takes, the theme song for ICC T20 Women’s Cricket World Cup, will be performing in the city at Phoenix Market City for Jingle Land music festival on Saturday.
It was McClearly’s many creative collaborations and scouting through the internet that eventually led him to Ri (Riya Duggal), Sim (Simran Duggal), Suchi (Suchita Shirke), and Zo (Zoe Siddharth); the four pillars of W.i.S.H. Ever since their debut in 2024, with Lazeez, their first single, the band’s music has been familiar among many indie-pop lovers. Blending Indian elements into international music, their songs are a mix of English and Hindi.
Their songwriting process is rooted in their creative conversations – throwing around themes and writing to the beat, while McCleary joins virtually. “There’s always a fine balance to be achieved when fusing two different styles. Our approach so far has been to have Indian melodies over Western production styles to maintain connection with audiences. We listen to the global trends and subconsciously write in the way that fits the space.” says Ri. She credits it to the friendship the girls share too, saying, “We find inspiration in the mundane things! Some songs were born out of mini therapy sessions we had with each other – about anything and everything.”
Foodies at heart, Bengaluru is special for the band. “There’s something about the energy of the people, the weather and delicious food – whenever we’re here, we eat benne masala dosa and podi idli. Our fondest memory here is our first show in December performing for thousands of people,” says Sim. As for their upcoming performance in Bengaluru, its sure to be a blast, according to Suchi, who says, “We are super excited to show our fans what we have prepared, especially for the first-timers. Bengalureans are going to witness a show where they will crave to come back for more.”
Looking at the current landscape of Indian music, the band notes the mainstream dominance of Bollywood music and male artistes. “There hasn’t been a girl group in over 23 years, and we aim to make way for a new commercial pop genre in India so that more artists can make music that people can dance to. We hope to go global too,” says Zo.
Currently working on their fifth single, the band aspires to achieve bigger milestones, “We want more girl groups, boy bands, performers who sing, dance and make music from India to take over globally. We want to create this space in the industry,” says Sim. Echoing the sentiment, Zo adds, “We dream big and don’t limit ourselves with our vision so hopefully a Grammy sometime.”