by Sean Kang ’14

Most students have heard the name Hip Indian somewhere around school. Despite what it sounds like, this term does not actually describe a South Asian man with a lot of “swagger.” Rather, it is the name that four juniors, Nish Desai, Dean Emerson, Allison Behrendt and Rob Young, chose when they created their indie and electronic rock band.

Despite having a large number of supporters locally, Hip Indian doesn’t have a strong desire to gain large amounts of attention. As of yet, Hip Indian does not have an official Facebook page, Twitter account or Youtube channel. “We’re just having fun so we don’t really feel the need to utilize social networks to gain attention and get our name out there,” said Desai.

The band has only played in public three times: twice at the Oakdale Emory Coffeehouse and once at the 9:30 Club as part of the line-up for “Wicked Winterfest.” Still, every band member has been actively involved in Sherwood’s annual Rock ‘n’ Roll, this year’s being Emerson and Behrendt’s third time, Desai’s second, and Young’s first.

The band features Desai who plays the electric guitar, Behrendt as the lead singer and occasional keyboardist, Emerson as the bass player and singer, and Young on the drums. While the band is influenced by a wide range of musicians, Hip Indian notes that its music strongly resembles the works and musical styles of bands such as Bombay Bicycle Club and the Naked and Famous.

Although junior year is said to be the most strenuous year of high school, the members still find time in their busy schedules to play together, meeting up at Young’s house three to five times a month to practice and share ideas for new songs.

“I’ve known Dean and Allison since elementary school and I consider Nish to be one of my closest friends, so I think the fact that we all get along and have similar music styles allows us to enjoy the time we spend writing and playing together,” commented Young.

Currently. the band members are working on their debut EP, which they plan on releasing for free some time in the near future. However, they are still unsure of their plans for the band after graduation. “We’ll continue to play throughout high school but who knows after that,” said Desai. “We’re just appreciative that we have such a great creative outlet and can spend time with one another while doing something we love.”