How does it feel to be voted one of India’s favourite bands?
Very flattering. It makes coming to India all the more special.

Why did you name the band after a soft drink?
Goldspot the drink reminds me of my childhood. I would visit my family in India every summer, and the drink conjures up images of me playing cricket and flying kites with my cousins.

What’s special about performing in India?
My earliest musical influences were Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi and Mukesh. Since then it has always been my dream to become a professional singer and perform in India. Playing in India reminds me that I’m living my dream.

Are you planning to meet or have you already met any Indian musicians you really like?
I’ve worked with the wonderful team at AM Studios, AR Rahman’s studio. I haven’t yet met the great AR Rahman, and I hope that I have the honour of working with him one day.

You also worked on the soundtrack of The President is Coming. How was that experience?
Very easy. Rohan Sippy (producer), Anuvab Pal (writer), and Kunaal Roy Kapur (director) were a blast to work with. We shared a lot in common, and it made the process that much more enjoyable.

Can you give us a brief history of Goldspot?
I started the band in London with my friend Sanjay about 10 years ago; then I moved to Los Angeles to record my first album; Sanjay left, and then I met different musicians and recorded a couple more albums; and finally things started really happening for us a couple years ago. A lot of hard work (including playing for shows with no people in the audience), patience, and guts have gone into the past several years, and it’s rewarding to see that hard work pay off.

What does the name of your debut album, The Tally of the Yes Men, mean?
We recorded Tally independently and virtually without any budget. At that time, I had a day job working for AT&T Wireless. Everyone around me seemed to be ‘yes men’, not really speaking their minds, and there was one particular guy who ‘yes-ed’ our managers all the time. One meeting I sat and tallied the number of times he said “yes” which was almost 50 times in one hour. Hence the inspiration for the album title Tally of the Yes Men.