Telugu indie music takes centrestage in The Moonshine Project in Hyderabad

The Moonshine Project/EXT in Hyderabad is set to open a new branch at the city’s commercial hotspot, Neopolis in Kokapet. “It will be a dream come true,” shares TMP’s co-founder Hemender Reddy. It is a quiet morning at this alternative live music venue and bar in Jubilee Hills that has served a platform for Telugu music for 11 years now. In fact, TMP is widely recognised for being a home for Hyderabad’s regional music at a time when the independent Telugu music scene was still in its infancy.

Setting up the sound “Nothing has changed except the stage, which has got bigger,” says Hemender pointing towards it. The 20 X 16 feet elevated stage before the heavy, dark curtains, has the bar counter to its left. The stage has a drum kit, microphone and music stands and audio equipment and cables. When the venue launched in 2015, the sound, staging and acoustics settings were minimal.

“During PipeDreams’ first gig, Jonathan David, drummer from the band enquired about the mixer and keyboard stand. We had a basic set-up but the requirements for a live venue are different.