Best Indian Indie Albums of 2014: Guiding Lights, Tandanu, Baran

2014 was a big year for heavy music in India. Metal and progressive bands released some of their most ambitious records, while folk-rock and fusion acts put out albums that still hold up. This list picks the best Indian indie albums of 2014 that you can stream on Apple Music India today, plus the EPs worth hearing.

How we checked. Every date and track count below comes from Apple Music India (iTunes catalogue, country IN), checked on 28 October 2026. We also checked the date of every song on every record. A record is only here if its album date is 2014 and most of its songs carry a 2014 date on Apple. Where songs came out earlier, we say so. Only released music is covered. For the year after, see the best Indian indie albums of 2015.

Quick answer: the best Indian indie albums of 2014

• Skyharbor – Guiding Lights (10 November 2014, 10 tracks)
• Indian Ocean – Tandanu (20 August 2014, 7 tracks)
• Parvaaz – Baran (14 August 2014, 8 tracks)
• Bhayanak Maut – Man (31 October 2014, 17 tracks)
• Skrat – The Queen (24 October 2014, 10 tracks)
• Demonic Resurrection – The Demon King (14 July 2014, 10 tracks)
• Scribe – Hail Mogambo (26 September 2014, 13 tracks)
• Bandish Projekt – Connekt (23 June 2014, 12 tracks)
• Aswekeepsearching – Growing Suspicions (14 February 2014, 8 tracks)

The albums

Skyharbor – Guiding Lights (November 2014, 10 tracks). The second album from Keshav Dhar's progressive metal project, and the one that took it to listeners well outside India. All ten songs are dated 10 November 2014 on Apple. Guests are part of the story: Mark Holcomb of Periphery plays on "Allure", Plini on "The Constant" and Valentina Reptile sings on "Kaikoma". "Evolution" had appeared as a single in June 2014. Start with: "Evolution". See Indian progressive rock bands.

Indian Ocean – Tandanu (August 2014, 7 tracks). A collaboration album: each song pairs the Delhi band with a different guest. The songs were released one at a time between April and August 2014, from "Gar Ho Sake" with Shubha Mudgal (27 April) to "Charkha" with Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (20 August). In between come the title track with Shankar Mahadevan, "Behney Do" with Karsh Kale and "Roday" with Vishal Dadlani. Start with: "Tandanu". See Indian Ocean albums and Indian Ocean songs.

Parvaaz – Baran (August 2014, 8 tracks). The Bengaluru band's debut full-length, sung in Hindi and Kashmiri, with long, patient psychedelic rock songs. "Beparwah" is dated 22 August 2014 and the rest 21 August: "Ab Ki Yeh Subah", "Gul Gulshan", "Roz Roz", "Ghaib" and the title track. Start with: "Beparwah". See Parvaaz albums.

Bhayanak Maut – Man (October 2014, 17 tracks). The Mumbai metalcore band's most ambitious record, built as a long album with five numbered "Stage" interludes. All seventeen tracks are dated 31 October 2014, including "I Am Man", "All Glory to the Beard", "Perfecting the Suture" and "Light Shall Conquer". Start with: "I Am Man". See Indian metal bands.

Skrat – The Queen (October 2014, 10 tracks). The Chennai rock trio's second album is short, loud and catchy. Every song is dated 24 October 2014, from "Machete" and the title track to "Love Rider", "Bang Bang Bang" and "Gun Slinger II". Start with: "The Queen". See the Chennai indie music scene.

Demonic Resurrection – The Demon King (July 2014, 10 tracks). The Mumbai band's fourth album, a concept record of blackened death metal with orchestral parts. The album is dated 14 July 2014; every song is dated 23 June 2014, including "The Assassination", "Facing the Faceless" and "Even Gods Do Fall". Start with: "The Demon King". See best Indian metal albums and Indian death metal bands.

Scribe – Hail Mogambo (September 2014, 13 tracks). The Mumbai band's tongue-in-cheek metal album, full of Bollywood and pop-culture jokes. All thirteen tracks are dated 26 September 2014: "Calendar Khana Lao", "Tomato Aryabhatta", "Return of Oberoi", "Ha Ha! We Are Poor!" and "Captain Raj" give you the idea. Start with: "Calendar Khana Lao".

Bandish Projekt – Connekt (June 2014, 12 tracks). Electronic music built around Indian voices and folk singers. "Alchemy" and "Soundscape" came out first, on 23 September 2013; the other ten songs are dated 23 June 2014. Highlights include "Sand Dunes" and "Kotal Godalo" with Asin Khan and Kasam Khan, "Baju Bandh" with Shruti Pathak and Runa Rizvi, and "Junglee" with Mandeep Sethi. Start with: "Sand Dunes". See Indian electronic music producers.

Aswekeepsearching – Growing Suspicions (February 2014, 8 tracks). The Ahmedabad band's debut, mostly instrumental post-rock. "The Tattva" was out first, on 13 December 2013; "In Circles", "Shimmer of Light", "When Will They Talk?", "Banshee" and "Aakorxon" are dated 14 February 2014, with two Leroi mixes to close. Start with: "Aakorxon". See Aswekeepsearching albums.

The best EPs of 2014

• Dualist Inquiry – Natural Disasters (8 September 2014, 4 tracks): "Departure", "Landslide", "Come On" and "Aftermath". See Dualist Inquiry albums.
• Your Chin – Scatter Nature (3 February 2014, 4 tracks): "Fingerprints & Mugshots" and "Run Along Little One" — gentle bedroom electronica.
• Kamakshi Khanna – Much Mellow (27 December 2014, 4 tracks): "Carry Me Home", "Where Did You Go?", "Nobody Else but Me" and "Shackles". See Kamakshi Khanna songs.
• Laxmi Bomb – Mah Bharat (17 September 2014, 5 tracks): "Love Day Loot", "Keralight" and "Shillong Train Running", a playful electronic tour of India.
• Kohra & SHFT – Futurism (3 November 2014, 4 tracks), for techno listeners.

Dated 2014, but read the fine print

• The Down Troddence – How Are You? We Are Fine, Thank You (10 tracks). The Kerala folk-metal band's debut shows a placeholder date of 1 January 2014 on the album and every song, so treat the exact day with care. "Nagavalli", "Forgotten Martyrs" (with Baiju Dharmajan) and "Chaapilla" are the tracks to try.

What is left out

• Film soundtracks, even where indie artists contributed (Raghu Dixit's Bewakoofiyaan and Psycho, Amit Trivedi's Queen).
• Shaa'ir + Func – Re:cover (17 January 2014): a remix set of older songs, not a new album.
• Remix EPs and one-song releases. The best 2014 singles are in our songs list for the year (coming soon).

How to use this list

If you have one evening, play Tandanu, Baran and Guiding Lights: three very different ideas of what an Indian band album could be in 2014. For heavier music, go straight to Man and The Demon King. For a wider view of the decade, see the best Indian indie albums of the 2010s and the essential Indian independent albums.

FAQ

What was the best Indian indie album of 2014? On this list, Skyharbor's Guiding Lights (10 November 2014). Indian Ocean's Tandanu and Parvaaz's Baran are close behind.

Is Tandanu a regular Indian Ocean album? It is a collaboration album. Each of its seven songs features a guest, and Apple dates the songs separately between April and August 2014.

When did Parvaaz release Baran? The album is dated 14 August 2014 on Apple Music India, with songs dated 21–22 August 2014.