Meet OutStation: India's Gen Z boy band trying to crack the code that One Direction and BTS did

The five boys who comprise OutStation came to India's Got Talent and performed their song Kho Sa Gaya Hoon, and that was their breakthrough.

In the West, it's One Direction, Backstreet Boys, Jonas Brothers and many others; the list is endless. In the East, it's BTS, one of the most famous South Korean boy bands that played a major role in putting Korean music on the global map. Their influence runs deep. In India, however, the boy band craze is something that is yet to truly take off. But that doesn't mean that the country doesn't have one.

It's only that the following is not as massive as compared to the West. Now comes the world of Gen Z, when five boys from different walks of the subcontinent have come together to create music.

Mentored by Kotecha, the mastermind songwriter behind definitive pop hits for One Direction, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, OutStation comprises Bhuvan Shetty, Hemang Singh, Mashaal Shaikh, Kurien Sebastian and Shayan Pattem.

They are still finding their footing, but they are doing well, fresh off a triumphant 10-city tour previewing their upcoming EP, Homecoming.

OutStation is a blend of five different worlds. Coming from Udupi, Prayagraj, Goa, Delhi and Hyderabad, each member brings his own personality, taste, and musical upbringing to the table, and that's what makes their sound so distinct.

The members of OutStation prefer to be addressed collectively as a band, so their responses have been presented together as one.

Speaking to WION, when asked how the boys came together and how it contributes to their individual personalities, they said, ''We were all scouted from across India, which eventually led to us coming together and forming a band. Our music making process doesn’t really have a set formula, we all usually do whatever feels right in the moment, it’s usually Mashaal coming up with a progression and then the 4 of us try to build on it with lyrics and melody, most importantly we try to have fun and enjoy the process rather than looking at it just through the lens of it being a task. All 5 of us have a special relationship with music and the music we make is influenced by all our experiences and backgrounds.''

The band was formed after Republic Records teamed up with Indian-American songwriter Savan Kotecha to find India's first global pop boy band. After months of searching and thousands of auditions, the five members aged 17-22 were found.

Hailing from five different corners of the country, each member of OutStation brings a distinct personality and musical upbringing to the group, and the boys believe that is exactly what defines their identity as a band.

''We think our individual personalities are what make OutStation so unique, and that can be seen in our music too. From our tone to the way we sing and create, everything is different, but it blends so perfectly together. Coming to our musical influences, each of us grew up differently, listening to different kinds of music and developing our own tastes and priorities. We all have different musical preferences, but that somehow becomes an advantage for the band. It adds different flavours, perspectives, and qualities to our songs, which is exactly what we are trying to achieve in the first place, finding our own sound. I think all these differences come together beautifully and fit perfectly into what OutStation is trying to create.''

Like most boy bands around the world, OutStation too grew up idolising the legends who defined the genre. For the band, it's BTS and One Direction.

''We take inspiration from all kinds of bands and artists, but BTS and One Direction have definitely been big inspirations for us. We admire not just their music, but the way they’ve built such a strong connection with their fans and grown together as a group. Our goal is to keep learning, keep evolving, and hopefully build something of our own that people can connect with and remember for a long time,'' the boys said.

Talking about their new release 'Kuch To Hai Yahan', the band called it one of their most personal and nostalgic tracks yet.

''Kuch To Hai Yahan is definitely a nostalgic song for us because it’s one of the first songs we made when we first got together. We’ve actually been gatekeeping it for more than a year, so finally putting it out feels really special. For us, the song feels like you’re floating in space in a shuttle, somewhere between reality and your own little world. I hope people can listen to it and feel that same sense of escape, like they’re somewhere else for those few minutes,'' they said.

Opening up about what makes their latest release so close to their heart, OutStation said 'Kuch To Hai Yahan' is a song that has stayed with them the longest, and also stands apart from everything else they have created so far.