Savan Kotecha on new boy band ‘OutStation', working on Ed Sheeran's ‘Sapphire', and more

The Hindu

10-07-2025

What does it take to put together a boy band in India? Following a nation-wide talent hunt that stretched across months, thousands of auditions and an extensive bootcamp, international record producer and songwriter Savan Kotecha, who has worked with a range of artistes, including Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, One Direction and more recently, on Ed Sheeran's smash hit 'Sapphire', might have just cracked the code.
Savan's imprint label Visva Records India, in partnership with Republic Records and Universal Music India, is launching India's newest boy band, OutStation, comprising Bhuvan Shetty, 22, from Udupi; Hemang Singh, 20, from Prayagraj; Mashaal Shaikh, 21, from Goa; Kurien Sebastian, 20, a Malayali from Delhi; and Shayan Pattem, 17, an army kid from Hyderabad.
An Indian-American of Gujarati origin who is a 17-time Grammy nominee, Savan is clear about the audience he is catering to. 'OutStation will be a big leap for the country's youth who feel they need more representation out there. Having travelled to India quite a bit, I also felt that the non-film music business felt very city-centric and we were keen on expanding our search through the country,' he says.
In February earlier this year, applications were invited online for youngsters interested in being a part of the group. The final five members were chosen from a shortlist of 12 who were put through an intense bootcamp in Goa. 'It was important that our final group was not just musically talented, but also had chemistry. They all have something special about them, which includes wonderful stories about where they're from,' Savan adds.
Given the number of global music superstars who start out young and build muscle along the way, choosing these members young too was a conscious decision. 'This felt like an investment for the future, and most importantly, inspiring other kids from the country to also feel like they have a chance to represent India,' Savan says.
The musician is keen on making OutStation 'India's band'. 'India deserves a great homegrown band. Many international songwriters and artistes who I have worked with have reached out to me showing interest, but for now, I really am excited to have OutStation getting started in the studio over the next few months with some of the best songwriters from the country. I think authenticity is also extremely important, and you can expect to see them singing in Hindi and their local languages,' he says. While they will dabble in pop music, the band has no set direction, Savan says, to avoid coming off as 'manufactured'. 'For instance, if a member is not a natural dancer, it is fine. They do not have to do that,' he laughs.
OutStation's launch is the cherry on top for Savan's already fantastic last couple of weeks. He co-wrote and co-produced Ed Sheeran's 'Azizam' and 'Sapphire' which has been trending on music charts across the world.
'Sapphire' in particular has taken India by storm, something he is thrilled and says feels like the first step for much more to come. 'Working on 'Sapphire' came to me at the right time, in my life and career. Ed is so open to exploring different cultures and rhythms, and not just in a 'oh this is a fun sample' way. He was actually keen on spending time in India, wanting to meet everybody and collaborate with them,' he says. Savan recalls how Ed Sheeran spent weeks recording the best musicians — tabla, dhol and sitar players for instance.
'All of this came together in such an organic way, and nothing feels forced. I also think Arjit Singh, who collaborated on the song, is probably one of the greatest vocalists of all time and and I'm so happy that there will be a new version of 'Sapphire' coming out, with a lot more Arijit in it,' he adds.
Nominated for an Academy Award for a song he co-wrote, 'Husavik' from the film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Savan's work in films more recently includes the Anne Hathaway-Nicholas Galitzine film The Idea of You where he co-wrote songs for the fictional band August Moon. With Netflix's recent smash hit animated film K-pop Demon Hunters however, Savan took on a different opportunity — not of songwriting or producing, but of this being the first massive global release by his label, Visva Records.
'I remember watching and loving a rough cut of K-pop Demon Hunters, hearing the music, and then deciding to take a shot and put it on my record label. I am so happy to just be a small player here, and to see how the songs have connected with people across ages' he says, of the massive success of the film and the music.
With pop music buzzing like never before globally, Savan has big plans for youngsters who love music in India. He says, 'Instead of a western artiste, It is time we see posters of our homegrown bands and musicians on their walls.'