Shriram Alluri is an indie rock musician and songwriter from Hyderabad, India.[2] He currently resides in the United Kingdom.[3]
Alluri was raised in India,[1] hearing local classical music, Bollywood and Tollywood music, and some Western popular music as a child, although he had no exposure to rock until his teens, at which point he began playing guitar.[3][4] He relocated to the UK first as a student[3] and then again in 2015 to record the album Man of Truth at Brighton Electric Studios.[5] Alluri cites The Smiths, Joy Division, David Bowie, The Doves and Nick Cave as influences on his work.[1][6][4]
Following the positive critical reception of Man of Truth, Alluri worked with the Grammy winning producer Tommaso Colliva (Muse,[1]Jesus And Mary Chain,[7]Franz Ferdinand[8]) on the single Evari Kosam (For Who's Sake), his first recording to feature vocals performed in his native tongue, Telugu.[1][9][10]
His 2018 single Don't Lose Touch With was recorded with Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols after Matlock saw and tweeted a video of Alluri's live Telugu language cover version of Anarchy in the UK.[citation needed] When asked by Indian press as to what got him working with Alluri, Matlock said, "If somebody knows what they’re doing, they have some drive, and they’ve got a certain degree of accomplishment on their instrument, they kind of look alright. I think he’s got all of that. I find him interesting."[11] Matlock produced the single, working with Alluri and Tommaso Colliva in Italy.[12]
In interviews supporting the release of his 2018 Telugu language album O Katha: Tales of This Telugu Man, Alluri has stated that following the release of his 2015 album he experienced an identity crisis.[13] Feeling he couldn't truly share his English language songs with his friends and family in India, he began to write songs in Telugu to re-inforce that aspect of his identity, with the songs reportedly coming to him in a creative burst.[14] On writing Telugu language songs, Alluri has said, "When the British came to India they heard Telugu and called it 'the Italian of the east', because all words end with a vowel, not a consonant. These new songs, melodically, they’re influenced so much by the language".[15] Alluri recorded the album in Italy working again with Muse producer/mixer Tommaso Colliva along with Italian musician Massimo Martelotta, of the cinematic Italo-funk band Calibro 35.[16]
Alluri has made several notable live appearances in 2018 at events such as a stadium concert in Hyderabad, Tallinn Music Week,[14] and a show with Glen Matlock at the Hard Rock Cafe in Mumbai.[13] He has stated he has renewed his focus on songwriting and is working with producer Adrian Hall (Shakira, Depeche Mode, Anna Calvi) on new English language songs to eventually form a series of EPs and his third album.[13]
Critical reception
Alluri's debut album Man of Truth received favourable UK reviews and coverage in 2016 from notable sources including Q magazine,[2] and the NME, alongside features articles in major papers,[1][17] and favourable reviews and interviews appearing on various music websites.[18][19][20][21][22][23][4]
