Given the adulation they have received, The Yellow Diary may appear to be that blessed independent band which found its popularity among mainstream musicians. However, the journey to success, they reveal, was far from seamless. "There were times when we did not have a show for two months. Now, we've had two shows in one day," says Sahil Shah of the band that has live gigs at Symbiosis and IIT Bhubaneswar scheduled in the upcoming weeks.

Confessing that their live gigs started with them "jumping around and not knowing how to play the sounds" the band reveals it has come a long way. "We now have people singing our songs back to us. That's a great validation," says Stuart Da Costa, as Himonshu Parikh adds, "As a band, we have more love for the music we make today. Our [recently released] second EP, Izafa, has a blend of different genres and sound. Some have a lazy and laid-back vibe, others have a rockish feel. This is unlike the hard-hitting first EP we created."