The Yellow Diary (TYD) have spent a decade turning personal experiences into poetry, and now for the first time, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are about to hear what that sounds like.
“We really want to be the representation for Indian sound on a global platform,” says Rajan Batra reflecting on their journey from India’s independent music stages to serious indie venues like Oxford Art Factory in Sydney and Corner Hotel in Melbourne.
Their 2021 hit Roz Roz reached 15 million views on Youtube, and 42 million streams on Spotify, alongside other highly streamed songs Mann, Tere Jeya Hor Disda, and Marz. They also maintain a strong streaming presence with 426,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. TYD primarily writes their songs in Hindi and Punjabi, occasionally incorporating other regional influences.
Who are The Yellow Diary?
As they prepare for their tour in Australia, the band is eager to explore the music venues across the country and hopefully catch a concert during their time here. The band consists of Rajan Batra (Lead Vocalist, Songwriter), Harshvardhan Gadhvi (Guitarist), Himonshu Parikh (Keyboard, Backing Vocals, Producer), Stuart DaCosta (Bassist), and Sahil Shah (Drummer). Rajan, Himonshu and Stuart sat down with IndianLink ahead of their Australian tour.
TYD began their journey in 2015 as five members from entirely different walks of life felt a pull toward making music together. The name “The Yellow Diary” has changed in meaning since its inception. It started as a journal for their music, depicting a diary where you write down your feelings; and the colour yellow representing the spectrum of emotions that they were writing about.
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Today, the diary has evolved into something bigger — their debut album In Case We Forget, which serves as a reminder of where they are today, and what they are feeling at this moment in 2026. “It’s a time capsule. The “we” is us, and the album is to remind us of who we are today, in case we forget,” says Stuart DaCosta.
The band believes in fluidity within the studio. “There’s no ‘my territory’ in the band, everyone shows up just to make good music together, whether it’s lyrical, instrumental, strategic, or even fashion,” says Himonshu Parikh. Rajan agrees, “We are very much each other’s emotional anchors, supporting each other through the very vulnerable and emotional process of writing music together.”
Debut album In Case We Forget
In Case We Forget is the band’s most recent release, and their first album, after a decade of releasing singles and EPs. The band describes writing nine songs simultaneously as satisfying their “musical ADHD” – switching between tracks whenever they needed a change of pace. It’s a format they’re keen to return to in the future.
The collaboration with Shilpa Rao in In Case We Forget marks the second collaboration with her. The band attributes their continued partnership to Shilpa’s ability to capture the romantic and emotional depth of their songs — a creative bond that feels impossible to ignore. “These two (songs) probably won’t be the last we do with her,” says Himonshu.
Beyond the independent circuit, the band has found their music travelling further than expected. Their song “Buniyaad” released in 2018, was featured in the 2022 film Maja Ma on Amazon Prime, starring Madhuri Dixit, Barkha Singh, and Ritwick Bhowmik. Another song, “Beh Jaana” also featured in the Series Jugaadistan soundtrack in the same year.
When reflecting on the way the independent music landscape has changed in India since they started, Stuart who was making music before the band came together, describes it as a double-edged sword.
“Your music is far more discoverable and helps you push past your local region faster, but it also becomes difficult to stand out, be original, and develop a reliable revenue stream,” he says.
The live experience
However, there’s a silver lining in the changing musical landscape – live music is far from being replaced. “The connection you make when you see a band perform live, feel the music in your whole body, and to be immersed in that environment is something the younger generation hopefully sees, and prioritises,” Stuart continues.
I can’t help but agree. “The first time I listened to your music, it was live, and I haven’t been able to re-create that feeling. It’s a really good thing that live music isn’t going away because without it, it would be so depressing,” I say. Without missing a beat, Rajan replies, “That’s a quote.”
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TYD’s growth can be attributed to the same power of live connection. When the band released Marz in 2018, it resonated deeply and held its place at the top of their catalogue until Roz Roz in 2021 became the next big song, featuring a collaboration with Shilpa Rao. These songs explore the emotional connection their songs forge with their listeners. “This brought listeners to the shows and soon, TYD became an emotionally secure place where people could come and sing about their experiences in a space built equally on sharing and giving,” says Rajan.
As they prepare to take the stage in Australia this month, The Yellow Diary aren’t just bringing their music Down Under — they’re looking for the same thing they’ve always been looking for: a room where strangers can walk in carrying their own experiences and walk out feeling a little less alone.
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