Amal Vinod
dhnn
14/03/2025
Amal Vinod is an independent musician and is also known as the frontman and vocalist for the band Octagram. He is a composer as well as a producer and performer. He grew up in a musical environment from a very young age. Since his mother was a Veena artist, he was rooted in Carnatic music, immersing himself in its rich traditions and techniques, which eventually shaped his unique musical style and inspired him to blend classical elements with contemporary sounds. He is proud to call his mother his first guru. With his strong foundations, he started performing Carnatic from the age of 12.
While he began his journey as a Carnatic musician, his musical horizons started to shift at the age of 14 after discovering bands like Agam and Avial. He recalls this as a turning point—a moment that ignited a newfound sense of wonder. The fusion of Carnatic and folk elements with rock was something he had never imagined before. This newfound fascination led him to explore the Indian rock scene further, drawing inspiration from bands like Motherjane, TDT, Agnee, Thaikkudam Bridge, The Casteless Collective, The Local Train, and 13AD. Over time, his musical taste expanded, and he began listening to international bands such as System of a Down, Coldplay, Metallica, and Nirvana. His musical journey took a new direction during his college years in Chennai. The diverse music culture of Chennai made him excited and started to explore and experience different music styles and events. He nourished his mind with the new sounds he explored and was figuring out his interest and style. During this time, he started training his vocals under the guidance of Augustine Paul and Crishna JK from the band Cut A Vibe. It opened a new door to his musicianship and helped him refine and develop his unique style.
Due to this immense passion for music, he chose to become full time musician after completing college. Currently he is the frontman for the band Octagram and Kallns. He has collaborated with bands such as Thamarassery Churam and The V Minor. In 2023, he had the opportunity to work on a choral arrangement with the band Kallns for the Tamil movie Aima with the music director K R Rahul. He has also worked with many musicians on independent projects and as a collaborative artist on various songs. Some of his works include Nee Doore (GOTM), Maravi (Short film title track),Theeramal (Shihab Hussian),Nee (Shabarish) and the lists continues. He is currently working on his new album which is set to release in the year 2026.
