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Exclusive: Mother Mother Talk About Indian Music Name Anoushka Shankar As Dream Collaborator
When Canadian indie rock band Mother Mother first emerged in 2005, few could have predicted the journey their music would take. The band is led by Ryan Guldemond, with members including Molly Guldemond, Jasmin Parkin, Ali Siadat and Mike Young.
Over the years, they built a loyal fanbase in Canada and the US with albums such as O My Heart and Eureka, which quietly cemented their identity.
Their 2005 track Verbatim recently found new life on social media, taking over Instagram and introducing the band to yet another generation of listeners.
In 2026, Mother Mother made their India debut at Lollapalooza India in Mumbai, where fans sang along to every word. In an exclusive conversation with Filmfare, Jasmin Parkin speaks about that emotional first show in India, the unexpected resurgence of their early music, their growing interest in Indian classical sounds, and the band’s hope to return for a longer tour.
Excerpts:
Lolapalooza was Mother Mother’s first time in India, what surprised you the most about the crowd or energy in Mumbai?
It surprised us to see and hear people singing every word to our songs. It was very touching and emotional for us, just becoming aware that our music has touched people so far away from where we are. Also, the people in Mumbai, in general, were just the kindest, loveliest folks we’ve ever met. Thank you, India!
Did you all wander off before or after the show?
Ryan was in India after the show, learning some Ayurvedic practices and yoga, and exploring a few cities with his camera. The rest of us had so many beautiful meals in and around our hotel, as well as the Indian food at the festival! We had a fancy family band dinner at Ziya in Mumbai, and it was incredible.
Is there any Indian music or artist you’ve discovered that has inspired you?
Is there any Indian music or artist you’ve discovered that has inspired you?
We’ve gone down a bit of an Indian music rabbit hole since being in India. We love Indian sounds, rhythms, classical music, and learning about the different instruments used there, like the Sitar and Tabla. We’ve always loved the sound of Indian classical singing, which we’ve come to learn is called Shastriya Sangeet. One artist of note for us is Prateek Kuhad.
When you’re performing songs that have become popular years after release, does that change how you connect to them on stage?
I think it makes you more grateful that the music finally connected more than anything else. When you ‘grind it out’ for as long as we have, any wins are appreciated on a different level. We always believed in our early music, but truly not many people did, especially in the industry. We did have a core group of Canadian and American fans who really kept us going, but it was small. I guess the answer to your question is YES, it feels different, the connection is different, and it’s beautiful to be able to play these songs for bigger audiences and to relive the magic of them after all of these years.
Growing up, which bands or artists inspired you all the most?
Pixies, Violent Femmes, The Beatles, Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, and so many more but these are a common recurrence in our memory.
If you could collaborate with any artist in the world right now — Indian or international — who would it be and why?
We love Anoushka Shankar, and we think the sitar would be so beautiful on a Mother Mother album. Someone who comes up over and over for the whole band is Bjork. Is it too greedy to ask for Anoushka Shankar AND Bjork?
After this India debut, are there plans to return — maybe a headlining world tour that includes India again?
That would be so amazing. It felt unfair to come to India only for one show. We would be overjoyed to come back and tour around such a beautiful and welcoming country.
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