InRegalia has been playing music since 2011 and in this blog, each of the members talks a little bit about their backgrounds and interests.
Peter
I've had a pretty varied career since I graduated from MBA school in 2001. From working in events to pharmaceuticals and then a leading television network, my corporate career has primarily revolved around sales. In 2009, feeling burnt out, I decided to give voiceovers a shot and that side hustle (and hopefully my full-time retirement career) remains till date. Around the time, I also moved into content and today work as an editor for a gaming magazine. On the music front, besides InRegalia, I am also working on releasing music under my side project called Naked Ghost. While both bands are rooted in hard rock, with Naked Ghost, I am also planning to release music in the Hindi language and there will be more of a pop-rock angle to those songs. Besides work and music, I enjoy traveling with South East Asia being frequently visited due to work reasons and I also try and squeeze in some personal days to explore new places and cultures. Every other year, I try to plan a trip to Europe or the US which is centered around music like following a band or visiting a music festival or two.
Vijay
Professionally I have done my Bachelors and Masters in Chemical Engineering. I spent a fair amount of time in the US studying and then working along with playing music on the side. Upon my return to India in 2010, I decided to plunge fulltime into the music business by teaching guitar to students. Spectrum Academy, with whom I am involved, encompasses a wide variety of the arts including painting, dance, various musical instruments and more.I love movies and prefer to watch movies which can be related to. On that note, I avoid sci-fi or action movies although from time to time I don't have much of a choice when my friends drag me in (laughs). I'm also very choosy when it comes to movies in that I don't just watch movies for the big names. The story has to catch my attention. If it sounds / looks like it has no substance, I will avoid it for sure. My other interests are history combined with travel and I'd love to visit more places both within and outside India too. Lastly, taking care of my health is very important to me and I follow a regular fitness regimen thanks to my trainer.
Saurav
While music is what keeps me going, it's advertising that puts the bacon in my pan. I am a full-time copywriter working out of Mumbai for global advertising giant Ogilvy. Music is the biggest passion in my life but fortunately, unlike the cliché you'd come across so often, I don't really hate my day job, in fact I love it quite fiercely! Apart from my two jobs as writer and bass player, I like keeping busy physically too. Football has always been a passion (both playing and watching) and kicking my own ass at the gym are things that I cannot live without. On the home front, I'm married to the love of my life and love spending whatever time that's left in a day pampering our four cats. Besides that, I'm a Tolkien and Herpetology nerd and if you bring up any of these two topics in a conversation you automatically become a friend of mine.
Keith
Those who know me, know how much I love taking my Royal Enfield Bullet for a spin. While the furthest I travelled on my motorbike was from Mumbai is till Rajasthan, I often go for shorter rides either solo or with my friends, within the state of Maharashtra as and when I am able to make time for myself. Bike riding gives me a rush. Strangely enough, it's also a very zen, almost meditative experience for me which helps me understand the purpose of my life. During my rides, I am able to think over the many decisions I have made in life, reflect on the good ones and think what I could have done differently on the bad ones. All this helps me contemplate on decisions I am yet to make. Professionally, I work for a US IT staffing company which I enjoy and of course it helps me pay my bills.
Warren
I suppose I was destined to become a musician when I picked up the drums in my teens. Given that I grew up in a family of musicians (my father and uncle were both drummers) in my home city of Nagpur, it was almost inevitable. When I moved to Mumbai in 2003, it was to try and get into the music scene here. To pay the bills, I also began work in the finance sector for companies like Transworks and subsequently JP Morgan. In 2010, I wanted to start something of my own which ended up being Signature Interiors, a design and waterjet cutting solutions company which deals with design requirements for architects, interior designers and landscapers.
In my down time, I enjoy watching Formula 1 and am a big fan. Another hobby, related to music, is increasing my knowledge of the mix and mastering process as well as understanding live sound better. I enjoy watching videos related to these topics just to understand how the pros do it and it also provides inspiration on how to better my own skills and by extension the overall band sound.
- Peter Abraham, Vijay Fernandes, Saurav Das, Keith Pereira, Warren Swaries