Words by Naz Toorabally & Zee Ahmed
a list of South Asian bands & artists at the forefront of the goth resurgence
Photo by Sourav Gandhi // Echo Eudora
Led by bands like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure, goth is a music-based subculture that emerged from the post-punk scene in Britain in the late 1970s and peaked in the 1980s. Goth music, which spread globally, continues to influence artists today and is currently seeing a resurgence, though you might be less aware of the South Asian people who are part of and influencing this.
The erasure and exclusion of Black and people of colour in alternative subcultures is well-documented, after all that’s why platforms like ours exist. But it feels especially apparent amongst goths due to the traditional pale face aesthetic popularised by the subculture’s fashion. This is despite music and fashion from around the world having been borrowed to develop this subculture, including cultures across South Asia.
Here’s our list of goth and goth-adjacent South Asian bands and artists to check out.
She Can’t Afford Mascara
She Can’t Afford Mascara is the solo project of Pakistani artist Adam Shazard who emerged from Berlin’s queer underground scene. Influenced by darkwave, EBM, synthpunk, gothic theatre and underground club culture, She Can’t Afford Mascara explores queerness, alienation and challenging conservative expectations through their lyrics. Bringing drama through their theatrical vocals influenced by Islamic prayer, their ritualistic performances hold you in a trance.
Echo Eudora
Echo Eudora is an Indian solo artist from Chandigarh, active across the country’s underground goth scene, including Delhi and Goa. Her sound moves between darkwave, EBM, dark techno, rock and industrial electronics, drawing on Indian mythology, sexuality, rage and political resistance. Her track “Chudail” draws on the South Asian folklore figure of the witch, reclaiming a figure often used to frighten and stigmatise women as a symbol of defiance. Blending brooding electronics with gothic imagery and confrontational themes, Echo Eudora creates dark, immersive soundscapes where folklore and rebellion meet.
Aurat
Aurat, which means “woman” in Urdu, is a Los Angeles-based genre-defying band who bridge cultural identity with experimental alternative sounds. Led by Pakistani-American vocalist Azeka Kamal, Aurat are known for their Urdu lyricism against their blend of darkwave, post-punk and industrial textures, which make for a captivating listening experience. Aurat has four albums for you to get your ears around, and their latest album “silhouette” shows them unafraid to experiment and push the boundaries of their goth-influenced music.
The Ninth Heaven
Somewhere between a forgotten 1980s goth record and a half-remembered fever dream lie The Ninth Heaven. Hailing from Maharashtra, India the band draw on goth rock, darkwave, new wave and psychedelic sounds, shaping them into what they call “cloakwave”. Their obscure aesthetic combines shadowy melodies with mysticism, occult imagery and elaborate world-building. The result feels like a fragment of an alternate musical history, steeped in atmosphere and mystery. The Ninth Heaven occupy a distinctive corner of India’s emerging dark alternative scene.
Android Lust
Android Lust is the solo project of Bangladeshi-born musician Shikhee D’iordna, blending electro-industrial, darkwave, industrial rock and experimental electronics into a dark, cinematic sound. Based in New York, her music moves between mechanical aggression and ethereal melancholy, layering distorted beats, atmospheric synths and haunting vocals. Exploring alienation, power, identity and the uneasy relationship between bodies and technology, she creates an intense, otherworldly aesthetic that feels both futuristic and deeply human. Android Lust balances abrasive industrial textures with moments of fragile beauty, building immersive soundscapes that are unsettling, emotionally charged and unmistakably her own.
Death’s Funeral
Very little is known about Delhi-based darkwave, goth-influenced band Death’s Funeral. The three-piece formed in early 2026, with Bhumi (aka Willow Scarlet) on vocals and Nandini on keys, who also run Mauthpit, India’s first goth events and dedicated community. They’ve only performed live a handful of times, and at the time of writing we’ve only been able to find some live clips on Instagram, but they’re giving life to India’s growing goth scene, so follow their journey on Instagram.
About Naz
Naz Toorabally is a queer, British Indo-Mauritian musician and zine maker based in north London. She is the founder of WEIRDO and fronts ethereal grunge band Dogviolet. When she’s not making music or zines, you’ll find Naz hanging out with her cat.
About Zee
Zee Ahmed is a London-based research consultant with a love for all things punk, and electronic, particularly DIY music and underground scenes. A former drummer in a DIY post-punk band, she’s now learning bass guitar and is always looking for new music to discover. She’s interested in how identities and culture intersect and how music can be a space for expression, experimentation and resistance.
