Indian rockers Girish and the Chronicles made headlines worldwide after turning this Adele ballad into a full throttle ‘80s rock anthem on America’s Got Talent, and wait ’til you hear Girish’s voice!
When you think of Indian music, hard-driving classic rock ‘n’ roll might not be the first genre to come to mind. But Girish and the Chronicles’ explosive June 2025 America’s Got Talent audition might just be the act to change that. The Indian rock four-piece went viral for their incredible, stage-shaking performance of Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain.” Yes, you heard that right, the band gave an ‘80s melodic rock workover to Adele’s piano ballad, and that unexpected combo worked better than you might guess!
The crowd immediately responded to Girish and the Chronicles’ swagger and leather-clad look. When the band kicked into gear, cheers went up as Girish let loose a stratospheric vocal run that ended in a sky-high scream. The band then tore into a driving groove as Girish worked his magic on the mic. The combo of the band’s chemistry, Girish’s incredible voice, and their electric stagecraft made for one helluva audition! The Music Man is always down for an ‘80s rock throwback, and these boys brought the goods big time!
The four-piece from Sikkim, India made some major waves with their June 4, 2025, audition, which hit 1.6 million views within four days. Fans were convinced that Girish and the Chronicles deserved more than four yes votes from the judges, and added comments such as “These guys should have got the golden buzzer. The singer reminds me of Axl Rose. Love that old time rock ‘n’ roll” and “Sheeeesshh! I feel like I’m watching a concert from Sebastian Bach and Skid Row! You guys are amazing!”
The Skid Row comparison is indeed on the money, as Girish and the Chronicles have made no secret of their admiration for the New Jersey rockers. One of the Indian four-piece’s most popular videos on YouTube is their cover of Skid Row’s deadset classic “18 and Life”. The cover is an excellent platform for Girish to show off his golden voice and huge range. The band also put their own stamp on things by taking a slightly more ambient and melodic approach to the 1989 hit.
Girish and the Chronicles were founded all the way back in 2009 in Gangtok, Sikkim. The band is made up of brothers Girish and Yogesh Pradhan, Nagen Mongrati, and Suraz Karki. It probably won’t surprise The Music Man readers to hear that the band has built up a following in their 16 years in the industry, evidenced by their multiple six and seven-figure view uploads on YouTube.
Girish and the Chronicles’ America’s Got Talent appearance was definitely their best shot at making it to the big time yet. Their audition garnered international media coverage, with critics praising Girish’s multi-octave vocal range, the band’s inspired arrangement of the Adele cover, and their success in bringing back old-school rock ‘n’ roll to a modern talent show audience.