India’s Girish and The Chronicles storm America's Got Talent with electrifying rock performance

Girish and The Chronicles (GATC), a hard rock band originating from Sikkim and now based in Bengaluru, has made history as the first Indian rock band to appear on America’s Got Talent (AGT).

Formed in 2009 by siblings Girish and Yogesh Pradhan, along with Suraz Karki and Nagen Mongrati, the quartet rose from performing in Gangtok’s underground music scene.

They have since gained national acclaim, signing with Italian label Frontiers Music in 2021 and releasing albums such as Back to Earth and Hail to the Heroes.

Frontman Girish Pradhan recalls their humble start in Gangtok’s underground music scene before relocating to Bengaluru in 2013 to chase broader opportunities .

“You gotta be crazy about your art,” he said, referring to the band’s DIY ethic—writing, recording, and promoting their music through YouTube when no mainstream platforms supported them.

For their AGT debut in Hollywood this March, GATC delivered a fiery heavy metal interpretation of Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain”, earning a unanimous four “yes” votes and a standing ovation from judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara, and Mel B.

The performance left an impression nationwide with Cowell saying that the crowd’s reaction was “real,” praising Girish's powerful vocals and range.

The band, which had already opened for international acts such as Poets of the Fall and Destruction in India, performed before a live US audience for the first time.

GATC’s discography includes three studio albums: Back on Earth (2014), Rock the Highway (2020), and Hail to the Heroes (2022).

Their second album was acclaimed by U.S. heavy-metal portal MetalSucks as one of the year’s top metal releases, with lead single “Rock the Highway” capturing late 1980s hard-rock ethos.

The band has performed across Europe, playing festivals like Switzerland’s UrRock and Summerside Festivals in Spain and Switzerland, and most recently supporting Guns N’ Roses in Abu Dhabi in 2023.