Gorillaz have confirmed that live shows in India are finally on the way, with Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett revealing that long-discussed gigs are now actively being arranged.
Speaking to Apple Music’s Matt Wilkinson on 16 January, the pair discussed their new single Orange County, the creative pull of India, and why the country has become central to the band’s next chapter.
“The India gigs are definitely going to happen,”
Jamie Hewlett
The interview also offers rare insight into how and why Gorillaz recorded large parts of their upcoming album in India, following a journey that began with personal upheaval and ended in creative renewal.
Why Gorillaz recorded their new album in India
Albarn described recording in Mumbai as a natural extension of a musical education that began years earlier in Mali, driven by curiosity rather than comfort.
“I find all practitioners of that kind of improvisational classical music some of the most wonderful people to play with,”
Damon Albarn“There’s such a great tradition and an ability to speak multiple musical languages in that city alone. We’ve only just scraped the surface.”
For Hewlett, the decision to head to India was rooted in lived experience. After spending weeks in Jaipur during a family medical crisis, the place left a lasting impression.
“I kind of just completely fell in love with the place,”
Jamie Hewlett“When I got back, I said, we should go to India and think about the next record.”
Albarn, characteristically dry, admitted he also saw it as an opportunity for Hewlett to explore new visual territory.
Recording in kitchens, front rooms and borrowed spaces
Rather than booking high-end studios, Gorillaz deliberately kept things informal.
“We made a point of not recording in any flashy studios,”
Jamie Hewlett“We were literally in someone’s front room, someone’s kitchen. But that adds to it.”
That approach mirrors the band’s long-standing preference for environments that feel human rather than polished, something Albarn has often credited with keeping Gorillaz creatively restless.
Working with Asha Bhosle and remembering Tony Allen
One of the most striking moments Albarn recalls from the sessions was working with Bollywood legend Asha Bhosle.
“I was sitting cross-legged barefoot in her apartment, playing harmonium while she sang,”
Damon Albarn“You don’t do something like that for that long unless your spirit is completely dedicated.”
Albarn also paid tribute to Tony Allen, the late drummer and long-time collaborator whose influence continues to loom large.
“I’ll never stop missing Tony. He was a giant.”
New singles and two sides of the same idea
Gorillaz’ recent releases The Hardest Thing and Orange County are presented not as opposites, but reflections.
“It’s the same song,”
Damon Albarn“Different rooms. Different lighting. Two sides of the same coin.”
Hewlett added that Orange County also explores loss beyond death, touching on emotional separation and fractured relationships.
Gorillaz live in India is finally happening
While no dates have been announced yet, Albarn made it clear where he wants the music to land first.
“That would be the first place I’d want to play it,”
Damon Albarn
Hewlett confirmed that logistics, not intent, have been the delay.
“It takes a while to arrange, but it is being arranged.”
For a band built on movement, collaboration and cultural cross-pollination, India looks set to be one of the most significant chapters in Gorillaz’ live history.
