Building Meaningful Careers at the Intersection of Music, Tech & Activism with Madame Gandhi

Based in Los Angeles and a native of New York City, Kiran Gandhi, aka Madame Gandhi, is a singer, percussionist, activist and music industry thinker known for her electronic-based sound and fourth-wave feminist perspective. She began working under the stage name Madame Gandhi in 2015, while Alexia Riner — a Berklee College of Music graduate in sound design — became a key contributor to the project, providing electronic soundscapes and co-production. Currently, Gandhi is working on her three-part electrofeminist solo EP series. Her debut EP, and the first in the series, Voices, was released in October 2016, featuring guest appearances from Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs and Alt-J guitarist Joe Newman. The second installment, Visions, is slated for July 2019. The third in the EP series will follow. Prior to her solo work, Gandhi toured with forward-thinking, politically-minded rapper/electronic artist M.I.A. as the band’s drummer. She has also drummed for acts such as Krewella, Lizzo and Kehlani and is a prolific collaborator in the world of electrofeminist music and art. Gandhi’s interests span music, politics and activism. She studied Political Science, Mathematics, and Women’s Studies at Georgetown University and received her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. It was while at Georgetown that Gandhi‘s interests in music and politics fused — she met and began performing with boundary-pushing electronic duo Thievery Corporation, including an appearance at Bonnaroo in 2010, after they organized a protest over the closing of a local homeless shelter. While at Harvard, she juggled playing shows around the world with M.I.A. and taking classes. Gandhi has been featured on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list and her 2018 “Own Your Voice” TED Talk has been viewed 200,000+ times. She also previously served as the first digital analyst at Interscope Records in Los Angeles.