Kula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band.[1] Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills,[2] the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s.[1] The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart, including "Tattva", "Hey Dude", "Govinda", "Hush", and "Sound of Drums".[3] In addition, the band's debut album, K, reached #1 on the UK Albums Chart,[3] becoming the fastest selling debut album in Britain since Oasis' Definitely Maybe[1] and eventually being certified 2×Platinum by the BPI in January 1997.[4]

The band are known for their interest in traditional Indian music, culture, and mysticism, with a number of their most famous songs, including "Tattva" and "Govinda", featuring lyrics written in the Hindu sacred language, Sanskrit.[1][5] The name Kula Shaker was itself inspired by King Kulasekhara, an Indian emperor from the 8th century.[6] In addition, many of the band's songs feature traditional Indian instruments, such as the sitar, tamboura, and tabla, juxtaposed with guitar-heavy, Western rock instrumentation.[1][7] While the band's interest in all things Indian was partly inspired by a pilgrimage to India that Mills undertook in the early 1990s, it was also born out of a love for the Indian influences present in the music of The Beatles and other late 1960s acts.[1][5]