As Kindred Spirits was founded in 1998 by Gaura Vani and Shyam Kishore to bring kirtan, a genre of spiritual music from India, to the United States.
[1] Gaura Vani was born in Los Angeles, but at the age of six, moved to Vrindavan, India to study sacred music at a gurukula.
He brought his knowledge back to the United States, where he formed As Kindred Spirits with Shyam Kishore, a professionally trained Indian percussionist/multi-instrumentalist.
The band performs regularly at yoga studios and temples, along with touring to larger venues and festivals, such as Lollapalooza.
[1] In 2009, As Kindred Spirits became the first band signed to Equal Vision's new, kirtan sub-label, Mantrology.