Drop Electric vocalist Padma Soundararajan and bassist Neel Singh performing earlier this year at the Rock and Roll Hotel

Drop Electric was no different from many a local band. They played the occasional festival, headlined local clubs, and were on their way to garnering a decent local following. But their story took a tragic turn last month, and the band is still trying to recover.

The family of vocalist Padma Soundararajan — her father, stepmother, two-half sisters and two half-brothers — were spending the summer in India when their vehicle collided with a truck. Her parents, sisters (both students at Clarksburg High School in Montgomery County), and one other person were killed in the accident. The brothers survived, despite one going into a coma, and Padma, 28, spent the last half of July in India, tending to funeral rites and preparing her brothers for the trip back to the U.S.

Drop Electric's drummer and Soundararajan's close friend, Ramtin Arablouei, accompanied her on the journey. "Over the course of the two weeks we were in India, we saw the best and worst of humanity," Arablouei told DCist.

When asked how Soundararajan is faring, Arablouei said, "Padma, as you can imagine, is in shock. At the same time, she has really stepped up to provide the strength and nurturing her little brothers need. She is a special, special person."

To make matters even more complicated, one brother, Sairam, is autistic and the other, Pavan, is severely disabled with cerebral palsy and requires round-the-clock attention. Despite any insurance the family had, Soundararajan faces considerable financial difficulties when it comes to providing her brothers the care they need.

Drop Electric drummer Ramtin Arablouei

Fortunately, the community has rallied around the family and is doing what it can to provide assistance. Soundararajan's parents were very active and well-respected at the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, and on the day of the accident, friends raised $7,000 for Soundararajan's trip to India, with considerably more coming in since.

Drop Electric, a band that already donated 30 to 40 percent of its profits to community organizations, is also doing its part by donating all of the proceeds from its performances to this cause. The band will be headlining one such fundraiser this Saturday at the Rock and Roll Hotel and another at Baltimore's 8X10 Club on August 30.

Though Soundararajan will not be performing at these events, the band expects she will eventually return. "We are not even at the point of discussing Padma's return to the stage," Arablouei said. "I'm very confident she will return to music soon because it's her release, and I really feel it's what her father would want her to do," he went on to explain. Padma's father was an accomplished Carnatic vocalist.

For the upcoming performances, Audrey Hamilton, a friend of the band, and keyboardist David Garber will handle vocal duties. The ensemble is also putting together extended arrangements and will incorporate more electronics in order to compensate. Though it might face difficulties in the short term, the events of the past month brought bigger issues to the fore and the band realizes where to focus its energy.

As Arablouei noted, "Music is escapism, pure and simple. Right now, one of us is facing an unimaginable tragedy and everyone is responding accordingly."

Drop Electric's Benefit for Padma takes place on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Rock and Roll Hotel with The.Blackout.District, Hello Tokyo, and Red Ink. 8:30 doors/9:30 show, $10