So how has your latest album/EP gone so far with fans then?
I think my latest EP, Red and Yellow was quite well received by my fans. For a lot of them, it was something completely different, but yet they appreciated it in terms of composition and production, because it sounded fresh and relevant to the existing time. The EP also incorporated sounds from a Himalayan folk instrument, Dramyin, which took a lot of my fans by surprise as I had never done this before. Even for me as an Artist, it was quite an exciting experiment and I’m glad it turned out quite pleasant!
Have a listen to Red and Yellow – https://open.spotify.com/album/3gCanSpOn7ASfZWt1u2DuH?si=rBD6XUlDR8e4ODcWqhvUZQ
I also worked on a lot of visuals for the EP. One of the Music Videos was dedicated to the first space dog, Laika, and this got the attention a lot of dog lovers. I’m a dog lover myself. Watch Laika’s video – https://youtu.be/h15_hZD627Q
Watch the video of a Man playing the Dramyin and telling his story – https://youtu.be/epLi2fVZcpY
Tell us something about the release no one knows?
The Music Video for my last single, Further, was mostly shot by a friends iPhone. It was almost a zero budget Music Video! The guy who shot it with the iPhone was a crew member of the sound rental company, who is great chap and has a knack for shooting videos and pictures. The Music video shoot, which was an impromptu plan, while I was away to a remote town for a show in December, 2021. Here’s how it turned out! – https://youtu.be/ai-CmroZY_0
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
I’d probably work with Mac DeMarco on a song. There’s a vibe to his music and his personality which I really like and admire. It feels so effortless and relaxed.
How has your latest release been received?
I think people loved the fact that it was more groovy than most of my tracks. The romantics could relate to the lyrics, while for the guitar players they seemed to enjoy the guitar solo quite a lot. I’m glad I could creatively mix my songwriting with my guitar playing, without it turning out to be a guitar dominated song, which is natural tendency of most of the guitar players.
Can you tell us about the meaning behind the track?
It was a cold wintry day sometime in December 2020, I had a fight with my better half. But as usual, it sparked an inspiration in me. I just took out my first ever electric guitar, which was gifted to me back in 2002. I started to one down whatever it is that was going on my mind and tried to strum along to a tune that came to me quite instantly. So Instead of continuing to fight, I wrote a song about our journey together -remembering all the good times we had spent and how she had been such an important part of my journey through days of gloom and glory. I just felt so fortunate and blessed to have her in my life. I only wish for it to go even further. So I dedicated this song on our first wedding anniversary, back in 2021, but I only got to do a proper recording and release it officially in 2022.
What tours do you have coming up, and what can you tell us about them?
Just when I was about to plan a tour together for this year, Covid cases seem to be on the rise once again! I’m so bummed out by it and it’s so hard to plan anything in advance now. If things don’t get out of control here in India, I would love to do a pan India tour covering major cities and towns, sometime in August – September.
What venue are you most looking forward to playing the most, and why?
I like smaller venues with good sound. It definitely feels more intimate and engaging to perform at smaller venues than big festival stages, which are fun too in their own ways. I would love to play at Bowery Ballroom, Wilton’s Music Hall, Thalia Hall, Brixton Academy, The Lexington to name a few.
What else can we expect from in 2022/23?
More new music, collaborations, more shows. Keeping my fingers crossed for things I’m planning. A lot of my plans got canned in 2021-22 for some reason or the other, so I’m going to wait for the right time to let the world know about it.