Bengaluru Pianist-Vocalist Tarang Joseph Remembers a Dear Companion on ‘Feeling Empty’

Born in Malaysia and growing up in California as well as Bengaluru, pianist and vocalist Tarang Joseph recounts that there were a few childhood constants – Broadway musicals, Billy Joel and a golden retriever named Kenai. It all comes together on his bittersweet new single “Feeling Empty.”

A singer since he was nine and training in piano since he was 10 years old, Joseph jumped into rock favorites such as Queen, Pink Floyd and Deep Purple with his first band Fleeting Glimpse. “My tastes have matured significantly [since then]. My musical idols now are John Mayer, Daniel Caesar and Tom Misch,” the 20-year-old says. While Fleeting Glimpse was fun for a while, his bandmate – guitarist-producer Ashwin Sriram – started his electronic music project Astra, whose 2017 song “Sunset Runaway” featured Joseph on vocals. It currently stands at over 100,000 streams on Spotify.

On “Feeling Empty” and his previous solo singles out earlier this year – “Not the Same Girl” and “Dancing On Our Beach” – Joseph showcases his love for pop, jazz and blues. The latest of these is produced by Bengaluru-based Doc.Awes aka Amrith Raghunathan (from hip-hop/neo-soul act T.ill APES) and features saxophonist Gautam David (also from T.ill APES). “Feeling Empty” is a heartfelt narration of how Joseph is feeling after the passing of his beloved dog, who passed away last year.

The artist adds, “Since I knew he was old, when it was finally his time, I wasn’t particularly shocked. Nor was I really sad about it, because I accepted that’s the way things were. But I just felt so empty… And the house felt so empty without him in it. That’s what the song is about. I don’t think it’s a sad song. I think I’ve tried to convey a hint of nostalgia in the musicality, rhythm and style.”