Bhrigu Sahni Collaborates with Tejas on Touching New Song ‘If I Could Fly’

After releasing his immersive track “Everytime” in collaboration with vocalist Shalmali Kholgade, multi-instrumentalist Karsh Kale and co-produced by New York-based producer Alex Syner earlier this year, Newcastle-born and Pune-bred singer-songwriter Bhrigu Sahni has made the conscious decision to release more music. With his 2016 six-track EP What Is Now and a few singles already under his belt, he says, “I’d like to be one of those artists who has a lot of music out there and perhaps, in that process, get closer to finding out what my sound truly is.”

Now, Sahni is out with his latest offering, the rustic and moving “If I Could Fly.” After playing a rough idea of the song for a friend in Goa, the artist was told by his buddy to go ahead and finish the track. Sahni did just that while in Mumbai last year. Then, another suggestion popped up — if he would ever consider someone else singing his songs. He says, “At first, I put up a lot of resistance, being like, ‘How can anyone else emote what I’ve been feeling.’ But after listening to the song in a different light, I realized that it actually might serve the song better if I had someone else sing this.”

That’s when Sahni approached Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Tejas to sing on the song. Upon coaxing from Tejas and producer Zain Calcuttawala aka Bulli Bainbridge, the pair also got Sahni to duet on the track. “I’m glad they insisted. The emotion that I was holding onto came through into the song,” says Sahni.

“If I Could Fly” opens with delicate acoustic guitar plucking before lush strumming is heard and a melodic guitar line kicks in just as Sahni’s timber vocals chime in. Tejas then enters the fray with his silky vocals. The two singers then harmonize beautifully as both their contrasting voices sit splendidly together as strings, light drums, piano and bass fill up the sound. Sahni says, “’If I Could Fly’ is a metaphor for being able to move on. I was writing as a way to be able to find closure. Personally, to be able to let go, sometimes you need to write it out. I guess that’s how us musicians express the deeper things in life.”

On working with Tejas, Sahni says, “I am also a big fan of how he sings.” Sahni counts Calcuttawala to be a very “considerate and sensitive” producer. He says, “He hears you out, gives you ample space to be, at the same time being super on top of things.” “If I Could Fly” was mastered by Mumbai engineer/producer Ayan De. “He’s an absolute pleasure to work with,” says Sahni.

Sahni was one of the co-composers on the just-released Coke Studio India track called “Das Main Ki Pyaar Vichon Khatteya” featuring artists Tajdar Junaid, Kanwar Grewal, Deveshi Sahgal and Amira Gill. “All thanks to [singer-songwriter/music director] Ankur Tewari on that one,” he says. The singer-songwriter is also working alongside Tewari’s Tiger Baby Records to help produce music for Sahgal. There’s also a sophomore EP in the works and the musician says, “This really excites me the most! I have a handful of really beautiful songs and their scratches are ready.”

Watch the lyric video for “If I Could Fly” below and stream the song on other platforms.