Exclusive Premiere: Bengaluru Metal Act Clouded North’s Spirited New Song ‘BitterSweet’

In early 2018, following the release of his debut solo EP, Thejus Nair aka Clouded North, went to see Australian guitar whiz Plini in action in Bengaluru, which led to the first ideas that formed “BitterSweet.” Two years on, Nair – a guitarist-producer who also works as a live sound engineer – finally got around to adding his finishing touches and releasing his latest single.

As much as there’s lightheaded passages that certainly recall Plini’s songwriting, Nair also throws in chunky breakdowns. He says, “I can’t seem to escape them! My major influences are artists like Killswitch Engage, Misery Signals, Periphery, Monuments and Architects.” The single follows up his debut EP Resilience and is also part of what has kept Nair busy during the lockdown.

While work has reduced considerably, Nair says he has no reason to complain since recordings have been possible (“to a minimal extent with the necessary precautions”) and other mixing assignments come up as well. “It’s the safest option at the moment,” says Nair, who runs Eleven Gauge Recordings.

Additionally, Nair’s personal inclination toward cooking has seen humorous recipe videos up on his Instagram. “I have, for a long time, wanted to make videos related to food, with somewhat of a comedic twist. And I love gaming too! I’m basically trying to use the extra time as productively as possible, and that includes starting projects that were put on the backburner,” he says.

Listen to “BitterSweet” below. Stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and Google Play. Artwork by Joanna Davala