Exclusive Premiere: See ANC Become One with Nature in New Video For ‘Be Alright’

It took Coimbatore-bred singer-songwriter Arjit Sahai a while to decide what he wanted to do with his life. After joining the merchant navy and dabbling with animation and film, Sahai finally dropped everything in 2017, choosing to pursue music following a move to Mumbai. The singer-songwriter found like-minded musicians within the city in percussionist Ritesh Malaney and bassist-producer Dhruv Kathuria and formed acoustic outfit ANC. The band which released their debut three-track EP Tell Me Everything, as well as a couple of singles last year, are now out with their first offering for 2020 with the balmy “Be Alright.”

Sahai penned the new song while he was on vacation last year. He says, “I hadn’t written a song in a while and finally had the time to write something.” The musician adds, “I found myself in this beautiful place among people I love somewhere along the path to being what I wanted to be.” The singer-songwriter wants people who are going through hardship to know that things get better with time through the song. “At the end of the day, it will be alright,” he says.

The track features gentle acoustic guitar plucking, lush piano motifs from Mumbai-based Kush Asher, a quaint and steady groove, Sahai’s breathy vocals as well as harmonies from Mumbai vocalist Anusha Ramasubramoney (from acoustic duo Second Sight). The song was recorded at Kathuria’s home studio called Disciplined Chaos and was also mixed by him.

In the music video accompanying “Be Alright,” we see ANC perform the song in an open field interchanging instruments and playing the fool. Directed by Sahai himself with the help of city-based cinematographer Anish Ajmera, the vocalist-guitarist says, “We love to go and shoot out in nature.” Initially meant to be a slow-motion clip, the idea wasn’t quite working out while at the shoot. “We decided to just take shots of us playing the song in different formations and asked Anish to keep the camera running in between takes to show our mistakes and just to show what we really are like,” he says.

The current coronavirus pandemic initially forced ANC to cancel their ongoing nationwide tour. While in quarantine, Sahai has been working on music and sending Kathuria demos. The singer-songwriter says, “I find that it’s a beautiful time. It [the lockdown] really gives us this new perspective and a peek into what the future will be like.” He adds, “Everyone is practicing this minimalistic lifestyle, and it’s nice not to have the pressure of the world on you.”

Watch the video for “Be Alright” below: