Exclusive Premiere: Shubh Saran and Pakshee Reveal their Rippling New Track ‘Ang’

After his videos featuring New Delhi-based duos Shadow and Light and Chayan & Smiti for his collaborative project, Shubh Saran takes it to the next level in his journey to meld the East and West with Pakshee. The New York-based guitarist and his band add their own touch to world music group’s brand new track “Ang.”

“When looking for artists for this project, I was told about Pakshee and loved their sound right away,” says Saran about the six-piece band. “Aside from featuring close friends who I’d known for a long time, I also wanted to feature an artist who I’d never met or worked with. Pakshee came into the session with a lot of enthusiasm and we found our groove right away.”

Talented and dedicated to detail, Pakshee are relatively new to the indie music scene and “Ang” is their second release following last year’s “Raah Piya.” The group use Carnatic and Hindustani vocals to deliver a refreshing take on contemporary jazz. “We started working on ‘Ang’  in the second half of 2017,” says lead guitarist Satyam Sah. “Ever since then it’s been evolving as a song even till now, especially after collabs with artists like Shubh Saran and his amazing band.”

Saran explains that the main challenge of working with Pakshee was finding a way to make a session with an 11-person band logistically feasible and creatively fruitful. At the end, it was about how he and his band could best complement Pakshee’s artistry. “I wanted it to feel like we were just an extension of their sound. My aim was to capture their internal chemistry and add onto it with our instrumentation.”

It would seem as though he has succeeded. Arranged by Saran, “Ang” is groovy and bright, featuring just the right amount of funk energy courtesy the guitarist’s solos while Tanishque Jarial and Sree Rag retain their signature touch of desi elegance via Hindustani and Carnatic vocals respectively. Saxophonists Brian Plautz and Jared Yee shine on the track as well. “Working with the arrangements really made us share and learn a lot, it was the best part about the whole process actually,” says Sah. He also reveals that while the song will be on Pakshee’s debut album out later this year, it will be a different version from Saran’s.

Watch Shubh Saran and Pakshee perform “Ang” below: