Exclusive Premiere: Suraj Mani’s Gentle Earworm ‘Ignoring Gravity’

In the continually philosophizing world of Suraj Mani, the singer-guitarist and poet never runs out of new lessons. In the eight months since the coronavirus pandemic has loomed large, Mani has shut down his venue/studio space OO Heaven in Bengaluru, but then he began learning music theory for the first time in his seasoned run as a vocalist and guitarist. “You try something and life tells you to stop trying after a while, so you try something else,” he says. 

There’s more wisdom and introspection offered on his latest single as well, the slow, swaying “Ignoring Gravity.” Featuring guitars from Naveen Thomas from Mani’s band The Tattva Trip, the intimate song was born out of an incident somewhere between Nagpur and Indore. Mani was on a house concert tour through different parts of India last year and when his bus broke down, he stood witness to a slowly approaching rain and petrichor, which inspired the track. “Also on this tour, I would ask the crowd to suggest songs to sing. Someone wanted a song about the rain and I realized I didn’t have one. If you’re open to things, serendipity is a magical thing,” Mani says with a laugh. 

With all the pandemic-related restrictions easing up across India, Mani does have a gig in New Delhi this month, making it his first physical show since March. “In our country, if you get offered any gig, it’s a big deal! I’m dying to play live,” he says. With about 85 songs still in the bank, the artist has more singles in the works and hints that it may just involve international collaborators. “The pandemic has forced us to be innovative. I might consider working with people from around the world,” he says. 

Watch the lyric video for “Ignoring Gravity” below. The song is out on all platforms on November 14th. Pre-save here.