Exclusive Stream: Puducherry Singer-Producer Micah Brings Chill-Hop on ‘Soon, I Promise’

Last month, singer-producer and guitarist Micah Bedford (who uses his first name) was performing at the seventh edition of youth festival Under 25 Summit in Bengaluru. His manager had got him a spot to perform, but it was on the mainstage. For someone who’s played mostly intimate gigs for series such as LVNG, the showcase was understandably daunting for Micah.

He says, “I went on stage and there were about 600 people, sitting. It was a bit weird because it was a hip-hop gig and there’s hype involved, but everyone was sitting! I was in between the invited speakers. It was a unique experience. That was just me with my beats and a mic.” Micah powered through at what was his biggest gig yet and he’s raring for more now that his debut EP Soon, I Promise is releasing on March 27th.

The three-track EP (streaming below, a day before its release) has been in the works since July 2018, when Micah was studying in Bengaluru. “I actually ended up dropping out not too long after. Typical musician story,” he says with a laugh. Staying with his father – guitarist Johnny Bedford – in an old part of Puducherry by the sea – Micah wrote more songs that started out on digital audio workstation GarageBand and have now been finessed by producers such as Amrith Raghunathan aka Doc.Awes, Rae.Stones, management label RECK’s founder Akshay Deokuliar aka DEO and Mumbai keyboardist Brent Tauro.

Sonically, Micah showcases an excitable blend of hip-hop and R&B, rapping about looking on the bright side (“Tomorrow”), strumming steely riffs and modulating them over beats (“Postcard,” which addresses a relationship) and smoothly admitting his foolishness (“Tiger Woods”). Particularly with “Tiger Woods,” Micah says the title came from referencing the pro golfer’s promiscuous reputation and how the songwriter associated with it. “The song was a way of just me dealing with my rashness and foolishness of that moment. It felt really cathartic,” he says.

There’s more songs coming out after this, some that delve completely in the hip-hop and trap space. Micah is also planning to reach out to more producers for collaborations. And since he’s staying put in Puducherry, more material is cooking. “Something about being out here being away from everything really helps. My mind sort of clears up when I’m here. I’ve written a couple of songs here that will be out on my next project,” he says.

Stream ‘Soon, I Promise’ EP below. Pre-add here.