Fresh Indie Fridays #25

Shachi Pathak – “October” feat. Suyash, Saurabh

Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Shachi Pathak has teamed up with fellow artists Suyash and Saurabh for her new cinematic offering “October,” which is an ode to her late mother who passed away due to cancer six years ago. The track includes poignant lyrics and opens with emotional instrumentation before it blossoms into a full-blown epic filled with horn sections, an electric guitar solo, a thumping groove as well as Pathak’s euphoric vocal performance. In a statement, Pathak said, “It has been the biggest loss in my life, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. All that comes out of my heart and soul, is in this song.” She adds, “I also wrote this song when I saw so many people losing their loved ones in the second wave of the pandemic. It broke my heart to see millions of people go through what I have been through.”

Shrey Jadav – “Whisper”

Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Shrey Jadav’s latest soulful single “Whisper” touches upon the uncertainty of modern love. Jadav delivers an elegant vocal performance on the track while stirring keyboard parts carry the song. He said in a statement, “Physical intimacy is easy to find but we’re so afraid of taking the plunge into something serious because we’re all afraid of getting hurt. ‘Whisper’ is written in [a] first-person point of view telling their lover to really open up to them and say what they’re really going through in that moment.”

Mayank Arya – “Safar”

Mumbai-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mayank Arya’s recently released debut single, the jolly “Safar,” is a fusion of pop, indie, and all-around happy vibes. With the track, Arya hopes to spread both hope and love as he sings in Hindi and English across the acoustic-friendly song. He said in a statement, “It is an attempt at encouraging people to look at the glass half-full and to believe in themselves.” With production duties helmed by Mumbai rockers The Koniac Net’s now Goa-based guitarist Jason D’Souza, “Safar” oozes with a feel-good energy, bluesy keyboard parts, uplifting melodies and more.

Perp, NSHKO – “My Mind”

Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Perp first met French artist NSHKO at the International Writer’s Camp in the Netherlands in 2018 and the duo have now teamed up for a new moving single entitled “My Mind.” While NSHKO delivers a thrilling mix of lo-fi, jazz and soul with his production touch, Perp’s silky vocals make the song quite the earworm. In a statement, the artists said, “’My Mind’ based on the immense and sudden sting of loneliness brought about by the lockdown, felt by an entire generation of young adults across the globe.” The pair have also released a cutesy music video wherein they portray a couple living in different parts of the world having a lunch date.

The Earflower Experiment – “They Can Never See” feat. Bruce Lee Mani

New Delhi artist Astaaq Ahmed aka The Earflower Experiment’s new offering is the upbeat and dancey “They Can Never See.” The song floats delicately over a rapid groove as keyboard chords and a slick melody catch your attention immediately. There’s also the added bonus of Bengaluru rockers Thermal and a Quarter’s frontman Bruce Lee Mani who has graced the song with a delectable and spine-tingling guitar solo. The track itself is set in a fictitious reality in which a dictator and his wife are having a conversation over dinner. Ahmed said in a statement, “It is easy to relate to any of the themes presented in the song to the ongoing socio-political climate that has gripped the world today. The globe has never been this connected and this polarised, all at the same time.”