Fresh Indie Fridays #34

Vinay Kaushal – Duality

After releasing three singles in the last couple of years, Pune guitarist Vinay Kaushal is now out with a two-track EP entitled Duality. The record opens with the acoustic-leaning instrumental offering “Mind Games.” The track features layered guitar parts, orchestral elements as well as dreamy saxophone parts by Shirish Malhotra. On “A Twisted Lullaby,” Kaushal calls upon singer Yamini Lavinian as she croons beautifully over a blues-based slide guitar. In a statement, Kaushal says, “Duality is about embracing the dynamism that makes up every individual and celebrating it.”

Rono – “I Saw You in a Dream”

In 2021, Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Ronit Sarkar aka Rono released his two-track EP Postcards as well as a single titled “Like a Love Song.” Sarkar has no plans to slow down and has kicked off 2022 with a brand-new melancholic track called “I Saw You in a Dream.” The song includes poignant guitar and piano playing as well as sobering vocals from the musician and showcases his vulnerable side as a songwriter quite exceptionally. There’s also a music video (directed by Taab Arshad and Rono) and it has the singer-songwriter starring in it alongside Naghma Rizwan, as they share tender moments amongst nature.

ANC – “Here and Now”

Mumbai-based indie-acoustic/rock trio ANC—comprising vocalist-guitarist Arjit Sahai, percussionist Ritesh Malaney and bassist-producer Dhruv Kathuria—are out with their first piece of new material in almost two years in the shape of the surging “Here and Now.” The song features the band’s staple acoustic sound but also moves into heavier sections with the distortion levels raised, more frenzied drumming, a booming bassline and keyboard undertones as well as frontman Sahai’s soaring vocal delivery. In a statement, the band said, “Like most musicians, we were lost in how to move forward with our music [due to the pandemic] while not being able to work together. ‘Here and Now’ was an effort to make sense of this uncertainty while still making the most of what we had while doing what we love.”

Aman Jagwani, Anubha Kaul – “Hope”

After their excellent collaboration on last year’s seven-track album This Place, Mumbai-bred drummer/composer Aman Jagwani and vocalist Anubha Kaul have teamed up once more on the flowing new single “Hope.” With their latest offering, the pair have entered a new sonic era that includes a fresher sound which will also be heard on their forthcoming album. There’s intricate drumming from Jagwani while Kaul’s voice sits splendidly over a vamping piano. In a statement, the artists said, “‘Hope’ is an immersive sonic journey into a new, wondrous land. With lush vocals, exciting arrangements and improvisations as well as ear-catching electronic textures. Like hope itself, this song is our friend when we need comfort.”

Pesty Pupil – Tone Def

New Delhi-bred and Berlin-based artist Pesty Pupil’s new six-track EP Tone Def is filled with hip-hop and R&B elements and follows the journey of an artist’s growth, insecurities, criticism faced and more. In a statement, Pesty Pupil said, “This self-produced project is intended to create a storyline of an artist that is slowly corrupted by public opinion and how they come to terms with it.”