Fresh Indie Fridays

Siddharth Basrur – “For Nell”

Last week, household indie name Mumbai vocalist-guitarist and songwriter Siddharth Basrur released a beautiful acoustic ditty titled “For Nell,” an ode to his dog. The track features bright guitar strumming and harmonica parts while Basrur’s emotive voice sings of love and adoration for his pup who turned four recently. The musician also released a video to go with the tune that includes clips of his loving doggy alongside Basrur and his family.

Natasha Noorani – “Choro”

Earlier this week, Pakistani singer-songwriter Natasha Noorani dropped a colorful and radiant music video that she co-directed for her enchanting new song “Choro.” The song itself is quite the earworm filled with her pop sensibilities and saccharine vocals which are complemented exquisitely with the lively visuals.

Nivé – “Nuts 4 U” feat. 4AM

After the release of her debut single “Hath Ki Safai” earlier this year, New Delhi artist Nivedita Lakra aka Nivé is now out with her first English release, the lo-fi R&B offering “Nuts 4 U.” The new song has been produced by Nirupan Chakaravarthy aka 4AM and includes a dark and moody vibe with plush synths and guitar licks played in between Nivé’s sultry vocals. In a statement, the singer-songwriter said, “The song revolves around a girl who is pursuing someone but is not interested in revealing details about her past.” The singer adds, “She tries her best to distract herself and the guy in order to avoid addressing her own pain.”

Poloryde – “Valor”

Mumbai-based instrumental rock outfit Poloryde – comprising guitarists Vedant Thakur and Swanand Thakur, bassist Anand Masrani and drummer Tanmay Prashant – released their journeying six-minute debut single “Valor” today. While the song includes plenty of tasty guitar parts and a tight groove, there’s also plenty of dynamics that flow within the song as well as influences that range from rock, blues, jazz and R&B. In a statement, the band said, “’Valor’ is a song that addresses risk-taking in life. When faced with a decision, be it big or small, we bail and end up choosing the safer option.” They add, “This song is about giving ourselves that chance and taking those leaps of faith, beyond doubts and fears that can exhaust our motivation.”

Huyana – “Nothing Wrong in Not Being Okay”

On her recent optimistic single “Nothing Wrong in Not Being Okay,” Bengaluru-based singer-songwriter Varshita Ramesh aka Huyana’s relaxing voice paints a joyful picture of acceptance and carrying on with life. The use of bright acoustic guitar chords and the upbeat production contrasts the lyrics and emotion Huyana sings about brilliantly. In a social media statement, the artist says, “This song was born out of many, very honest and raw emotions.”

Akshit Dhall – “Mann Darne Laga”

Pune-based singer-songwriter Akshit Dhall’s latest poignant single “Mann Darne Laga” addresses mental health issues. While the song includes the musician’s staple acoustic guitar and piano parts as well as his deep voice, Dhall says, “We see a lot of people talking to kids in a very negative way, sometimes even cursing them, telling them that they can’t do anything, and sometimes these things stick in a child’s head and eventually the child, starts believing all of it and grows up to be super under confident and self-loathing.”

Alan Ebe – “Running”

Chennai/Dubai artist Alan Ebe’s latest single, the fast-paced pop offering “Running” captures one’s 20s and how terrifying and exhilarating it can be all at once. The song includes lovely piano melodies as Ebe delivers quite an emotional vocal performance. The musician says, “I tried to incorporate lyrics and tempos to indicate a build-up, a build-up to who we finally become after bricking together every moment of our young lives.”