Hear Brecilla’s Angelic Debut Single ‘Know Your Hail Mary’

Having spent a majority of her childhood singing in her church choir, Mumbai singer-songwriter Brecilla D’Souza – who goes by her first name – recalls having an affinity with the performing arts from an early age. Through her college years, her love for music grew tenfold while in 2018 the artist even received a one-year scholarship to study at the city-based True School of Music. She says, “It’s been a beautiful journey since then.”

While Brecilla has cut her teeth in the Indian independent music scene being part of alternative soul/R&B band My Kind of Blue, vocal trio Queendom and folk group Folkswagon, she’s now out with her debut solo single, the heavenly “Know Your Hail Mary.”

With the new song, Brecilla’s lyrics include references to the church and the traditional Christian values instilled in her. However, she says, “On a deeper level, I’ve tried to draw light on the front that we as people put out for the world.” The singer-songwriter adds, “’Know Your Hail Mary’ also fits into the larger theme of the album I’m crafting which is about personal reflections and in its simplest form [the song] is about honesty with oneself and all the relationships in our lives.” Sonically, the artist draws from Gospel music influences as organs and vocal harmonies capture the mood while also giving the song a modern touch with production embellishments.

The singer-songwriter worked on the song with her bandmate from My Kind of Blue, guitarist-producer Pranav Kamat. Brecilla also enlisted bassist Yohaan Pissulenker (from erstwhile Mumbai alternative band Calico) to play on the track. “Pranav and I had at least three long Zoom sessions to really work out the finer details in terms of the production. Pranav not only produced but also mixed and mastered the track,” says the vocalist.

Looking ahead, Brecilla tells us that she’s already begun work on her album but plans to release more singles before dropping the LP. There’s also a Queendom song called “Pussytalk” that is in the works too. “This year seems to be getting more and more exciting,” says Brecilla.

Stream “Know Your Hail Mary” on Spotify below and on other platforms.