Hear Maaya Mattoo’s Dreamlike New Single ‘Another Time’

New Delhi singer-songwriter Maaya Mattoo counts city-based rock band Parikrama’s late guitarist Sonam Sherpa as someone whom she learned a lot from while training at the capital’s Parikrama School of Music. “Without him, I would not have gained the knowledge I did in my formative years.” Mattoo — who plays both guitar and keyboard — grew up listening to a range of music from rock, R&B, jazz, disco and funk while continuing to keep learning. Currently, she trains under vocalist Sentirenla Lucia. She says, “Under the guidance of my mentors, I have learned so much about myself as a vocalist and musician, and evolved in numerous ways.”

Being the sponge that she is and absorbing all that information from those that have guided her, last year Mattoo began releasing her own material. The artist dropped three singles; “Some Days,” “Blue Over You” and “Memories, For Now.” She says, “I always hoped to [release music] one day but never did I think I would make my debut in the middle of a pandemic!” Now, the singer-songwriter is out with a brand-new single in the shape of the surreal “Another Time.”

Mattoo’s latest offering was born in September last year when she recorded the song’s acoustic guitar riff on her phone. The very next day she revisited that idea and began recording at her home setup. “During the same week, the vocal melody came in portions too,” she says. “Another Time” opens with that initial guitar riff before we hear Mattoo’s elegant vocals while a heavily syncopated drum groove along with a thick bassline fills the song. “The song describes, in simple terms, what the art of making music leaves me with,” says the artist. She adds, “It makes me feel all kinds of things – highs and lows, ups and downs, and introduces me to a new world each time I delve into the process.”

The singer-songwriter worked with producer Maadhavan Bhattacharjee on the song. Bhattacharjee also mixed the track while New Delhi bassist Divij Kapoor added his parts too. Mumbai producer/engineer Ayan De mastered it. Mattoo says, “Overall, the whole recording and production process took its time with a few rough patches here and there, but I would not change a thing.” She adds, “I had aimed at a sound that was raw and fresh and saw it come together nearly a year later. Kudos to the people on the team for helping me achieve a sound so true to what I wished for it to be.”

From the outside looking in, Mattoo has been steadily growing as an artist when it comes to her consistency in releasing music as well as the kind of streams she’s been receiving (“Blue Over You” currently sits at over 50,000 plays on Spotify). Ask her how she feels about it? The musician says, “So far, so good. I celebrate every little win to keep going.”

With a black and white themed music video shot and conceptualized by Mattoo and edited by Bengaluru-based filmmaker Karim Poocha already out for “Another Time,” next on the agenda for the singer-songwriter is to continue adding to her discography and collaborate with more artists from the Indian independent music scene. The musician is also keen to get back to playing live shows while she’s even teaching music these days. “Music education has let me revisit concepts and techniques with my students,” she says. Mattoo tells us that she’s eager to pursue a Master’s Degree in Songwriting, Voice or Music Production overseas too. “Fresh out of college with a Bachelor’s Degree, higher education in music seems to be my true calling,” she says.

Watch the music video for “Another Time” below and stream the song on other platforms.