Hear New York-Based Musician Sanchez Fernandes’ Soulful Debut EP ‘Writing Songs for Her’

Mumbai-bred singer-songwriter Sanchez Fernandes’ first-ever gig was an early set at the now-defunct Blue Frog in his hometown with musician Carlton Vaz from blues-rock outfit Carlton and the Saints. “I miss that place, it’s a shame that it closed,” says Fernandes. The singer-songwriter tells us he used it as a place to hone his skills over many more sets. “The atmosphere at the venue was casual enough for me to be able to try new things, but the situation was serious enough for me to have to deliver,” he says.

Fernandes – who migrated to New York City in late 2012 – is now out with his debut four-track soulful EP titled Writing Songs for Her. The musician tells us that it’s his dad who was supportive of his musical endeavors and was integral for his growth as an artist. “Back in the day, I played my shows with my dad on the bass guitar. Which was scary because I’d be writing songs that were real to me and my dad would be right there listening to my lyrics about girls, feelings, life, and whatnot,” he says with a laugh.

Now it’s not just his dad who’ll be listening to his lyrics but the entire world with the record available on all platforms. Writing Songs for Her began to take shape this past May and follows the theme of “past relationships, my mental state on how I perceive romantic relationships and how I don’t quite fully understand it.” The record opens with the catchy “Not With You” followed by the funky “Get Excited.” The penultimate song is the poignant “A Song For Her” while the EP closer is the melancholic acoustic “Clueless.” Fernandes says, “The songs are relatively light, not a lot of crazy harmony or jazzy stuff. I like compositions that are sing-able, and I think I was able to make it so that these tunes are easy to sing along with.”

Apart from Fernandes handling vocals and guitar duties, Writing Songs for Her also features New York-based musicians such as drummer Josh Castillo, keyboardist Dennis Chung, bassist Giacomo Tagliavia and backing vocals by Rebecca Sol. The EP was self-produced by Fernandes and recorded at a studio in City College, Harlem and Mirrortone Studios in Manhattan. It was mixed and mastered by Ibrahim Tatlicioglu. “He was one of the first people I got to know in New York that did music seriously and did it well,” says Fernandes.

Next, the singer-songwriter is plotting a tour Stateside which will either be a duo or trio setup. Also, a music video for an unreleased song is in the pipeline. Ask Fernandes if an India show is on the cards for the future and he says, “Playing shows in India has been something that’s been on my mind for a while now, I hope that I can plan something for 2020. I would love to come back to where I started and be part of the developing scene.” He adds, “I caught a glimpse of the music scene when I visited in June, it was rather exciting. I got to catch (singer-songwriters) Vernon Noronha and Raghav Meattle at the Little Door in Bandra. Got to see some of my other musician friends at Stables and The Finch, it was great to see them doing what they love and doing so well.”

Stream ‘Writing Songs for Her’ on Spotify below and click here to listen on Apple Music.