Hear Zoe Siddharth’s Touching Debut Ballad ‘Human’

When Chennai/Mumbai singer-songwriter Zoe Siddharth was a toddler her parents immediately noticed her musical talent. From home concerts to learning the guitar and keyboard as a young teenager, Siddharth knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue music full-time. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Popular Music Performance from Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore, the singer-songwriter was chosen as a contestant on singing competition The Stage in 2017.

It was on The Stage where Siddharth, who made it as a finalist, grew as an artist while working with a vocal coach, picking up tips from the judges, understanding the art of performing and also finding out about Mumbai’s burgeoning independent music scene. “I was very lost prior to the show, the struggle of the musician life was starting to make me nervous and I started to lose direction. The Stage really helped bring my confidence back and push me forward. It gave me a platform to start my career with, it gave me a path to move forward,” says the singer-songwriter.

Right after her stint on The Stage was completed, Siddharth felt extremely confident as an artist and that’s when she penned her just-released debut single “Human.” She says, “I was really appreciative of the friends I had and the people who supported me through everything, and it was my way of thanking them.” On the track, the musician sings about wanting to express her feelings about friendships and its importance. The artist explains that this sort of relationship isn’t talked about as much as a romantic relationship is in music. “I wanted to bring the specialty of friendship out because I had a lot to share on the topic,” she says.

Although Siddharth has performed “Human” live with her band, that version of the song is much heavier. The studio recording is a somber piece of music opening with gentle piano motifs and the singer’s luxuriant vocals and harmonies. The track grows with a beautiful string section and minimal production. The artist says, “It has emotional undertones but the message is meant to be uplifting.” The track has been produced, mixed and mastered by Krishh Dutta from MuzeHub in Bengaluru. “I am so happy with the outcome, Krishh really made my vision come to life,” says Siddharth. The singer-songwriter also directed and edited an animated lyric video which has been illustrated by graphic designer Samara Sudhir and will be released soon.

Siddharth says, “For me, success means making connections with people through music and constantly having work come to you. The one thing I fear is having no work at all and nothing to do and I think the lockdown has been tugging at that.” Going forward the singer-songwriter plans on releasing more of her own music and also keep making content on YouTube with fellow singer and The Stage contestant Urgen Yolmo.

Stream “Human” below: