Manas Jha Recalls Blackstratblues on New EP ‘Freedom or Love,’ Also Collaborates with Sidd Coutto and Dhruv Visvanath

The last time we spoke to Mumbai-bred singer-songwriter Manas Jha was in 2021 when he released his third EP Trifecta. That record included a host of collaborators. Jha has kept with the same formula on his just-released fourth EP, the four-track Freedom or Love. The musician brings back Mumbai/Auckland guitarist Warren Mendonsa aka Blackstratblues – who played on Trifecta – for the new EP as well as his bandmate drummer Jai Row Kavi on the punchy early 2000s rock offering “Broken Bangles.” Mendonsa’s other bandmate from rockers Zero, Sidd Coutto, joins Jha on the vivacious “Abandon – Reprise.” The singer-songwriter also enlists Ahmedabad-based producer-bassist/guitarist Raag Sethi for the stirring “Mend Your Ways” and New Delhi guitar maverick and singer Dhruv Visvanath on the percussive acoustic guitar track “Decay – Redux.”

In this interview with Rolling Stone India, Jha talks to us about the new EP, how the collaborations came about, the music videos he’s made to accompany the tracks, what he has in store next and more.

The last time I interviewed you was for your EP Trifecta, what have you been up to since then?

A lot has happened since. We moved countries – relocated from New York City to Bombay. It feels great to be back home. I’ve been fortunate to catch some of my indie favorites live again, be it at a regular gig at antiSOCIAL, Independence Rock, NH7 Weekender, Mood-I, and so much more. It’s also been great to jam again with a few friends, though getting a full band going has been a challenge.

When did Freedom or Love begin to take shape?

Work on the Freedom or Love EP began in 2021, almost immediately after Trifecta. As with previous releases, it started with me writing the songs with just acoustic guitar and vocals. And then working with my indie favorites to bring them to life. This EP contains 4 songs. It took us about two years to complete the whole audio and video production.

How did the collaborations come about for the new EP?

The collaborations started with Sidd Coutto. I grew up listening to Zero and have been a fan of his work since on everything from Tough on Tobacco to Ankur and the Ghalat Family. I reached out to him to reprise one of my older songs – ‘Abandon’ – for this EP. The song dates back 18 years. At the time, as a college band, we’d play it as straight punk rock. But when I released it in 2019, as part of the Reimagined EP, we took a mellow electro approach. Alas, I always missed the raw energy of thumping guitars, drums, and bass. And with Sidd’s help, I was able to bring it back, with a matured sonic arrangement.

Warren Mendonsa and Jai Row Kavi. I’d already worked with these guys on a prior song, ‘Liberate’ (off Trifecta), but that had a loud aggressive sound. This time around, I was looking for soft rock with ‘Broken Bangles.’ Glad that they were able to tone it down and help me realize it.

For ‘Mend Your Ways,’ I reached out to Raag Sethi. I’ve been a fan of his work on everything from Heatsink to Compass Box Live Sessions. Off all the songs on the EP, I’d say, this one is the most different from its acoustic demo. Raag fully rearranged the song and ‘jazzified’ it.

For the fourth and final song, I reached out to Dhruv Visvanath. I got introduced to his music through the 2015 album Orion – the use of percussive acoustic guitar to tell a story has always stayed with me. I reached out to him for ‘Decay,’ originally off the Reimagined EP. At the time, the song was written in a band arrangement with distortion guitars, Carnatic mandolin, and drums. I wanted to strip out all of those elements and lay bare the acoustic guitars and vocals. Dhruv was fully onboard with the vision and layered multiple acoustic guitar tracks to support the emotional depth of the song.

What can you tell me about the overall theme of Freedom or Love?

Freedom or Love is a concept EP. Each song talks about a different phase in a dysfunctional relationship, and the ever-evolving dilemma to either stay committed or break free.

What was the recording and production process like?

All songs were tracked and produced remotely. I did my vocals at home, and all of the music was recorded and mixed at the respective studios of the featured artists. The EP was mastered as a whole at Compass Box Studios, Ahmedabad.

What can you tell me about the visuals that accompany the songs?

The music videos are directed by Taab and Rono aka Ronit Sarkar. The collaboration started with me sharing an initial writeup for the four music videos, how they were thematically linked, and the overall flow of the narrative. From there, the concept, direction, cinematography, and edit were all driven by them. They scouted dancers for the storytelling – Fiona Garodia (who also choreographed all the sequences) and Janhavi Jain Ranawat. And I roped in Sidd Coutto and an old bandmate – Nikhil Bhosle – for the musical performance shots. We filmed at our old Row House in Powai. With the edit, given each song features a different music producer and genre, the visuals were adapted to the songs’ mood.

Do you have further plans to promote the EP?

Yes, I’m putting together a two-piece live set for starters. Will announce gig dates shortly.

What’s next?

I’m looking to get back to playing music live again. Will announce gig dates shortly.

Stream ‘Freedom or Love’ on Spotify below and on other platforms.