New Music: Striking Pop from Sanjith Hegde, Aranyaka, Tamara Kazziha, Izora and More

Calling the Moon EP by Tamara Kazziha

Mumbai-based violinist and singer-songwriter Tamara Kazziha – who is half-Egyptian and half-Scottish – wears her roots on her sleeve on her new EP Calling the Moon. Made with production assists from the likes of Vishal J. Singh and Parth Zeth, there’s an ephemeral, dream-pop quality spread across six tracks. Wandering tracks like “Calling the Moon” are interspersed with a piano ballad like “Neptune’s Daughter” and there’s a bit of gothic rock on “Lilith in Aries” and stirring cuts like “Ocean Heart” and “Kiss the World.”

“Baadal” by Sanjith Hegde

South Indian singer-composer Sanjith Hegde takes a big stride as a solo pop artist on “Baadal,” a breathtaking invocation of the rains featuring lyrics written by Aditya Sharma and production from Hegde and Nisthula Murphy. While Hegde has been known for his work in South Indian film soundtracks – and more recently the Kannada song “Geejaga Hakki” on Coke Studio Bharat – “Baadal” is a break-free tune that plays to his classical vocal chops as well as modern Indian pop sonic palette. It comes with a film-like music video directed by filmmaker Bijoy Shetty with Swaraj Sriwastav helming director of photography.

“Goodbye” by Izora

On her first single after moving to Los Angeles for higher studies, singer-songwriter Izora teams up with producer Jorge Leal Blanco for “Goodbye.” Singing about a toxic relationship in a way that recalls the likes of Lana Del Rey, the song picks up from her previous forlorn pop songwriting territory, but introduces a touch of the dancefloor and radio-friendly element. Currently, Izora is performing the song and her material across the West Coast in the U.S. with keyboardist Zion Jeng, guitarist Trevor Boggs and drummer Henry Hinton.

“Something to Lose” by KBIR

Not too long ago, Kabir Hiranandani was writing prog rock with drummer Ranbir Kapoor in Boston, as part of the duo Satva. About four years later, Kapoor works in Indian hip-hop as A&R and Hiranandani has launched his new single “Something to Lose” under the moniker KBIR. With sublime guitar melodies still at the center of things, there’s a marked R&B and pop direction on “Something to Lose,” a song that deliberates matters of the heart in light of a breakup.

“Roses & Wine” by Hrishi

Pune-based singer-composer Hrishi teams up with lyricist Soham Majumdar and producer Bhushan Chitnis for “Roses & Wine,” which is actually a bilingual song in Hindi and English about the perfect pairing in the mind of a lover as he addresses his partner. Buoyed by breezy guitar lines and a simple structure to prop it up, there’s an earnestness that shows on “Roses & Wine.”

“Phikke Pae Gaye Saare” by Aranyaka & Bharg

After a few years of working in Indian hip-hop, Aranyaka Verma (who goes by her first name as an artist) steps in front of the mic with the Punjabi R&B/pop song “Phikke Pae Gaye Saare.” Produced by singer-songwriter, composer and beatsmith Bharg Kale, the song might sail along at a smooth pace, but it’s actually Aranyaka’s vehicle for an on-off relationship that’s gone on for a little too long and beyond what’s healthy. In a manner that sounds like a late-night introspective, the artist weighs out the good and the bad with a breathy hook.

“Left Behind” by Unburden

Electronic artist Unburden aka Deepankar Bajpeyi sings about the melancholy of disappointment, healing and loneliness on his aptly wavy new song “Left Behind.” The follow up to songs like “Nothing Changes” as well as “Sinking In,” the Budapest-based singer, producer and guitarist taps into everything that everyone loves about synthesizer-informed music and takes it in a gloomy but wisdom-earned direction.

“From The Branches of Yesterday” by Grace Within Trinity

Hailing from the city of Tura in Meghalaya, metallers Grace Within Trinity bring modern metalcore melodies with a post-hardcore rawness on their debut single “From The Branches of Yesterday.” With an eerie visualizer to go with it, there’s actually a brightness in the heaviness of the band, juxtaposed with the angst and redemptive lyrics that recall bands like Haste The Day, August Burns Red and more.

“Shalimar” by Bawari Basanti

With her signature classical-meets-modern electronic vocal and production style, Bawari Basanti’s “Shalimar” builds on an older track called “Mera Pyar” that the artist made, now imbued with more intricate flourishes and a different energy. Plus, there’s a music video that takes fans back to the day she decided to move on from a past love.