New Music: From Jhansi’s Social Satire to Chennai’s Alvin Presley, Kanishk Seth and More

“We Break Up Because of Family Reasons” by Jhansi

A well-established star via musical and comedy performances in the past, performer-composer Jhansi aka Tanvi Rajgarhia takes on the idea of family-sanctioned relationships, dating and arranged marriages in her latest satirical work titled “We Break Up Because of Family Reasons.” With music produced by Itek Bhutani and Shireen Shosh, the video for the song is directed by Priyanka Banerjee, featuring Jhansi and Rutwick Deshpande in lead roles as a couple who have just broken up. Through the lens of passed-down, unquestionable Indian practices and norms that harm the relationships of young Indians, Jhansi hits upon a tragicomedy that’s grand as it is thought-provoking.

“Ignite” by Arseniic

Perseverance is at the center of Guwahati metallers Arseniic’s pounding new song “Ignite.” Driving home the message of how only the strong survive, vocalist Sam Konjham, drummer Kushal Singh, guitarist Rick Singha and bassist Debanuj Rajkhowa bring in surging djent goodness. While it’s an instant favorite for anyone who likes bands like Meshuggah, Arseniic go beyond with eerie tech-death and deathcore-informed riffs that’ll keep you headbanging for days.

“Kaatil” by Joe Anton ft Sachin Warrier and Tessa Chavara

Producer Joe Anton provides a buoyant, colorful soundtrack to falling in love on his latest Malayalam song “Kaatil,” sung by Sachin Warrier and Tessa Chavara. What could have been a regular old duet gets a spark of a modern electro-pop love song with Anton at the helm as composer as well, the song is saccharine on the lyrical and vocal front, with several deft fusion flourishes in the mix.

Pain Geography by Alvin Presley

Chennai singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alvin Presley follows up his sublime 2020 EP Fall Today with a boundary-pushing new record called Pain Geography. Across five tracks, Presley pushes into dusty alt-rock (“I’ll Miss This Day”), dreamy ballads (“Love Will Come To You”), Americana-informed intricate guitar work (“Leaning”) and breathy pop (“Afraid of Love”) on his latest EP.

“Jahaan Pe Dil Hai” by Kanishk Seth x Aarifah

Composer, producer and vocalist Kanishk Seth’s ascendancy into mainstream Indian pop continues strong and unhindered by any creative missteps. His new song “Jahaan Pe Dil Hai” calls on vocalist Aarifah Rebello to sing her first Hindi song, with lyrics written by Yashwardhan Goswami. The synth-pop informed dream pop song takes on a journey, which is only apt given that the song is about travel, friendships and bonding. Released via Universal Music Group’s VYRL Originals label, Seth and Rebello keep things lightheaded and catchy.

“Love Wasn’t Enough” by Damini Bhatla

Hyderabad-based singer-songwriter Damini Bhatla has been known for her Telugu songs in the past and her latest sees her venture into writing in English for the first time. On the breakfree “Love Wasn’t Enough,” Bhatla teams up with Canadian producer FreddieDot and director of photography Squint Vision aka Prudhvi Mitra to tell a deeply personal story about a past relationship, asking out loud if she should move on, as she’s sat at a table in a wedding dress.

“Prey 4 Me” by Jack’ Styles ft Broken Cigarette

Rapper Jack’ Styles – fresh off supporting performances with a live band in Chennai and Bengaluru for Tamil-Canadian artist SVDP on the latter’s India tour –  raps intimately about staying in his own lane and facing all the struggles that come with it. “I have my own favorite cologne, I smell like misery,” he raps in his distinctive cadence, as he invokes angels and demons to his very own rave on the song produced by Broken Cigarette aka Milan John.

Chunkathumpa EP by Left Hand Drive

Mumbai rock band Left Hand Drive honor their late frontman Akshay Deodhar, who passed away in 2021, by completing and releasing their final EP Chunkathumpa. A true testament to the genre-hopping styles that the band adapted, Deodhar’s voice remains as ecstatic as ever across four tracks, which range from pensive (“Miles”) to searing hard rock (“If I Knew,” “Bang Lassi”) and rollercoaster rock on “George.” It’s an emphatic final bow from the band, who completed the EP with help from several producers and instrumentalists in the Mumbai indie rock circuit.

“When You’re Around” by Jaden Maskie

Singer-songwriter Jaden Maskie released a gentle new romantic song with “When You’re Around.” Written for his girlfriend who shared a long-distance relationship for six years, Maskie tenderly sings of highs and lows and the effort they put in, in an openhearted tone that’s powered by his impeccable sense of vocal melodies. The song is part of Maskie’s upcoming EP called Means So Much, which further delves into feelings and experiences in his life.