Rono Professes His Love for Songwriting with New EP ‘Postcards’

Back in 2015, Mumbai-based photographer, videographer and singer-songwriter Ronit Sarkar released his nine-track debut album, In the Brightest Corners, under the moniker Awkward Bong. While Sarkar still uses the name for his lens work, a couple of years ago he decided to channel his music as Rono. “It felt like I was starting over,” he says. In 2018, the musician put out two Hindi singles via the new name and this past Valentine’s Day he dropped a fresh two-track acoustic EP titled Postcards. He says about the switch in moniker, “Rono felt more personal and in line with the way my sound was moving away from the whole alt-pop band vibe.”

Sarkar – who was previously part of electro/garage-rap outfit Subsystem – began writing extensively during peak lockdown last year. The musician penned around 60 songs in as many days. After countless rounds of demoing the tracks, Sarkar grew disillusioned with the production process. He says, “I was starting to lose touch with what the songs were really about.” He adds, “I only decided to put them out in this form in January.”

Postcards includes the upbeat “High Enough” and melancholic “Lost & Lonely.” According to the artist, the songs explore the theme of longing for what one can’t have. Sarkar says, “I suppose being stuck home alone with my thoughts had a lot to do with it.” Recorded at Mumbai alt-rockers BLEK’s frontman Rishi Bradoo’s studio Theatre 74 in single takes, Sarkar was keen on capturing the recordings in a raw, intimate and delicate setting. He says, “Feeling the songs and enjoying the process was prioritized over worrying about bum notes or guitar squeaks.”

Looking ahead, the singer-songwriter plans to keep hacking away at his songs and releasing them whenever he sees fit. He also tells us that there’s a likely chance that he will drop “proper versions” of these songs too. Sarkar says, “I’ve unlearned a lot of my previously held notions about what recorded music is supposed to be in this day and age.” He adds, “It’s the kind of creative freedom I haven’t felt in a long time, and I’m looking forward to thoroughly exploring that.”

Stream ‘Postcards’ on Spotify below: