Singer-Songwriter Gowri Bhat And Producer Derek Mathias Collab On New Nostalgic Single ‘Younger’

When Bengaluru singer-songwriter Gowri Bhat and producer Derek Mathias began working on a track as part of content festival India Film Project’s 50-hour music challenge this past September, they dug into one of Bhat’s half-written ideas to start with. Mathias says, “The melody of this song was from a piece Gowri had never finished, so we adapted it.” He adds, “We worked on the song a bit more and refined it to what it sounds like now.” What they ended up with is a sentimental melancholic song titled “Younger.”

One of the briefs they were given by India Film Project was about including an angle of nostalgia for their song. “For Derek, it was associated with sadness, which is why sonically he went with something that would represent that emotion but at the same time was a bit upbeat,” says Bhat. While Mathias includes wistful piano parts, ambient sonic elements, pop drumming and more, Bhat croons about the past and being carefree as a child. She says, “Growing up strips us of our ability to see the positives in every situation.” The entire song came together over many Zoom calls as the singer-songwriter recorded her vocals at her home while Mathias produced, mixed and mastered the song from his bedroom studio.

The pair aren’t stopping here and are prepping for another release next month. According to them, working on this project together has shown how well they combine as a team. “Continuing with the same momentum, we decided to make more songs together,” says Bhat.

Stream “Younger” below: