Singer-Songwriter Shantanu Pandit Launches Debut EP

Shantanu Pandit. Photo: Courtesy of Pagal Haina Records

Delhi-based folk artist Shantanu Pandit has previously mentioned how he’s never found a noisy, chatterbox-filled club to be the best place for his quiet, mellow tunes, so it’s no surprise to know that he’ll launch his debut EP, Skunk In the Cellar, this month at Delhi’s Akshara Theatre, a seated, limited capacity venue. Says Pandit, who is also part of acoustic band Run! It’s The Kid, “I definitely wouldn’t want to play bar venues, ideally. It’s not their fault, though. It’s just that I play very pensive music.”

Pandit’s five-track EP features songs written over the past year and as recently as two months ago. Pianist Dhruv Bhola, from Run! It’s The Kid, adds piano on tracks such as “Forsaken Again” and “Salt In the Sea” while Pandit plays melodica on “Sails to the Breeze,” but most of Skunk In The Cellar is meditative. Says Pandit, “They’re all love songs, in a morbid kinda way.” Pandit’s sound has evolved ever since he started performing as a solo artist two years ago, moving from frantic acoustic rock to simple, stripped down folk rock. Says Pandit, “I used to play really hard and sing really loud, but now, I’ve toned down.”

Influenced equally by Bob Dylan and Brit folk rockers Mumford & Sons, Pandit says he stills listens to “harder” music, but now makes a clear distinction between his work with Run! It’s The Kid and his solo material. Pandit says the band’s material is more rhythm-driven, and he has to “cater to the dynamics” of a four-member band. He adds, “With my own stuff, they are very basic tracks.”

For his EP launch gig, Pandit will perform all five songs off Skunk In The Cellar and also some of his old material, including the song “Till I Lose Faith.” Says Pandit about the song, “I couldn’t play that stuff any more, but if I’m playing for 45 minutes or an hour, I don’t have a choice.”

Stream and download “Wickets for Walls” off Skunk In The Cellar, releasing on June 18th on OKListen and iTunes.

Shantanu Pandit performs at Akshara Theatre, Delhi, on June 20th, 2014. More details here.