Hear L.A./Chennai Artist SURII Team Up with Sid Sriram and Shilpa Rao for ‘You’re Not Alone’

On his debut single “You’re Not Alone,” clothing label SGBG Atelier’s co-founder Surya Giri aka SURII uses a canvas for philosophizing as well as vivid sonics to indulge his music composing side.

Narrating a story about coming to terms with loss and having a sense of roots, the artist drew from the experience of his grandfather’s passing and portrays a story of gathering inner strength. While SURII contributes lyrics, helms composition and production duties, his sparse, wistful guitar lines provide the score for ace vocalist-producer Sid Sriram and singer Shilpa Rao to evocatively bring the track to life. Featuring American indie rock band The Honeysticks’ drummer Ryan Fyffe, “You’re Not Alone” swells dramatically to include heavy riffs for Sriram and Rao’s soaring vocal harmonies.

SURII says he had the vocalists in mind all along when he was writing the track and considers them “among the greatest artists of our time.” The composer-producer praises Sriram and Rao’s talent and drive as “absolutely unparalleled.” He adds, “During the first studio session, I was nearly in tears the moment I heard them voice something that I’d had in my head for so long — so beautifully and give it a full life entirely.” Rao adds in a statement about working with SURII, “This song brings so much hope and solidarity to my heart, I hope the message reaches to everyone looking for love and empathy. All we need at the moment is courage, love and support and art is the only thing that provides the true purpose for people to connect and bond.”

SURII’s debut song is the first of five tracks “grounded in identity and roots as a third culture kid” and will feature more collaborators on forthcoming material. The artist, who grew up between Chennai, Chicago, Los Angeles and Singapore, adds, “The music of these songs is about unrequited love, about family where a father is forced to knowingly destroy his own kin out of his own pure love for him. He wants him to soar but wants him near.”

Watch the lyric video for “You’re Not Alone” below. Stream on more platforms here.