Vedant Chauhan’s Sophomore Album ‘Vinyl’ Is A Welcome Throwback to the Music of Yesteryear
The New Delhi singer-songwriter combines his influence of the Beatles, Billy Joel and Pink Floyd to concoct quite the earworm of a record
New Delhi singer-songwriter Vedant Chauhan. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
After releasing his 10-track debut album Love, V last year, New Delhi singer-songwriter Vedant Chauhan took the music live and performed extensively with a full band. Simultaneously, Chauhan was also working on his sophomore effort, the recently released 10-track Vinyl.
Sonically, Vinyl is filled with soundscapes that invoke nostalgia and elements by artists from the swinging Sixties. Chauhan’s influence from the likes of the Beatles, Billy Joel and Pink Floyd are heard quite distinctly across the album. The singer-songwriter says, “What I listen to, tends to end up becoming a part of what I write and compose. I’m not sure whether that happens knowingly or unknowingly, but it happens.”
Chauhan is also quite the lyricist. The musician’s clever wordplay and his way of forming melodies is a treat to the ear. Talking about the songs on the album, he says, “Each track talks about a different story. There seems to be a pattern in some of the songs that I quite didn’t notice until I finished the album. In all of the three songs back-to-back, ‘Zerah,’ ‘Annie’ and ‘Barbie’s House’ I have talked about three different female characters in the third person.” He adds, “Each song can be considered a short story that tells its own different tale. On the other hand, songs like ‘Alone I Wish To Be’ and ‘The Way It Should’ are extremely personal and intimate.”
The singer-songwriter is keen to take the new album live and is plotting shows. Apart from playing live, Chauhan also has plans to promote the record through digital marketing, advertising at music stores and even performing at open mics. He says, “I’m a strong believer in putting out albums rather than singles. For whatever reason, I like having concepts and a long compilation of short stories rather than putting one thing out at a time.” On what’s next, the singer adds, “I haven’t given much thought to what comes next besides doing shows with my band for the next few months to come.”
Stream ‘Vinyl’ on Spotify below and on other platforms.
