Watch: Singer-Songwriter Shanay Shah’s Pleasant Debut ‘Ye Baar’

When Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Shanay Shah””who is a tech enthusiast””went to San Francisco in 2013 to understand the startup culture better, he also began busking and performing at open mic nights for the first time. He says, “That’s where the entire musical journey started, it was a magical experience.” Upon returning to Indian shores in 2014, Shah began working at restaurant exploration platform Zomato and it was through the food app that he got into the live music scene in India. “I used my contacts at Zomato to get gigs at restaurants and cafés,” says Shah.

Now a full-time musician, the 28-year-old recently released his pleasing debut single “Ye Baar,” he says, “I want to reach to masses and make sure my music is heard.” That explains his decision to sing in Hindi as well, to gain a wider reach while he’s performing and residing in India. “Ye Baar” is also a part of Shah’s upcoming yet-to-be-titled EP, set to release in August.

The music video for “Ye Baar””“shot by Mumbai videographer Karan Vaidya”“is a reflection on the “happy and vibrant” musician’s personality. In the video, Shah roams to his favorite spots in Mumbai, from his terrace to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link as well as the graffiti-tagged bylanes in Bandra. “It [the video] had to be something that is eye-catching and people would have a smile on their face when they watched it,” explains Shah.

Shah plans on releasing a single every month from his upcoming five-track EP but also wants to get the backing of a label to help him promote the record. He says, “It’s tough for me to do everything on a shoestring budget where I have to record all the songs, mix and master and get the videos out.” He adds, “If I get the opportunity [to sign with a label] that would be great.” “Ye Baar” was tracked at Mumbai’s Frank Gabriel Audio and produced, mixed and mastered by Jason D’souza.

Apart from his EP, the singer-songwriter wants to just keep performing live as much as he can and get more traction for himself for the rest of 2018. “I also want to play at festivals like NH7, so the idea right now is just to do more music.”

Watch the music video for “Ye Baar” below: