Few independent musicians are at home during this lockdown without anything to help them self-produce, including soundcards, mics and recording software/interfaces. Many have made their voice count, offering succour and hope, while praising frontline workers.

Spotify advantage

Across genres, from rapper DIVINE’s song ‘Salaam’ (that offers a nuanced look at the crises born from the pandemic in India) to Shillong bluesman Rudy Wallang’s ‘Deny the Bogeyman’ the idea is to raise awareness.

Mali   | Photo Credit: Shweta Sharma

Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Maalavika Manoj aka Mali has just released her new song ‘Age of Limbo’, off her upcoming album Caution to the Wind. While it was inspired by her disturbed state of mind over global strife, the song takes on a different meaning in the current situation.

She sings, “Welcome to the age of limbo, welcome to no man’s paradise” over ominous string and synth work. “I wanted people to feel they were stepping into the unknown,” she explains. Recently selected amongst 36 global artistes for Spotify’s RADAR programme, Mali says, with some amusement, “Right now, I have more listeners in Sydney than I do in Chennai, which is my hometown.”

Sounak Sen Barat  

Finding joy

Meanwhile, The Bangalore Collective has launched a Hindi and English cover of Michael Jackson’s evergreen hit ‘Heal the World.’ Spearheaded by DJ Sasha Sammbi, who wrote the lyrics to the Hindi version, it has been produced by Brian C Bangera. Surprisingly, fashion designer Sounak Sen Barat (of House of Three) lends his voice to the Hindi version. While the initial objective was to create their own fund, they now work with the ‘Feed the Needy’ campaign by the National Restaurant Association of India and the Palresha Charitable Trust.

With a UK tour cancelled and studio time reduced, Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Aditi Ramesh began (remotely) working on an all-new song, ‘Heal’. The wavy track proclaims early on, “If you’re hearing this song, you are privileged.” Between her Carnatic vocal harmonies, there are very real spoken-word portions about social inequities and how we can take joy in the little things even if we have trouble making rent.

Aditi Ramesh   | Photo Credit: Ronit Sarkar

Some self healing

Self-healing is a growing theme among musicians. Pune-based post-rock band Aswekeepsearching surprised fans with a new ambient album called Sleep. Though it was written much before the lockdown, as a means for frontman Uddipan Sarmah to try and recover from mental health struggles, the tender string section-aided album is an enveloping listen that can, in fact, help those messed-up sleep cycles.

Sarmah says, “Mental health and wellness is a serious concern. Most times, we regress inwards and are afraid to express. We made this album with the intent of providing a form of comfort with our music, and we hope it helps anyone in need to, at the very least, sleep peacefully.”