Naren's indie round-up/ July 2026, Ep 2

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Deepika Seth/ Ittefaq

Language & genre: Hindi, love song 

Label: Grapevine Records

Rating: ****

Deepika Seth's 'Ittefaq' is the first single from forthcoming album Qisse Kal Ke. It's about meeting someone, wanting to settle down and anticipating a strong relationship.

It's a simple composition sung with feeling. The lyrics stand out, as Deepika sings, "Kya yeh ittefaq hai jo tum mile, lamhe azaad hai jo tum aa gaye ho". Later, she asks, "Talaash thi jis mohabbat ki, kya ye wohi ho raha hai?" Get the gist?

The song has been co-written by Sagar Varma. Production is by Rohan Upadeo, with gentle strings by Protyay Chakraborty and guitars by Sambhav Pratap Singh providing the right ambience.

Shraddha Pandit/ Kya Batayen

Language & genre: Hindi, ghazal

Label: Merchant Records

Rating: *** 1/2

After starting off as a playback singer in the late 1990s, Shraddha Pandit has been recently focusing more on writing lyrics. However, her latest release 'Kya Batayen' has been written, composed and even sung by her.

The song has been written in the ghazal style, to describe the feelings of loss and longing. Music has been produced by Salim-Sulaiman, with Bhagirath Bhatt on sitar, Arshad Khan on esraj and Prashant Sonagra on tabla.

Pratham Chourasiya's video reflects a certain grandeur. and creatively uses close-up shots to convey the song's pathos.

Shevya & Ben Parag/ Nikamma 

Language & genre: Hindi, dance 

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ** 1/2

The highlight of the new release 'Nikamma' is the choreography in the video. Musically, the song by Shevya and Ben Parag is all over the place.

But check out the gymnastic dance movements put together by director Shiv Lambda. With some sleek costumes and smart dancers, the video looks good.

However the tune rambles on, as the words "Nikamma, tera kya hoga, bechara phas gaya" keep getting repeated. Precisely our state of mind.

Tsumyoki feat. Muyeez/ MIA

Language & genre: English, dance-pop

Label: Gully Gang Entertainment, Empire

Rating: ***

Goan artiste Tsumyoki is ready to release his new EP Afro Yoki next month. After the single 'You & I', he is now out with 'MIA', a collaboration with teenage Nigerian singer-songwriter Muyeez.

The song blends Tsumyoki's trademark Goa-inspired sound with Afrobeats. The lyrics go, "Come my way, would you come my way, do as I say, do as I say, I'll take my place", with some lush guitars and strong rhythms adding to the dancey flavour.

This is peppy party material, though the ending seems rather abrupt and the lyrics are ordinary. The EP has three more songs. We're waiting.

Soumya Jha, Chayan Adhikari and Dhyani/ All In Good Time

Language & genre: English, pop-electronica

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

Here's an interesting collaboration between Delhi-based singer-songwriter Soumya Jha. Chayan Adhikari of the band Advaita as producer and co-composer/ arranger/ co-producer Dhyani. 'All In Good Time' blends indie-pop elements with electronic soundscapes to provide a heady tune.

The song begins, "There’s stars, shining bright, in my eyes, like before, my hands feel alive, as I wash up on the shore; fireflies, truth or lies, try to catch them and they disappear, but I don’t mind waiting in line, until I find what I’m looking for".

The artwork reminds us of some of the Real World Records CDs released in the late 1990s. Musically, the experimental portions are well controlled, with Chayan on bass and Dhyani on drum programming. The song grows - all in good time.



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