Naren's indie round-up/ July 2026, Ep 3

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Vernon D'Souza/ Lay Down With Me 

Language & genre: English, pop-rock

Label: Self-released 

Rating: **** 1/2

Singer Vernon D'Souza has been a regular performer on Mumbai's live circuit. He has earlier released the song 'Gypsy On The Run' and now comes out with the anti-war number 'Lay Down With Me'.

Interestingly, the self-directed video begins with a short clip of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. The opening words are, "I can see them tearing at the night sky, they're slowly painting all our cities red, they pit you and I against each other, knowing that we both will end up dead". Hard-hitting!

The video uses symbolic motifs like a masked man (played by Tuhin), a chess board and scenes depicting destruction. Produced by Paul Indian, the song falls in the pop-rock space, with some wonderful guitar parts. Overall, an excellent and timely piece.

Noush!/ Snakes & Ladders

Language & genre: English, Latino-pop/ dance

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

The song is catchy on its own, but it's the super-cool video that gives Noush!'s new song 'Snakes & Ladders' that X-Factor. Directed by Aditi Sivaraman, it is themed around square board games, and features some brilliant moves by Noush!, Karanveer Bhatia and a host of other dancers.

Noush! (real name: Anoushka Sivasankar) writes, composes and sings the song herself, besides co-producing it with Ramon Ibrahim. She explores themes of personal responsibility, relationship and self-awareness.

The sound is a blend of Latino-pop and dance elements. Add to them the video's innovative approach, colour schemes and cinematic style, and the result is something out-of-the-box.

Aisha Ali Chopra/ Do It Anyway

Language & genre: English, rhythm n' blues

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

Bengaluru-based singer Aisha Ali Chopra's new single 'Do It Anyway' is pretty much in the rhythm n' blues mould. The uptempo number talks of the tussle between positive and negative thoughts.

Written, composed and sung by Aisha herself, the song begins has lines like, "Go up, go down, while my thoughts run inside out, gotta back it up, do it till I'm bleeding; Go up, go down, while I work it all out, gone insane I'll do it till I'm reeling".

The song has been produced by Yashwant Venkatesh, who uses lush keyboards and strong percussion. Importantly, it has got a shake-your-leg hook.

Lokesh Madan/ Stay

Language & genre: English, love song

Label: Hit Republic Records

Rating: ****

Delhi singer-songwriter Lokesh Madan wrote the song 'Stay' 11 years ago, and was looking for the right time to release it. He has now got in flautist Rasika Shekar as a guest artiste.

What's striking about the tune is its simplicity - in words, delivery and musical arrangement. It begins with acoustic guitar before flute and percussion come into the picture, with the wind instrument getting a smooth interlude. The interaction between Rasika's playing and Lokesh's singing is perfect.

'Stay' begins with the words, "I want you to know, I don't want you to go, I want you to stay forever, I want you to know, I don't want you to go, I want you now more than ever". May sound a bit too simple, but that's the charm.

Big Bang Blues/ Guilty As Charged (EP)

Language & genre: English, blues

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

Delhi band Big Bang Blues is out with its new four-song EP Guilty As Charged. Featuring founder-guitarist Sushant Thakur and vocalist Diyatom Deb, along with their tight band, the group has a loyal following among Indian blues and blues-rock aficionados.

The first two songs are about the ill-effects of excess drinking and debauchery. 'Whisky Woman' talks of how whisky and women can lead one to hell, and 'My Whisky' is about how alcohol can hamper a relationship.

'Maybe One Day', also shot as a video in the studio, talks of self-doubt and burnout, with lines like, "It's hard to get out of bed, every day just seems to be the same". Finally, 'Running On' is a punchy blues-rock number about seeking someone's attention.

Sushant and Diyatom are accompanied by bassist Archit Agrawal, keyboardist Achint Khare and drummer Naman Dutta. Together, they create a big bluesy bang.





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