AHH’s indie picks of the month
Editor’s Note: Once a month, we feature a fantastic playlist of the best new indie music curated by our partners A Humming Heart (AHH). Independently run and reader-supported, AHH also supports upcoming indie musicians through their Artist Fund.
Over to A Humming Heart….
Welcome to AHH’s July newsletter, where we bring you a hand-picked selection of the latest independent music tracks and get you more indie artists to discover!
'০' by Biswa Bangla Noise: West Bengal-based label Biswa Bangla Noise has recently released a compelling compilation titled '০' that showcases the burgeoning experimental music scene from West Bengal as well as Bangladeshi artist Debopom Ghosh Must Be Killed. This is the collective’s attempt at exploring Bengali ambient music and forms a very interesting body of work. You can listen to the whole album here.
‘Can’t Fall / Won’t Fall’ by Huyana: Varshita Ramesh who goes by her moniker Huyana has released her debut EP ‘Anxious Attachment’. The lead single ‘Can't Fall / Won't Fall’ also comes with an accompanying music video directed by Maahir Mohiuddin. Huyana skilfully blends influences from soul, R&B, indie pop, blues, and jazz, showcasing her artistic growth on this EP that has been produced by Derek Mathias. In a previous interview with us in 2021, Huyana expressed her desire to work in a “proper recording setup and work with musicians” and deliver a “well-thought-out, great body of work”. ‘Anxious Attachment’ fulfils that vision.
‘One Me’ by Bulli Bainbridge, Irfana & Trichia Grace Ann: ‘One Me’ is the hip-hop collaboration between Mumbai-based producer Bulli Bainbridge, rapper Irfana and vocalist/rapper Trichia Grace-Ann. The inspiration for the song stemmed from a conversation where Bainbridge expressed the desire to be the sole artist in his unique style. The idea of embracing individuality and resisting the pressures of conformity resonated with all three artists, shaping the song's theme—the track starts with the words ‘not the best, but the only’. Irfana's hard-hitting rhymes and Grace-Ann's captivating vocals complement perfectly the energy of the song.
'Land of Gold' - Sutej Singh: The Solan, Himachal Pradesh-based guitarist and composer Sutej Singh gave us a regal prog album in the form of The Emerging in 2018 which also topped our list of best independent albums of 2018. Sutej is back with a triumphant comeback after five years. His latest single, 'Hand of Gold', lives up to the anticipation, showcasing his musical prowess.
‘Dude Subdued’ by Pranav Bhasin ft. Rohini Maiti: Mumbai-based filmmaker and composer-producer Pranav Bhasin has just released his latest single 'Dude Subdued', featuring vocalist Rohini Maiti. Following the success of his previous single and music video 'Screaming on the Fly', which premiered its music video at SXSW 2023 and received a nomination for Best Music Video, Bhasin continues to establish himself as a talented musician-director.
Notably, he has worked on music videos with acclaimed artists such as Prateek Kuhad (Favorite Peeps), When Chai Met Toast (Believe), and Black Letters (In My Senses). 'Dude Subdued' presents an electronic-leaning sound that builds up to an engaging conclusion, promising an intriguing music video to complement his body of work.
Keeping up with indie
We hope you enjoyed this month's selection of independent music. We invite you to stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest in the indie scene through our regularly updated Spotify playlist, Currents.
A Humming Heart is entirely reader-funded, and we rely on your contributions to grow and expand our coverage of Indian independent music. If you want to get our new series BACKSTAGE—where artists interview fellow artists—to your city, consider making a monetary contribution. Every rupee counts. Contribute to A Humming Heart.
Watch the discussion with Kunal Malhotra (Artist Manager, WorkerBee), Saurabh Parihar (musician), Ankush Nagpal (Founder, Awaaz Studio) and is moderated by Sukanya Agrawal (founder, A Humming Heart) below.
