Despite a lull in gigs and concerts , 2020 saw a rise in new artists . Some of these rising stars also won over new fans after being featured on live streams and Instagram live sessions by established artists like Raghav Meattle . Artists like Aamir Rizvi and Arjun Ranjit similarly worked towards increasing their music reach by performing for such digital concerts .
Just take Chennai-based pop artist Kevin Fernando ’ s case . In April , Fernando performed a few originals on Meattle ’ s Insta live . This led to an upsurge in his social media followers and Ehsaan Noorani and comedian Abish Matthew too became his fans . With this newfound popularity , he dropped his first 2020 single called Foxy .
Social media hence became a major tool for artists to network with their audiences and fellow musicians . Dimapur-based singer-songwriter Abdon Mech similarly tried curating virtual gigs for himself while dropping his debut acoustic single , titled Again . Through this song , Mech poetically captures the varying impacts of the pandemic on different sections of the society .
Like Mech , even Akshit Dhall wrote and recorded his recent single in a minimal post-lockdown setting . Aptly titled Home , Dhall ponders on him missing his native city while adjusting the new city he settled in for his college .
Coming to the acoustic indie subculture in Indian independent music , Krishna . K . offered audiences several simple , heartwarming ukulele-infused singles ( Indigo , Pieces to Keep etc ), apart from some relaxing covers on Instagram .
Singles aside , some artists have been dropping albums and EPs . Mumbai / Sikkim songstress Anoushka Maskey in fact dropped two EPs this year alone ! This included her ‘ folksy ’ August debut Things I Saw In A Dream , and her sophomore effort in September called C . E . A . S . E .
Similarly , Sanjana Devarajan dropped a 4-track EP called Mood , and the record lives up to its title as it ’ s quite a ‘ mood ’ indeed . Breaking away from the acoustic indie tropes , she relied on a more upbeat electronic-influenced sound . A few animated music videos accompanying each song further boosted the reach of her content .
Each musical venture during a turbulent pandemic-ridden year had some sort of unexpected inspiration behind it . For Frizzell D ’ Souza , it was an evening interaction with a friend that inspired her debut c single New . When a friend asked her if she ’ s writing something ‘ new ’, her mind sparked up and she ended up writing a country blues-style song called New , about the oversaturation point of a relationship .
Warm , breezy vibes went on to engulf 2020 ’ s tense times even during its wintry months . Butterflies , a single by Punebased singer-songwriter Nida Siddiqui incorporated soothing guitaring to convey a narrative of ‘ having butterflies in the stomach ’ while wishing to say something to someone ( but not being able to ).
Nitika Kurian evoked a calming lo-filike soundscape with her March release Blue . The song reflects the Chennai-based singer-songwriter ’ s affinity towards the seas and oceans , calling herself ‘ the ocean ’ s daughter ’. With its dreamy tones , Blue was one of the most memorable productions from the earliest phase when the pandemic began to spread .
At the same time , artists resorted away from the escapism to use their art to spread awareness around significant issues . A case in point is the hauntingly real Ek Angana . In it , Shubham Kabra talked about the continuing practice of female infanticide and how it needs to stop once and for all .
Coming to foreign collaborations from the young artists , one of the most memorable songs was Zaroori by Mumbai popstar Lakshya Bhatnagar . He collaborated with Nashville-based fiddler Jenee Fleenor , contacting her via an Instagram DM ! Sehem Gaye and Pari were a few other singles that Bhatnagar dropped .
To put it in a nutshell , the rising stars of India ’ s indie scene improved their music and their artistic persona despite the pandemic , proving that desperate times call for desperate measures .
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