And finally, Vivek Thomas and his team brought the whole album to life in the mix. The songs finally had some clarity, warmth and weight. His team understood the vision and gave every track its own space, while keeping the whole album sonically cohesive.
So yes, I’ m obsessed with quality, but not just for the sake of perfection. It’ s because every technical choice supports a larger story. Restless | Relentless is one long narrative where everything had to feel intentional. Because if I’ m not
05
How do you balance technical mastery on the guitar with emotional depth in your songwriting?
I think it all comes from my influences( ranging from John Petrucci to Jeff Beck). That balance is everything. I’ ve always been drawn to the craft of guitar playing but over time, I’ ve learned that feel will always outlast flash. I began writing more from the heart, letting the technique follow rather than lead. This album reflects that shift It’ s still complex where it needs to be, but nothing is there to impress. It’ s all there to express.
06
Were there any sonic or stylistic risks you took on this album that felt new or uncomfortable at first?
Definitely. Kaadambari is a huge one. It blends Indian classical vocals with a progressive instrumental backdrop, and I had the privilege of working with Nandini Srikar on it.
Her voice had the perfect texture for the song, just like I had imagined. We even shot a performance video with Paarth’ s sister Shubhra, where we incorporated classical dance.
Also, in Bring to Light, I had imagined these eastern European folkish vocals in the intro section. I found Emma Pogosova from Georgia on Instagram and discussed the idea with her. She loved the song and we started working on the parts on video calls.
So, working with vocalists was something that was new for me and I had no clue how my fans would react to it.
07
You speak about the pandemic as a period of intense introspection.
It was! For the first time in years, I had space to breathe. And in that stillness, a lot rose to the surface. I had time to reflect and redirect. I spent hours every day practicing, writing, listening, teaching. It was hard, but it was needed.
The Score Magazine highonscore. com
19