Relevant listening
It has only been a little over two years, since songwriter and jazz/blues, Carnatic vocalist Aditi Ramesh started her musical trajectory professionally, after quitting a career in corporate law. The months that followed could only be described as a phenomenal climb to relevance for the performer.
The vocalist has a rich background in Carnatic music, and seamlessly blends Indian and westerns traditions, along with elements of funk, soul and folk music. Her newest four-track EP Leftovers is a compilation of all the music she has written recently, but wasn’t able to record, and has a connect with her narrative as an artiste. “The songs have grown and evolved in flavour, just as the spices slowly soak in a curry and it tastes better the next day. The themes are meant to be everyday topics which are relatable to the listener. My sound has evolved since Autocorrect, with the coming together of my band as a family.” says the artist.
Though Ramesh’s sound is inspired by and rooted in Carnatic music, it is shaped by contemporary jazz, soul, R&B and funk. Ramesh tells us that she likes to blend various genres organically. In fact, one such lyric-heavy number from her EP, titled Folders, was inspired by a conversation she had with her flatmate about balancing her day job and music career.
Ramesh has had a prolific career but she still believes that indie artistes deserve a better pay structure and compatible means to sustain themselves. “I would like to see it be less of a monetary struggle to be an indie musician. Better rates for gigs, travel expenses being covered and some way for brands to support the recording of music financially, to begin with. There are so many talented musicians in the indie circuit creating fresh and unique music. Yet, they are greatly deterred by the difficulty of survival and the high cost of recording and gear,” claims the singer.