Photography Chintamani Ahire
Ankur Tewari's new music is knit around a theme we all felt during the pandemic, loneliness. 'I discovered a side of myself that I was hiding somewhere. It wasn’t like it didn’t exist before. It did but probably, I was forced to confront that side of my personality. I was probably not brave or bold enough to share it earlier. This album brought me closer to who and how I am as a private person,' explained Ankur.
The album, Akela, is the second output of Tiger Baby Records that Ankur co-founded alongside filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti. Their first was an EP, Aaja Nindiya by Ankur again. Below he shares insipirations and experiences that influenced your songwriting process.
Like you were saying Akela was pretty much a pandemic project and was an investigative piece on relationships and dwelling on loneliness. Tell us your journey with it… did you learn or unlearn a few things in the process?
One of the things that really stood out for me during that time was our relationships… How much do we give to those people, how much time of that time is quality time, what do we prioritize in life, what do we choose not to. This feeling of vulnerability that you’re completely alone even when you’re surrounded by people, ironically. One thing I learned during this time was to give a lot of importance to being in the moment, to learn to live in the moment, to be present.
How would you describe its music sensibility?
The sound of the universe is quite dramatic. I was listening to a lot of space sounds online and I feel like that’s reflected in the music. At the same time, I was getting very nostalgic so I have kind of taken inspiration from my favourites like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Doors and it’s all encapsulated in the album.
Can you give us one word for each track from the EP talking about the feeling it creates within you?
The one word that goes for each song on the EP is akela. It’s about being alone, being lonely but not necessarily as a bad thing.
One piece of advice to those looking for direction?
The only piece of advice that I have is to never stop listening to your gut amidst the noise of the world. That’s the most important voice that will guide you through everything.
Who’s your source of inspiration?
Intelligence inspires me, people’s perspective inspire me. How different people can view the same situation definitely inspires me.
What emotion does music evoke in you?
My music definitely releases a lot of emotions, whatever emotions I am holding up inside me. Any strong emotion – happiness, sadness, greed, jealousy, it could be anything but if its pent up inside, it will come through my music.
Text Hansika Lohani
Date 09-09-2023
Artwork by Somnath Bhatt