Seven tracks. Two languages. One EP. It hasn’t been easy, but as a Chennai-based independent musician, Shilpa Natarajan says it’s ‘high time’. Excerpts from an interview:
How long did it take for Bubblewrap to come together?
Almost two years. I had released a song, ‘Dirty Little Secret’, as an independent single in March 2015. At the time, I had a tune in mind for ‘Bubblewrap’, but to make this an album, I needed a minimum of 10 songs or a minimum of 40 minutes of music. So instead, I decided to put out an EP.
Was it initially meant to be part of a larger project?
Yes and no. I actually was going to release each single monthly. Here, the music scene is film-oriented, so putting out independent music is extremely difficult. A lot of people suggested releasing the tracks as singles, saying the album concept wouldn’t work.
How did it evolve into the final cut?
I spent some time in London to work with some songwriters. I started jamming with artistes and they advised me to not confine it to the Indian market. Instead, they pushed me to distribute the EP digitally to reach a wider audience. That’s where a lot of the tunes and lyrics were formulated.
What’s the sound of the EP?
All the tracks are different, but probably more indie-pop with other elements fused in.
Why the inclusion of two Tamil tracks?
People here are averse to English tracks; hence the inclusion of Tamil tracks. Though my question is, ‘why categorise art by genre or language?’ Music is supposed to be free of barriers of any kind. At the end of the day, it’s all art.
Chennai’s independent music scene is somewhat unexposed. What do you hope things like Bubblewrap bring to the field?
A sense of respect for the artistes, a willingness to pay for good music, and an open mind towards non-film music.
