Andrea Kristin Jathanna likes to be known as a singer who practices law on the side. A final year law student, she released her debut single ‘Red’ in December last year. After gauging the response it received, she came out with an EP called Cherry Waves in July this year.
Andrea, who plays the ukulele says, “Like most songwriters, the lyrics stem from a certain experience, but I don’t actually have a process when I write songs. I just pick out some chords and when they sound nice, I just play them on a loop, adding the words as they come.”
Love (and its loss) is a universal muse and was the inspiration for Cherry Waves which has five tracks. As for its name, Andrea wanted, ‘a title that would describe a pink sky over the beach at sunset’ as she felt it best described the memories associated with the songs in EP. A good friend and Bengaluru-based artist Jestine Danti designed the cover for Cherry Waves .
“Music has always been my refuge,” says Andrea, who has been writing music since she was seven. “The song I ever wrote was about friendship,” she smiles, adding that music provides her with a channel to vent out her feelings.
While heartbreak was the primary reason behind Cherry Waves , all the songs on this EP are not sad. “They are more about the way you fall in love — giving yourself and not expecting anything in return and the experience of being in love,” she says.
Her songs have been a while in the making. “‘Ninth November’ and ‘Reverie’ are about five-six years old, while ‘Fall’ and ‘Shoes’ took shape in the past one year,” says the budding artiste who claims she has enough material for 17 more songs.
“Ideas and possible lyrics are always floating around in my head. They take shape and get written, before I mentally sort them out into two albums — one that is done and the other that needs the right musician to give it the required ‘oomph’,” she laughs, adding, “Though I can accompany myself, a gifted musician can turn any song around.”
Andrea who is accompanied by Srinidhi Madakasira, a college buddy, on the guitar for Cherry Waves , hopes to release her next single by late September.
Hailing from Mangalore, Andrea’s family has always been musically inclined, and she says she cut her teeth on melody and harmony thanks to the Mangalore Tunes. “This is a collection of folk gospel music which is a staple in every Mangaluru Christian home. They are a collection of tunes that can be alternated and sung with different hymns.”
“There’s some sort of unwritten code in most Manglorean homes that if you have two children, one is expected to play the piano and the other the violin, to be a part of the church music scene later.”
Given a choice, Andrea would love to play the piano, though she admits she has been unsuccessful so far since she finds it hard to read sheet music.
Cherry Waves is available on Amazon, Spotify and other platforms.
