Milky Hands
Inspired by the birth of her daughter, Sahana's rendition echoes the duality of newly found parenthood - the unwavering bond of love and the disquiet moments brought on by the anxiety a new mom feels for the safety of her child - in the chorus - “This world how will it treat you? for I can only keep you; Here with me for now…”
Led by soulful strings of the ukulele, Sahana helps navigate us through a labyrinth of emotions and sensory experiences that spin a tale of love and joy between mother and daughter.
The Only Constant Is Change
"The Only Constant is Change” is an ode to the union of two souls, and the complexities that ensue in all their glory. Every moment, from the mundane to the spectacular, are a cause for celebration and reflection. The song was meant to remind me that change is the common theme that binds everything together and that I needed to give in to the inevitable evolution of individuals within a relationship. Sometimes all I needed to do was trust the process, live in the moment, and have a little faith.
Shore Out Of Reach
“Growing up in the coastal city of Chennai, the beach has always been my happy place. Family vacations and memories as a child for Keshav and me were centered around the beautiful sandy beaches of Chennai & Mahabalipuram. There were times when I didn’t have the luxury of being close to the ocean and “Shore Out Of Reach” in some ways echoes those dreams of yearning and longing I had. There were winter days when I would look outside the window to see a slow drizzle and grey skies and I would dream about the sea breeze gently rocking my hammock, sun in my face and the sand between my toes. In “Shore out of reach”, I explore my whimsical journey on a magical boat made out of two large seashells to a pristine beach adorned by tangerine sunsets and peachy skies. A sailor takes me to the future in his time machine, where I live in a township by the ocean. While it may be a cliché, it’s my happy-place cliché and it has drawn me back home and I could not be more content!”
Gremlins
“Somewhere in my mid-20s, I realized that I was spending more time on things I did not enjoy than on things I did enjoy - in return for the promise of financial security, growth as defined by peers and a perceived elevated standard of living. I needed to figure out a way to free myself of the “golden handcuffs” and Gremlins was born out of those inner conversations with myself. I used Gremlins as a metaphor for the thoughts - the tiny monsters of the mind - that don’t let you escape from the “good” life even though it may not be what the heart wants. I chose to actively seek out what mattered, and music was my answer, and I have not looked back since.
From a musical standpoint, I experimented with some fusion elements, layers, and harmonies. As a musician, I straddle two very different worlds – Indie and Hindustani classical music. In this song I attempted to bring those worlds closer together. The beginning of the song starts off with an “Aalap”, an improvised, free-form vocal introduction followed by traditional lyrics and the “Aalap” reappears as layers in the rest of the song interspersed with notes of the composition from an Indian musical scale. This is described as a “sargam” in Hindustani music and in the song it appears as the following notes / syllables - Sa, Sa, Dha, Dha, Pa, Pa , Ma, Ma, Ga , Ga towards the end of the song.”
Stuck In Quarantine
Anyone (everyone) who has gone through periods of quarantine will be well acquainted with the familiar pangs of loneliness and helplessness. “Stuck In Quarantine” is a song Sahana wrote on one such day about 4 months into the COVID Quarantine/Lockdown in 2020.
“I woke up from a particularly lovely dream where I was at a brunch in my favorite restaurant, eating my favorite gingerbread waffles. The bitter reality of waking up in a pandemic world was abrasive, to say the least.“
It is this reality that we are first introduced to in the song - a rather amusing moment when a local politician warns ordinary citizens of the dangers of “corona wireless”!
“In my quarantine bubble I felt a deep yearning for the simple moments – coffee with friends, a meal at a restaurant, hugging my favorite people and more. While I could appreciate that others were going through far more extenuating circumstances, I did want to give myself a channel to process the emotions I was going through. And though nothing changed in the few hours that it took to write this song, I finally felt heard. And I continue to hope for this to be in the past.”
Shore Out Of Reach
Shore Out Of Reach, the debut EP of Sahana Naresh, is an ode to the artist's fascination and love for the mysteries of the sea and the deep metaphors they inspire. The stirring rhythms of ebb and flow are echoed in soulful renditions penned by the artist and her fellow music collaborators, including an across-the-border collaboration with her cousin Keshav, or her 'one-man army' as she likes to call him.
Sahana's diverse musical influences, from Hindustani to Indie-folk, are evident in the intricate layers and forms that each song embodies, with the rich texture of her voice guiding the listener through a voyage across oceans of thought and emotion. The singer-songwriter has carefully crafted and curated a selection of songs that incorporate her favourite instruments and layers of vocal harmonies.
Recorded during the global lockdown in her makeshift studio, Shore Out Of Reach is a powerful tribute to the dreams we follow, the hearts we break, and the truths we uncover.
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