Pavithra Chari and Anindo Bose together form Shadow and Light, blending together Hindustani classical, pop, jazz, and electronic. We sat down with the duo from New Delhi to speak about their approach to songwriting and their thoughts on the music publishing industry.
Tell us about how you started making music as Shadow and Light.
We started writing music together without really thinking about putting up a band together. It just happened by chance and we realized that we have a strong musical connection. Even though we come from different influences, we have been able to put our styles of music together with a lot of ease. We are very proud of what we create.
How important do you think music publishing is to emerging artists in today’s industry, particularly within India?
It is very important to make your music available for different opportunities and media. So much effort goes into making music but as artists we need to realize the full potential of the music we create, beyond performing them live. Within India there are so many independent artists who don’t have a major brand or label supporting them. Especially for those artists, music publishing opens doors to a lot of opportunities to get discovered.
What is your typical songwriting process?
It varies from song to song. We have come up with musical riffs or melodies that we later mold into lyrical ideas; or we have started with words that we then weave into music. But in both cases what we look for is that balance of genres, when that feels right, we know that the song is on the right track.
Describe a pivotal music moment for you in your favourite film, television show, brand partnership etc. Has this influenced any of your own compositions?
There is no one moment that comes to mind, but music is so present in every part of our lives that it would be really hard to imagine any situation without music for us. We know how much some film scores have moved us, how some amazing advertisements are remembered less for the brand and more for the catchy tune that plays behind. We have been inspired by all of the music that we are constantly privy to.
Do you have any advice for aspiring songwriters?
Spend time learning and mastering your craft and making yourself better. Try to understand different perspectives to the craft and perceive yourself as a student. Don’t be afraid to keep trying over and over again.