MUMBAI: One of a kind vocalist, songwriter, and producer, Aditi Ramesh launched her latest EP, Leftovers, yesterday on World Music Day.

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Having been inspired by the blues, jazz and traditional Carnatic music in which, she has been trained in her childhood, her organic exploration into different genres ever since has been a hallmark of her development. Aditi is a former corporate lawyer at AZB & Partners, one of the top law firms in the country, a job she quit at the end of 2016 to pursue her career in music. Since then she has had a prolific rise in the music scene performing all over the country with over 55 gigs in the last year. Some of the top festivals she has performed in last year include NH7 Shillong, Echoes Of Earth (at the Saavn Stage), NH7 Pune and Orange Festival.

Similar to the manner in which leftover curry, when left to sit develops an enhanced flavour as the spices slowly seep into the food, Aditi’s upcoming EP, Leftovers is a compilation of all the music that she has written in recent times and wasn’t able to record right away. “Having left these songs to grow and rearrange themselves as my sound evolved, these songs have now metamorphosed into something much richer than their initial versions, and I am really excited to share what we have put together this time,” she says.  

This EP is also symbolic of the coming together of her band as a family and is something she has tried to represent in the EP Artwork. It is a caricature of her band sitting together before a jam session and sharing a meal she has cooked – a pattern that’s now become a ritual for the quartet. The EP consists of three songs:

Folders

The song ‘Folders’ is inspired by a conversation Aditi had with her flatmate about having to balance her day job and her music career. Sometimes pursuing what you love includes a lot of behind the scenes hard work that is externally not visible, and is unbelievable to others when they hear of what it entails. At the end of a long day, you don't want to think about every little thing you need to do, you'd rather just do it. Living in the present and compartmentalising your life into folders. Here’s a live version of this song.

Origin

Origin is Aditi’s tribute to Carnatic music and her roots. The message is that our roots are why we are who we are, but we tend to forget where we came from. To quote a passage from the song: 'Don't forget your roots, the original source of the sound and the rhythm, feel it good | Passed down from generation to generation, in tradition we find liberation.'

Don't be Rude

The theme for this song is self-evident in its name. Inspired by a client who was rude to her on the phone, it's an ode to all the people, especially in big cities, who are often rude and aggressive to get their work done. To quote a passage from the song: 'Don't be rude, for the sake of being rude, you ruin everybody's mood, don't be rude. Your behaviour is causing anxiety, it's what's expected in this capitalist society.'

Outro

The lyrics of Outro are from a verse of Sanskrit scripture which roughly translates to ‘those who eat the leftovers from the sacrifice will be blessed and those selfish people who cook food for their own sake will be fed with sin.’ These words resonate with the theme of leftovers, eating together, sharing food, and the growth of Aditi’s ‘family band.’ The melody is set in raga Abhogi and it’s meant to give peace to the listener.