For those readers that haven’t heard of The Manta Sidhu Ensemble could you tell us a little bit about the band, about your story?
The Manta Sidhu Ensemble is a Vocal Harmony Harmony Group, based in New Delhi, India. The Ensemble took shape as a collaboration between some exquisite musicians to perform songs written by me. The line-up includes three singers, piano, guitar, flute, bass, drums and percussion. Each a respected and distinguished musician in his or her own right, the Ensemble members have been a valued part of the Indian Independent Music scene by way of their contribution to various prestigious live acts over the years, in India and abroad.
The Ensemble took shape in mid-2016, when I approached musicians who I felt would do justice to the sound I was shaping my music around. Soon after, the band began playing regularly at popular live venues. And the next evident step was to hit the studio and share the music. In May 2017, the Ensemble released its self-titled Debut EP.
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
I began writing songs during my college days. A few years in, I began collaborating with musician-friends to form bands and take my music on stage. I guess my biggest inspiration to perform came from my ability to pen down my thoughts and give them a musical representation. Writing music has always been something I loved doing and, performing my songs on stage has been my way of sharing my music with new people.
Could you tell us a bit about the writing/recording of the Songdew Competition winning track “Missing Keys”
‘Missing Keys’ is a part of our debut EP. I’d like to point out that this EP was a DIY project for our band and we are very proud of how it turned out. It was recorded and mixed at home, with our drummer Reuben Narain at the fore-front of everything. ‘Missing Keys’ continues to be a favourite of ours, simply because it can make anyone move without it being a dance number. And its rhythm section is so compelling. As far as what this song is about, well, it’s about our constant look-out for things on the other side, or things behind those locked doors. We seem to believe that what’s behind those locked doors ought to be better than what we have at present. But we don’t always find the keys to those doors, do we?
How is the recording of your second album going?
We are super excited about our second album! This time we headed to a professional studio to record all 9 tracks, so we got an opportunity to focus solely on the performance, rather than worry about cables and latency and punch-ins and mic positions and line noise and …. endless other things! We are done with the tracking of all the songs and soon entering the mixing phase. The album already sounds promising and we hope we can do justice to it with a proper distribution plan.
What is the most interesting venue that you have performed at?
I believe a great venue is shaped by a great audience. And we have been privileged to have performed for some extremely supportive and receptive audiences. However, as far as the concept, the setting and the intent are concerned, I feel that Sofar Sounds fit in perfectly well with the kind of music that we play.
What do you think is missing from today’s music industry?
As a singer-songwriter, I feel the need for more genuine platforms that allow me to showcase my music on a global platform. There are hundreds of online portals these days that promise great distribution. But unfortunately, mere presence on music websites is of no consequence today, unless there is a way to make people aware that I, a songwriter from India, do exist, and that I, may have something to offer that may interest you. What is missing in today’s music industry is a variety of avenues for someone like me to put my music out with some assurance that my music WILL be heard.
Here at Artistic Echoes we are always on the look out for new artists do you have anyone to recommend?
Our band’s drummer, Reuben Narain, has a brand new instrumental funk band named ‘Ghost Dance.’ They will be out with their debut EP very soon and I shall be happy to share it with you when it is.
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
First up is a lot of anticipation mixed with anxiety for the Ensemble’s album launch. Following that will be a series of solitary and introspective sessions writing new songs. And as always, the main purpose, of performing as often as we can, wherever we can, shall stay intact.
Find out more:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mantasidhuensemble/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mantasidhuensemble
Songdew: https://songdew.com/manta05
