Many of India’s gifted artists and musicians spend their entire careers languishing in obscurity, unable to break into the mainstream mould. Talent and conviction to follow one’s passion are important factors, however, luck and the blessings of industry stalwarts are often required to achieve success. The newly-released single ‘Pal’, is a testament to that, where an established singer has collaborated with upcoming musicians trusting on their skills. Composed and Produced by Archit & Smit and performed by Nikhil D’Souza, this fresh track released on January 22.
Breaking barriers in the intensely competitive Indian music industry is a tough task, but this young duo braved the odds and released a couple of original tracks to much acclaim. These include ‘Door’ featuring Harish Moyal & Isheta Sarkar and ‘Dil’ featuring Abhiruchi Singh. They have also written and composed original music for other artists like Hardil Pandya on the song ‘Meri Kahani’ and Abhishek Gaurav for ‘Laut Aaun’.
Archit & Smit are dynamic Music Composers, but first and foremost, they are friends tied by their love of soul-stirring music and travel. Each of their melodies strives to capture the emotions of a journey, and their travel experiences make ideal fodder for their music. With a combined musical experience of over 30 years, Archit & Smit have particularly excelled at the piano. Over the years, they have learnt and practiced writing lyrics, programming, musical arrangements, and song production as necessary art streams to hone their skills.
Like many creative duos, they met in college but collaborated for the first time in 2016 when Archit was working on a devotional album. Smit co-produced it and they realised their professional chemistry was excellent. During this period, they composed and co-wrote the song ‘Door’ and began programming and producing songs for other independent singer-songwriters. As they say, the rest is history! A year ago, they launched their own studio space in Mumbai called ‘P Cube Studios’, to build a strong community of young artists from different art streams to come together for creative and collaborative opportunities.
For their latest offering ‘Pal’, they were keen on a voice that sounded refreshing every time it was heard, which immediately brought to mind Nikhil D’Souza. Known primarily for ‘Shaam’, the successful number from the Bollywood film ‘Aisha’, and his EP ‘Waqt’, D’Souza’s soulful vocals are loved by many. His mainstream success has not deterred him from exploring and supporting independent music. When D’Souza heard the song by Archit & Smit, he immediately agreed to sing it, proving that some big artists also come with big hearts. Not many of his contemporaries are approachable or willing to support young upcoming artists. For Archit and Smit, this collaboration was a dream come true and a humbling learning experience at the same time. It has encouraged them to approach and initiate collaborations with more established artists in the future.
When asked how this unique collaboration with D’Souza came about, the duo credits their friend Abhiruchi Singh for the introduction. Singh mailed the song’s first scratch version to D’Souza, and within a week he was at their studio, singing their song. Archit & Smit emphatically claim that D’Souza is the most humble artist they have come across, and are grateful for the opportunity to create a beautiful work of art with him. ‘Pal’ is a melodious celebration of life and D’Souza’s soulful voice embodies the song’s nostalgic, often euphoric sentiment.
In the music video, a man rekindles his most cherished memories, reliving his happy moments through pictures captured over many years of travel. The beautiful travel montage shots reflect the sentiments of the makers of the song. The footage consists entirely of favourite travel experiences and memories of their friends and family, adding a unique personal touch. Every scene represents a journey and a story in itself, attempting to spark the joy of travel in the listener.
The new release seems poised for success, leaving Archit & Smit plenty of time to work on their upcoming projects. At the moment, they are working on three projects from different genres, along with their next original. They aim to explore their musical capabilities to the maximum potential and are hoping to release their next offering within a month.
The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles for various publications and on her successful blog www.nooranandchawla.com.
She can be found on Instagram @nooranandchawla.