When seen from a nostalgic lens, the problems of youth seem quite benign. Singer-songwriter Yohan Marshall’s latest song titled ‘Haan Bhool Ja’ captures this truth well. “It’s like a warm hug for anyone going through the ups and downs of love. It’s that kind of song that gives you the feels, you know? With its catchy tunes and heartfelt lyrics, it’s like a companion for those tough moments when your heart’s feeling a bit bruised,” he says.
“The song is about being there for a buddy who is feeling blue. Yohan wanted to capture that feeling of trying to dodge painful memories but realizing that facing them head-on is what really helps us heal,” adds Lothika Jha, with whom he partnered for this song.
Marshall describes teaming up with Jha for this song as a “stroke of genius”. He lauds her voice as adding depth to the chorus and bridge. “It’s like she’s speaking to your soul and making the song even more relatable.” However, it is the simplicity of the song that makes it truly stand out. The vocals and the beat take the spotlight, even as the music keeps you hooked.
Aarish Bhathena was responsible for the video, which captures the carefree moments referred to in the song. “The visuals have this old-school vibe with a modern twist, telling a story that matches the emotions of the song,” he explains.
“‘Haan Bhool Ja’ isn’t just a song; it’s like a shoulder to lean on when you’re feeling low. Yohan’s music has this magical way of connecting with the real stuff in life—the happy moments and the not-so-great ones. This song, in particular, hits home because it’s all about friends and how music can help us heal. It’s a reminder that even when things feel tough, there’s always a song and a friend to make it a bit brighter,” explains Jha.
Mumbai-based Marshall is a vocalist, musician, composer, and producer who has travelled around the world performing, collaborating, and creating music since the age of fifteen. He has been part of the country’s independent music scene by performing at some of India’s biggest venues and festivals including Lollapalooza, NH7, Supersonic, Ragasthan, Hornbill, Live From the Console, NCPA, NLS Strawberry Fields, IIT Madras and NLU Delhi.
His versatile style mixes elements of pop, RnB, rock, and more. He is also a well-known producer and the owner of Mumbai’s ‘Counter Point Studio’. Marshall has toured with artists like Lisa Mishra, Arijit Singh, Manasi Scott, Lothika Jha, and Vir Das. He also performed at the Nick Jonas-Priyanka Chopra wedding, played for the TV show ‘The Stage’, gave a TEDx talk, performed at the Formula-E India event in Hyderabad, and judged several events.
Marshall also acts and does voice-overs.
Jha is a singer who bridges Bollywood with feel-good pop through her strong vocals. She made her 2022 debut in Bollywood with the film ‘Gehraiyaan’, which broke records across the world with a colossal 250M+ streams on the audio album, and 200M+ views across YouTube. Her vocals have been featured on some of the Top Hindi Track lists of 2022 and ‘23, including smash hits ‘Doobey’, ‘Tu Kahaan’, and ‘Feel You Now’. She also made her Tamil debut with producer Anirudh Ravichander with the song ‘Anbenum’ for the movie ‘Leo’ which crossed 200M streams across platforms. Her most recent chartbuster is ‘Hone Do Jo Hota Hai’ from the film ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan’.
Speaking about ‘Haan Bhool Ja’, the young singers share, “Here’s a song about losing our way while doing the bravest thing we could ever do, i.e. loving someone. Packed with vocal harmonies, bittersweet lyrics, and a hard-hitting rhythm section, we feel ‘Haan Bhool Ja’ is an anthem for the broken-hearted. It was written from the perspective of someone trying to console a friend in their moment of sadness. This refreshing indie-pop melody is about trying to outrun a memory that keeps coming back and realising that accepting it is better than running away.”
When asked about the visuals accompanying the song, Marshall says, “For the promo visuals we wanted to capture the carefree and bittersweet nature of the song whilst using imagery to convey a deeper meaning of feeling heartbroken and betrayed but finding strength with your buddy beside you. The vintage feeling and aesthetic bring a modern twist of friendship and empathy that is as old as time.”
After the success of ‘Haan Bhool Ja’, Marshall is raring to go with a bright future ahead. “This past year has been incredible. I have produced around 20 songs for different artists ranging from Pop, RnB, and Trap to mainstream Hindi singles. Now I’ve got two more songs in the pipeline, but I’m keeping the lid tight on who I’m collaborating with,” he smiles.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.