As they get ready to release their first EP, Mumbai band Nothing Anonymous talks about what it takes to survive the city's gig scene
Nirmit Shah and Ambika Nayak
When you listen to Pieces by Mumbai band Nothing Anonymous, you are transported to a fancy rooftop party in Los Angeles, drinking champagne, and taking in the view. Their dreamy vibe, accentuated by heavy synths, groovy beats, insightful lyrics and melodic vocals, both surprised and impressed us. The band, which is made up of 22-year-old Ambika Nayak and 28-year-old Nirmit Shah, both born and brought up in Mumbai, is barely a year old, but has been making the right kind of sounds.
Both former students of Lower Parel's True School of Music, met when Shah played keys for Nayak's other band, Kimochi Youkai. "Nirmit was writing a few tracks, and I worked on one with him. Around this time, I was asked to do an acoustic gig, and the person I was doing it with backed out, so I asked Nirmit. We had one week to prepare, but we did it," recalls Nayak.
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Though they are described as an electronic outfit, the duo sees itself as a song-writing initiative. "We can do all our songs with just a keyboard and vocals," says Nayak. Their influences range from old-school artistes like Jill Scott and Erykah Badu to new-age hits like Billie Ellish and Tom Misch. "We both are big fans of lyrics. We come to a session and say 'hey, I think this will suit you' or 'this is something you can talk about'. We have started writing for each other, too," says Shah, for whom the writing is usually experiential. "I write about the fact that guys aren't supposed to speak about their emotions, or finding escape, or feeling frustrated with something."
The duo talks about a time when they were trying to write songs for their upcoming EP, and just couldn't think of any lyrics. "So, Ambika called me up from Delhi and said 'I am so frustrated, I am so stuck, I haven't written anything', and then she said, 'so, I wrote a song about being stuck', and it's on our next EP. Another song is about just being in a club and dealing with someone hitting on you, when you don't want it to happen, but then you find yourself giving into it anyway. It's about weird everyday encounters," says Shah.
Made up of other such life experiences, their EP, which releases in mid-September, is called Here to Stay. "It's about two things—saying what we have to, and also making sure that people know that we, Nothing Anonymous, are here to stay," says Nayak.
In a city where you are only as good as your last gig, a lot will depend on what they bring with their music. But the two creatives also happen to have their business hats on, and are quite clear about how they plan to last. "It's a good live scene right now, with people trying to push out music. But you need to be smart and do your bit. You have to promise the venue that you will pull in an audience," says Nayak, to which Shah adds, "We have noticed that bands who work that strategy of helping the venue or promoter bring in the crowds, does better. Also, we are quite portable, as we are just the two of us, so it's a more feasible, self-sustainable model."
For now, they are busy getting ready to complete their album, and are planning a tour around it. They are also active on social media and do the hustles. But at the end of the day, they both realise that it's about making music that people relate and listen to. "We discuss this a lot—if we should make a long, concept album. But it also needs to work in the real sense, so for now, we are happy with what we are doing."
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