Hanita's on song

Hanita Bhambri

She describes herself as a "bundle of chaotic energy. I'm 24 but I feel a lot older". It's this energy and maturity that translates to the lyrics of Delhi-based musician Hanita Bhambri's songs, which she will be performing this weekend in the city. "My experiences in the last few years have shaped me to become slightly wise and maybe a better communicator both as an artist and as a person. I would call myself a temporary cynic, as I'm a hopeless optimist at heart. I believe that no matter how bad things get, they will get better," she tells us before she flies into the city for a gig. This self-introspection, which manages to find its way into all her songs, is also why her debut EP tour is the talk of the town.

Maybe it was because her introduction to performing live wasn't that great that she decided to hone her skills, which has eventually paved the way to a successful career - she has already worked with Universal Music. "When I was 13, I sang for the first time on the stage and it was a disaster. My sound was cut off and I was bullied for months. So I'd play all of these songs and keep singing along till I sounded like the voice in my head. I picked up the guitar a lot later and I still know very little but it's enough to help me accompany myself and write songs. Most of my learning has been self-directed, which isn't as glorified or admirable as it's made out to be as you can pick up unhealthy vocal behaviour or guitar techniques that you have spent a lot of time unlearning. I am obsessed with self-improvement," says the artiste who took vocal and guitar workshops and lessons only recently.

Bhambri's EP includes her already popular song Let Me Go, which embodies the escape from everything a person is not. "It encapsulates the angst of not being true to myself and trying to break free from societal conformation, constructed identities, and my own demons," she tells us. Even the name of her EP talks about hopelessness and the healing that follows. "When I think of Nothing For Our Own, I see a worn-out water pipe that's leaking from everywhere. It starts with one crack and you bandage it and then a new one crops up and then another. Till the metaphorical angst and pain is sprouting from all directions and you can't fix the vessel holding it in anymore. It summed up what I was going through when I was recording these songs and what I wanted to share with the world that time," she tells us.

It was similar insightful and touching lyrics that also made her reach the semi-finals in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) last year, where she submitted three songs in four categories and got nominated in all of them. "To gain this kind of international recognition is extremely encouraging. Those who know me would know how hard I am on myself. People don't know about are the sleepless night and constant worrying. I still find myself filled with crippling self-doubt and have to keep reminding myself to have faith. But platforms like these have bolstered up my confidence and made me feel safer in sharing my songs with the world. When I performed in Korea, I was performing in front of an audience that wasn't quite familiar with English, yet they cheered for us louder than they did for their home acts. So, there's definitely scope, we just need the funds and the correct platforms," tells the artiste, who last performed in the city in 2017.

Bhambri who will perform with her entire band for the first time in the city tonight has 11 shows lined up for her EP tour.

On: Tonight, 8.30 pm onwards
At: The Finch, Shah Industrial Estate, Saki Vihar Road, Andheri East
Call: 8055992993
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 499

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