Ever since live gigs resurfaced in cafés and pubs of the city, independent performers have begun to reconnect with music enthusiasts again. We prepare our schedules suitably before, often hours or days in advance of the show. We are on high as the minstrels express poetry in the air with a raft of beats dropping and mirroring the soulful ambience.
One such independent artiste, Arpit Chourey, counters the rush of modern life by playing a blend of classic and new-age songs, especially in the pop, rock, and acoustic genres. George Ezra, The Weeknd, Coldplay, Harry Styles, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles among others are some of the prodigies in music which he primarily covers.
Earlier in 2017, Arpit released Simple Stories, his debut EP (extended play), whose songs dealt with the essence of living in the midst of everyday priorities. Then, in 2019, his second EP Wind in My Hair was more upbeat and vivacious. The compositions closely reflect narratives which are more of his imagination than reality.
“This year, I released my first Hindi single called Pinjraa in June and the latest one called Tere Ho in November. Pinjraa talks about the mundane life and a state of limbo, while Tere Ho is about a guy who has no control over his dreams and his reality because all of them are about the person he is in love with,” Arpit tells us about his former original tracks.
“I have a number of gigs lined up as December is one of the busiest seasons for any musician. Apart from that, I’m working on a music video for my next release. I haven’t yet decided on the date though,” he adds.
Hailing from Bhopal, Arpit has been living in Hyderabad for eight years now, performing ever since he has been here. This time, he will perform a two-hour unplugged session with Chuba Jamir, drummer and percussionist, during one of his next sessions at the Hard Rock Cafe. “I have been inspired to write music by singer-songwriters like Jack Johnson, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Passenger, Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder and the like. I put a song or two of these artistes as well in my set list,” he tells us.
Arpit cherishes being a musician since it gives him the outlet, liberty and a chance to be unconfined while on the stage. He lends his audience an air of readiness so they can end their days smiling after a demanding workday and all the rush and bustle they experience. Before signing off, he shares, “Being a musician also gives me a chance to see the world from a different perspective, to enjoy the smallest of things.”
Arpit performs on December 18. At Hard Rock Cafe in Banjara Hills.
E-mail: chokita@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @PaulChokita