Pune-based singer-songwriter Sunit Zadav wears many hats — doctor, anatomy professor, and musician — and his latest EP, A Textbook of Bad Decisions Vol. I, brings these worlds together in a deeply personal and reflective body of work. Written during the pandemic, the EP draws from Sunit’s experiences on the COVID front lines and his quiet moments of solitude, resulting in songs that are intimate, vulnerable, and emotionally resonant.
Classically trained on guitar and rooted in indie folk, Sunit’s sound is enriched by elements of jazz-pop and country. His debut EP, Quarter Life Crisis (2019), introduced listeners to his introspective songwriting, and this new release marks a significant step forward — including his first-ever collaboration with Grammy member Richard Andrew Dudley, who arranged and produced the EP.
Much of the material was penned while Sunit was working eight-hour shifts at a COVID hospital and spending his remaining time in quarantine at the Pune University guesthouse, reserved for frontline workers. Surrounded by nature, the setting became an unexpected creative sanctuary. “It proved to be the perfect atmosphere for songwriting,” he recalls.
A Textbook of Bad Decisions Vol. I features four tracks, opening with Queen, which picks up sonically where Chandeliers — the closing track from Quarter Life Crisis — left off. Queen and Flickers explore the inner dialogue of standing at a romantic crossroads, capturing the intoxicating inspiration of infatuation and the danger of mistaking an idea of a person for lasting love. “An artist often finds a muse and confuses it for something eternal,” Sunit reflects. “It takes wisdom to tell the difference.”
The third track, Miss Gravity, shifts gears sonically, moving from laid-back country-pop into a jazz-influenced soundscape marked by a 5/4 time signature, upright bass, and muted trumpets. Closing track I’m Fine begins with a drum groove and harmonica before evolving into a folk-rock feel. Lyrically free-flowing and stream-of-consciousness in nature, the song offers a sense of resolution and ends on a hopeful note — a reminder that, eventually, everything will be okay.
The EP’s overarching theme centers on falling in love and the realization that romantic idealism alone cannot sustain a relationship — real love demands effort and emotional honesty. Dudley’s minimalist production mirrors Sunit’s mental and emotional state during the writing process, allowing the songs to breathe. The project is further elevated by standout performances from session musicians Joshua Pereira (keys), Osi Gomango (bass), Jaime Dudley (drums), Kamal Bob (percussion), and Sweethin Hartman and Bharadwaj Krishnan (saxophone). All tracks were recorded at Streamphony Studios, Bengaluru.
A Textbook of Bad Decisions Vol. I is now available on all major streaming platforms.
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