There is hardly an instrument as glamorous as the guitar in modern times. However, young wielders are often carried away by the allure of performing energetic styles like rock or heavy metal. Himachal Pradesh-based fingerstyle guitarist Pranjal Uniyal aka Rachanachar is breaking this pattern by choosing to go on record alone in his debut EP titled Forth and Back.
“I find comfort in composing much calmer/mellower music, and sometimes in pure aggressive riffs too. I started finding peace in playing solo a couple of years back when I couldn’t find enough time to jam with fellow musicians and had to practice the guitar on my own,” says Pranjal, about finding his niche in the independent music industry.
Landscape poetry
Pranjal believes that his three-song concept EP—which tells the tales of an imaginary character called Rachanachar travelling to find his true self—is ‘folk-driven’ as he follows his instinct in writing music, rather than sticking to genres.
Playing the album out loud, one can definitely see the influence of his immediate home environment in the tunes: the Himalayas. Although the first few seconds of the opening track, Bon Voyage, imparts a sense of foreboding, the track shifts to a pleasant mood that would remind you of green meadows.
“People express themselves according to their behaviour and nature. The Himalayan landscapes around my home have made me calmer and compassionate with time and it reflects in my music,” says the instrumentalist, who recently played at the Folklore Music Festival.
The pedal-driven dreamy number Faraway Home seems like it has much to convey and the closer, Glad To Be Back, has a soothing mood. Keen on developing the scope of his character, Rachanachar, Pranjal is hoping to tell more of his stories in future releases.
Listen on rachanachar.bandcamp.com