PUNE GIRL Gowri Jayakumar (known by her stage name, Pulpy Shilpy) is on an exciting and challenging journey — from being songwriter to becoming a song producer. The 33-year-old artiste, who launched her debut electronic EP Slough last month, believes the album resonates with her transformation. In a chat with the songwriter-producer, we discuss everything from her unique stage name to her debut EP. Excerpts:
We are intrigued with your stage name, Pulpy Shilpy...
I downloaded Ableton (a software) I think five or six years ago, on my computer. I was making weird music so, I wanted it to be anonymous till I actually achieved something. I guess I saw pulp somewhere and Shilpy somewhere and simply combined both. It became like an alter ego after some time.
Tell us about Slough.
Slough is the first EP that I have fully produced. It means the shedding of the skin by snakes and insects on a seasonal basis before they form new skin. Similarly, I was a songwriter, acoustic and electronic guitar player and singer. I didn’t know anything about production. So, this whole album is set around that stage of my transition.
What are some of the tracks that feature on the EP?
There are four tracks and it’s like a little story. It starts with the song called Voyeur from the perspective of a little girl standing and looking at a beautiful old woman through a keyhole. The second song is Love Machine, which is like a disco song with an ’80s vibe. The next song, Parra Chapora, I wrote while I was travelling from Parra to Chapora during the rains in Goa. The last song is called Lil Bit which I wrote with a friend of mine. The song has two distinct styles — one is my kind which is more melody oriented and more laid back, while his is more energetic.
What made you choose songwriting?
I always liked writing stories. If I saw something dull outside, through my words I could make it more interesting. I wanted to be a musician and as a musician, you end up writing songs. My style of writing was very journalistic— very precise and short — since I used to report.
What were the main challenges in music production?
To branch out and be a businessperson has been a struggle. Also, staying focussed, because over the years I have not sat down and concentrated on learning something new. But the real struggle is when you finish the product and present it to the world. If you don’t have help, it’s quite demotivating.
What are some of your future productions?
Rapper Manmeet Kaur and I will be collaborating soon. There are a lot of artistes that I want to collaborate with. For one of the albums I want to use all the female singers that I know in Mumbai and present them in a completely different light.
Listen to her tracks here: