Niteesh Kondiparthi’s album Lekha blends progressive rock, metal with Indian Classical and poetry

More than a year after the release of his debut EP, Niteesh Kondiparthi is back with the launch of his album, Lekha. This time around, however, the Hyderabad-based artiste says that he spent quality time on each track, reworking it, and living through his experiences. “I would like to believe that my musical sensibilities have evolved, since the release of my first EP. This time, I focused on my experience and understanding of music to compose the album. At one point in time, there were about 250 guitar tracks that had been tested. I wanted to take my sweet time with this project to make sure I’m fully satisfied with the final product,” says the singer-songwriter. 

Lekha, which means letters in English, emanates from personal experiences but is themed around topics that make it extremely relatable. For instance, Mounam is about loneliness — a song, Niteesh recollects, was written on Diwali — while the title song deals with non-reciprocation of feelings. “The idea has been to create music that resonates with everybody. We all face situations where we feel lonely or we’re looking for support. Each song in the album is like an unsent letter from me,” he adds. 

The nine-track Telugu album begins with Lekha — a pop-influenced song, which sets the tone for the dreamy Mounam. Niteesh’s soulful vocals and Damini Batla’s harmonies add to the melodious track, making this one of our favourites. Prasthanam is inspired by Telugu poet and lyricist Sri Sri’s anthology of poems, Maha Prasthanam. The instrumental, which also has a poetry recital by Niteesh’s father, is heavy with influences of pop-rock and metal. While folk rock Nizam seems like an introspective take on life and truth, Kaivalyam was written by lyricist Kittu Vissapragada, while musician PVNS Rohit gave his voice to the song. Produced by Navneeth Krishnan, the lyrics were written by Niteesh —  simple and straight from the heart. “The tracks were written during different phases of life — even when I was away from home and the music scene. My mother and sister, who are the reason behind my passion for music, also helped me with the lyrics,” shares Niteesh. The album also has reimagined versions of his previous releases like Kala Chedire with violinist Sandilya Pisapatu’s tunes. Apart from the range of genres covered —  progressive rock, metal and a bit of pop, what adds a new dimension to the album is the influences of Classical music, poetry and the use of Indian instruments like tabla and ghatam. 

In the next few months, Niteesh is planning to tour with the new album, while also working on his second EP, to be released next year.

Available on all music-streaming platforms.