The San Francisco-based musician, Devika Chawla, decided she wanted to be a singer at the age of seven. Trained in Hindustani classical music, her first song, Kehnde Ne Naina, made it to Sony Music’s top-selling compilation called Teri Deewani. The singer was elated to find her name amongst some of the greatest musicians from India such as Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rekha Bharadwaj, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Kailash Kher. There has been no looking back for Devika since. With popular songs in her kitty like Barkhaa Bahaar and Ek Tera Pyaar, her latest release, Dil Tenu is a song about love, heartbreak, and chill beats. In a freewheeling conversation, the singer tells us more. Excerpts:
What was the idea behind Dil Tenu?
Over the last few years, I met several people who lost someone they love. The kind of loneliness, they talk about left fear in me. From an emotional point, that’s where I started to work on a track about heartbreak. But, the creative process started much later, and one day, I stepped into my music room and started to work on the track and the melody. Once it was composed, we moved into the production phase and Dil Tenu is finally here.
Is there anything new that you tried for the single?
Ah, yes, the song is pretty simple at the heart of it. We majorly used guitars and a few futuristic base sounds and beats. It also has some Indian folklore inspiration. I wanted to keep the song minimal by adding interesting elements.
I also collaborated with a Mumbai-based music producer, Jayhaa, who is doing great work with modern and futuristic music. We went back and forth on creating this soulful melody and we connected well. What I really enjoyed was that we both love presenting Indian music in a more contemporary way.
Where did you shoot the music video?
It was shot in the San Francisco bay area. The place is surrounded by beautiful towns and the vibe of it fits Dil Tenu’s mood. We also shot a few parts of the track at Monroe. It was a indeed a fun experience shooting in these beautiful locations.
Punjabi music is often considered to have more party or hip-hop tracks. And you only do Punjabi soulful melodies…
(Laughs) That is true. When one thinks of Punjabi music, they think of upbeat, and tempo only. I love creating these melodies and they happen to be a mix of Hindi and Punjabi. It somehow comes naturally to me because I grew up in Delhi and my parents talk in Punjabi.
Your song, Jab se Piya, was a Grammy consideration. Were you thrilled?
Yes, of course. I wrote that song during the pandemic and the iconic music label, Six Degrees Records released it and submitted the song for Grammys. It was a rather special moment.
What are you currently working on?
A lot more collaborations are on the way.
Dil Tenu is streaming online.
— bsuchitra@newindianexpress.com