Tarang Sreedhar explores escapism and self-discovery in his debut EP Reptile Eyes
For Bengaluru-based singer-songwriter Tarang Sreedhar, his debut EP Reptile Eyes is a way to explore ideas that interest him rather than define himself as an artiste. Across four tracks, he looks at escapism, curiosity and the idea of looking beneath the surface, while finding his sound through experimentation. Co-composed and produced by Richard Andrew Dudley, the EP marks the start of Tarang’s songwriting journey. In a conversation with us, he talks about the making of the EP, working with Richard and the challenge of finding his own sound.
What does Reptile Eyes mean to you personally and why did you choose it as the title for your debut EP?
The words ‘Reptile Eyes’ were chosen to evoke a sense of discomfort and mystery. To me, that discomfort represents the parts of ourselves that we often try to escape. To ‘look in those reptile eyes’ would mean to confront those aspects of ourselves that we are afraid to face. Since all of the songs in the EP roughly revolve around that theme, I found it fitting as an EP title.
What do you think you’ve discovered about yourself as an artist while working on the EP?
I’ve discovered that it’s difficult to write songs because as an artiste, you tend to think about your work through the lens of how other people will react to it. This can limit your creative scope because you constantly have to think about how you can make your art appeal to an audience.
Which song on the EP feels the most personal to you and why?
Trance is probably the most personal song to me. I’ve always been a huge daydreamer and it is a frequent habit of mine to drift away from the present moment and get lost in the recesses of my mind. Trance was a song crafted around exploring that tendency.
Was there a particular song that was the hardest to write or record?
I would say Sheets of Sound was difficult to write because it’s a lot more rhythmic, groovy and energetic, which is in contrast to the slower, melodic and ballad-like songs that I’ve grown accustomed to writing.
Trance explores mentally drifting away from the present. Where did that idea come from?
The idea of mentally drifting away from the present arose when I became acutely aware of this tendency in myself and had a tough time knowing what to feel about it. On one hand, daydreaming serves as an enjoyable escape from the big bad world I inhabit, but on the other hand, it impedes me from being perceptive to the present moment. This psychological conflict is what inspired the song Trance.
How did your collaboration with Richard Andrew Dudley begin?
I heard of Richard through attending one of his shows at Hard Rock Café with his band — Moksha All Stars. I specifically remember being floored by the lead singer, Tanya Shanker’s vocals and reached out to Richard through Instagram upon hearing that he mentored her. Since then, we’ve worked together on countless projects and he’s been a constant guiding force who has shaped my artiste identity into what it is today.
What is the biggest thing you’ve learnt from Richard as a mentor?
To keep doing things. One of the things I noticed about Richard is that he’s constantly doing things, whether that be teaching, producing, composing, arranging live events or playing live and rehearsing with his band. It shows how much passion exists for what he does and I’ve learnt that true love for your craft is letting it express itself freely without fearing what it may or may not bring.
As a young independent artiste, what has been the biggest challenge in finding your sound?
The biggest challenge has been balancing what I think other people want to hear with what I want to create. Many times, there’s a desire to be highly experimental with my music, but there’s also that voice in the back of my mind asking, “will people really want to listen to something like this?” So, I think it’s important to be able to know how much of each element you want to include in your songs.
What’s next for you?
I would like to continue developing my singing and songwriting skills alongside Richard to release more original music in the future. I would also like to branch out and learn other aspects of music, such as production and arranging, for the sake of developing my entire artistic identity. All in all, I’m excited for things to come.
Reptile Eyes is streaming on all audio platforms.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.