A 10-Year hiatus Ends: Shantanu Pandit on the return of Run It’s The Kid

Run It’s The Kid is a New Delhi indie act first formed by Shantanu Pandit and Dhruv Bhola in the early 2010s. What began as a songwriting partnership grew into a four-piece band before receding from the live circuit for nearly a decade. Over the years, their 2016 self-titled debut quietly built a cult following within the indie circuit.

The duo now return with Abracadabra, their second LP, releasing on February 28, almost ten years after that first record, bringing the project back to its original nucleus. The alignment of dates was neither by design nor by accident. The album was completed around September or October last year. In looking for a release window, the proximity to the ten-year mark felt fitting. “We were thinking of a date to make as the release date and we thought, why not make it February 28 because that would be exactly 10 years,” Shantanu shares. The decision came together organically. “A little bit of both — it was planned but kind of worked out that way also,” he reflects.

In the years between records, the band as a performing unit remained inactive. The collaboration between Shantanu and Dhruv continued. “Externally we were on hiatus, but internally, as friends and as collaborators, it stayed,” he recalls. Songs were exchanged without pressure or fixed outcome. By 2022-23, the accumulation of ideas began to resemble a cohesive body of work.

The writing dynamic remains consistent with their early years. “In terms of the writing, it was always just Dhruv and I writing the songs,” he explains. The shift lies in execution. This time, the duo handled arrangement, recording and the mixing. “We pretty much do everything from start to finish… we write it, we arrange it, we record it and then we mix it,” he shares. The result carries a more produced sound with electronic elements layered into the innovative musical arrangements.

Tonally, Abracadabra moves differently. “The subject matter of this album is a lot lighter,” Shantanu offers. He describes it as, “a little more pop-y,” and, “more accessible,” with individual songs standing on their own. “Hour-glass,” he notes, centres on, “reminiscing about the past and about the passage of time.”

When asked about Bengaluru and its audience, he smiles. “Bengaluru has always been my personal favourite city to play at,” he avers. “I’ve always felt a lot of love from the people in that city.” Then the conversation drifts to food. “I love eating at Nagarjuna… I’m a huge biryani guy. I like the biryani, I like their chicken roast too. We’re looking forward to coming and playing and eating,” he concludes.

INR 850 onwards. February 27, 8 pm. At The Draft by Riffle, Halasuru.

Written by Anoushka Kundu

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