‘There’s something utterly mesmerizing about a clear blue sky in the day and a starry sky at night. It makes us question our existence and inspires us to stay motivated and grounded at all times. The brilliance of the sky has often left me pondering at it. A guitar player first and then a singer songwriter, Same Sky, to me, was like exploring another side of me. This side speaks about some of the emotions and experiences that I have gone through. People have come and gone, there were ups and downs, but all within one sky.’ -Takar Nabam.
Delhi based guitarist turned singer-songwriter Takar Nabam recently released his debut album, ‘Same Sky’. The album is very honest in its expressions, music and lyrics. It has an instantly elevating and feel-good pop acoustic sound. The catchy acoustic guitar riffs stand out throughout. But the real take from the whole album is the melody. Though simple in his approach, Takar surprises us with unconventional melodic changes, some juicy harmonies and eccentric progressions. What you clearly see behind that harmonic style is a seasoned musician and music listener, much aware of what he really wants to put out there.
Takar has been a part of the metal band, Guillotine in the past. He has also been experimenting with his sound and playing some blues and jazz for the past few years. “I grew up like everyone else, listening to the pop bands,” he says. From what sounds like a standard music repertoire, he started as a guitarist listening to bands like Guns N Roses, John Mayer, Porcupine Tree and the likes. “I didn’t think of any genre beforehand. I just wanted to sing about my experiences.”
After a fair bit of experimentation with fellow band mates Aveleon(drums) and Abhinav(bass), “I decided that an alternative sound would go best for the album. It just came naturally, after jamming with my band.”
“The songs in the album are not very technical,” if you look at it from the perspective of a progressive and jazz guitarist. “I simply played the guitar riffs and recorded them. Then I tried singing melodies over them later. It wasn’t a very particular and technical process. I just went with what I had to say.” But the relatively ‘simple’ album has gone through a lot of experimentation. “I tried playing the chords differently, playing inversions and looking for the right sound. But once you have a basic idea, it is easy to build up on it. A basic idea gives a sense of direction.”
Takar plans to release the album digitally very soon. He has been handing out physical copies to friends and acquaintances. “I’ve had a positive response. Its very heartening to see people who I don’t know otherwise coming up and telling me that they like my songs.”
Takar Nabam can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/takarnabammusic/?fref=ts
Here is a link to one of his songs from the album: https://youtu.be/Za6gA8HqH6E
