Delhi-based singer, songwriter, and performer Shantanu Pandit—he has been creating music for 11 years now—has, through years of dedication to his craft, enthralled listeners both as a member of the city-based moody waltz band, Run It’s The Kid, as well as a solo musician. His work is characterised by a delicate balance of emotions that draws the listener in and leaves them feeling both challenged and inspired.
Pandit’s solo EP Skunk in the Cellar (2014) garnered appreciation from listeners and critics alike. He then went on to explore melancholy-tinged sonic explorations with his side project Morning Mourning (2018) and Milk Teeth (2021), a 10-song journey through various shades of melancholy and wonder. In this edition of Soundscape, Pandit speaks to us about the key themes in his music, his achievements, and more.
Excerpts…
What are the key themes that you explore in your music? I like to write about childhood. I find lots of inspiration from my time growing up and my latest album is mostly inspired by childhood. Even the songs that aren’t specifically about events that happened to me when I was a kid were written from the perspective of childlike wonder. Other themes include permanence, mortality, surrender, and love. I mostly write songs and perform them when I play live.
What role does nostalgia play in your music? When it comes to songwriting, nostalgia provides me inspiration to pull from. I like to use instruments that are vintage and aren’t manufactured any more—old Casios that were common in households in the early ’90s. I have collected those and try to use them in my music. Some of the album covers also feature cues reminiscent of childhood experiences such as toy ducks on a spring that kids generally swing on in parks.
How has your career evolved over the past 10 years, and what are some of the milestones and challenges you have faced? With every new album, I feel like there’s been a transformation. I spent a large chunk in the middle working with my band, which was a different process. Some of the milestones for me personally have been playing at the NH7 Weekender at various stages over the years, and playing at the Magnetic Fields Festival. Last year, we did a road tour covering over 6,000km from Delhi all the way to Chennai and back in a van. That was definitely one of the highlights of my career—just managing to take my music across the country in that way.
What distinguishes Milk Teeth from your previous work? Also, what new insights does this album offer into your creative process and personal experiences? Milk Teeth is distinct in that it is completely recorded, produced, and written by me. Every other album that I have done before that, I have gone to a studio and worked with other people. Milk Teeth is a completely solitary endeavour, and it has a very strong theme and a very strong visual and auditory language signature. I feel like I have become a lot better at consolidating my vision, and that’s just been getting stronger over time. Whereas earlier albums would be very much just a collection of songs, Milk Teeth has a very strong theme attached to it. It’s also a production. It’s the first thing that I’ve ever tried to produce myself. I also did all the visuals for the album.
ALBUM - Milk teeth
ARTIST - Shantanu Pandit
