<p>Sijya Gupta didn’t set out to become a musician. Trained as a graphic designer, she stumbled into music production while working and began tinkering on her own.</p>.<p>But five years and two EPs later, she feels she has finally arrived. Her latest release, ‘Leather and Brass’, marks that moment — her sound has slightly evolved from what she once described as ambient pop, calming, and experimental, into something more alternative.</p>.<p>This EP is particularly special to her. It’s being released under the UK-based label One Little Independent Records, home to artistes like Laura Misch, Glasser, and Sijya’s biggest inspiration, the Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk. “I have been listening to a lot of female producers recently… and Björk is the mothership of all of them,” says the New Delhi-based producer, composer, singer, and visual <br>artist. Her other musical influences include Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, M L Buch, Nabihah Iqbal, and Grimes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Reflecting on her journey so far, Sijya recalls her first breakthrough in 2021, when BBC Radio 6 Music featured her single ‘Have To Make My Bed’ and gave her unexpected overseas exposure. “It was a small thing, but it motivated me to take this (music career) more seriously,” she says.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There is quite a difference between her debut EP ‘Young Hate’ (2021) and her new six-track release. The former, produced entirely on her laptop, was admittedly a casual effort. In contrast, a lot more thought and intention have gone into ‘Leather and Brass’. For instance, its record art carries personal meaning — it features childhood photographs of her taken by her father. Sonically, this EP is gritty and textured. Sijya attempted natural reverb, though it was the warm distortions, created using guitar pedals, that ultimately shaped the EP’s sound. “I am a bit obsessed with guitars. I have never been able to play one, but I try to emulate the sound through my computer (generated) audio,” she says.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Tabla’, the EP’s first single, came together more instinctively. The song is about self-belief. “It’s also about not letting other people (especially men) do things that seem hard for me (sic). This work is all mine. It’s imperfect, but I wouldn’t have anyone else make it theirs,” she explains in a press note. The title itself is laced with irony. “There’s so much pressure on us as South Asians to commodify our identity and culture. This is me having a laugh over it,” the note adds.</p>
<p>Sijya Gupta didn’t set out to become a musician. Trained as a graphic designer, she stumbled into music production while working and began tinkering on her own.</p>.<p>But five years and two EPs later, she feels she has finally arrived. Her latest release, ‘Leather and Brass’, marks that moment — her sound has slightly evolved from what she once described as ambient pop, calming, and experimental, into something more alternative.</p>.<p>This EP is particularly special to her. It’s being released under the UK-based label One Little Independent Records, home to artistes like Laura Misch, Glasser, and Sijya’s biggest inspiration, the Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk. “I have been listening to a lot of female producers recently… and Björk is the mothership of all of them,” says the New Delhi-based producer, composer, singer, and visual <br>artist. Her other musical influences include Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, M L Buch, Nabihah Iqbal, and Grimes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Reflecting on her journey so far, Sijya recalls her first breakthrough in 2021, when BBC Radio 6 Music featured her single ‘Have To Make My Bed’ and gave her unexpected overseas exposure. “It was a small thing, but it motivated me to take this (music career) more seriously,” she says.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There is quite a difference between her debut EP ‘Young Hate’ (2021) and her new six-track release. The former, produced entirely on her laptop, was admittedly a casual effort. In contrast, a lot more thought and intention have gone into ‘Leather and Brass’. For instance, its record art carries personal meaning — it features childhood photographs of her taken by her father. Sonically, this EP is gritty and textured. Sijya attempted natural reverb, though it was the warm distortions, created using guitar pedals, that ultimately shaped the EP’s sound. “I am a bit obsessed with guitars. I have never been able to play one, but I try to emulate the sound through my computer (generated) audio,” she says.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Tabla’, the EP’s first single, came together more instinctively. The song is about self-belief. “It’s also about not letting other people (especially men) do things that seem hard for me (sic). This work is all mine. It’s imperfect, but I wouldn’t have anyone else make it theirs,” she explains in a press note. The title itself is laced with irony. “There’s so much pressure on us as South Asians to commodify our identity and culture. This is me having a laugh over it,” the note adds.</p>