Today is a great day to share the latest single and lyric video from singer-songwriter Sid Seth called “Hopeless War.” With a sound that fits somewhere between the classic soul/pop of Stevie Wonder and the modern flair of Harry Styles, Sid Seth is really coming into his own on songs like this. I was also able to catch up with this artist for a brief interview below.
Can you tell me a little more about how the Indian music you grew up with influences your sound?
I grew up thankfully with a lot of music. My mother introduced me to ABBA, Simon & Garfunkel etc. whereas my father would sing Indian Ragas every morning and they were in the back of my head growing up. I listened to varied styles of Indian music from Classical to Hindustani Folk to Bollywood Music. I guess what I connected with was melody. Indian music (in general) is a very melodic heavy music. And the kind of music I heard and still enjoy regardless of any language usually has a good melody or melody that works with the lyrics. I think the varied choices of melody in Indian music probably influenced my sound. Whenever I’ve written a song, say it’s a down in the dumps ballad or a storytelling song or a dance bop, I play it for my friends and family and see if they sing even one section of the song after the first play. If that happens, I feel that song has done justice in marrying the message of the song and the melody I came up with.
Where do you pull inspiration from for your lyrics? Does life in NYC, where you’re based now, ever make its way into the lyrics?
Real life! Haha. My friends know that very well. The most random things inspire me – a conversation, word, color, phrase and sometimes it’s just fantasy or activating my alter ego. <Laughter> Definitely! My previous single “Caffeine High” was all about NYC, nightlife and finding someone unexpectedly in the city. Hopeless War was also written in NY. The place really impacts the writing in my opinion. I don’t know how to explain it but the rhythm of each place has its uniqueness. And of course, my lyrics are heavily influenced by NY in general. NY has a tone, rhythm, feel and overarching sound. It’s like when I hear a record, I immerse myself in that world. Some records instantly take you to a sunny beach, while others make you want to take a quiet stroll, lost in thoughts at a busy NY intersection. Plus the life and people are so diverse in the city that you subconsciously end up exploring so many options. It’s like with one group of your friends you might use a certain language and with someone close the vernacular would be completely different. So I guess the endless options in the city really impact the songwriting.
What do you hope for in the future per your music? Can we expect any touring/albums/music videos?
I am very grateful for the people who are hearing my music for the first time, and helping me build a community. As more of my projects are released, I hope people will connect with the different shades of life that I explore in my music. If my music ends up being a friend to people that I do not have direct contact with, that would really make me happy. So I hope for that in the future. At the moment, I am doing lots of shows in NY and soon, in other nearby cities. I post about it on my socials and website! I am too nervous to make a music video, but I am very excited to start doing it sometime soon. I love love love albums! I have an entire project in mind. So I hope that comes to fruition.