Sithara back in recording studio with song projects

Sithara Krishnakumar and her six-member band, Project Malabaricus, were fairly active during the lockdown. They released five songs, including the popular Song of Valour during this period, with each band member recording in their own space. So it is not surprising that the singer has hit the ground running, with restrictions being lifted in early June, and has been back at the recording studio.

“I’ve been recording a few originals for my band Malabaricus and for some other projects on social media. In a way, I have extra time to do more such work, since, for example, we are no longer travelling as much as we used to earlier. I am doing a lot of non-film work now,” says the singer.

She says being back at the studio has not been much different from the pre-lockdown days. Just that the studio now functions with a maximum of four people, including the sound engineer, and each person comes and records their track at a given time, and makes way for the next.

“More than going back to the studio, what we miss and are looking forward to are our practice sessions and live shows. The studio is an isolated environment anyway and we often lose track of time. So whether we work at the studio or at home, feels much the same,” says the singer. While the band is looking forward to practice sessions, they are still restricted because some of them may be confined by containment zones and as late night sessions are also not possible under the new norms.

“As a band, we miss the discussions and energy that we bring together before a recording,” she says, adding how there are limitations to discussing things over the phone and WhatsApp.

Even though she is busy, Sithara points out that life has certainly not returned to normal for musicians. “It will probably be more than a year before live shows can be held again. Everyone is longing to get back on stage; e-concerts cannot fill this gap creatively. Musicians and theatre people are going through a crisis because their livelihoods are hit; it is difficult to articulate it when there are others going through worse problems, but it definitely is an issue,” she concludes.