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Ahmedabad guitarist, songwriter and composer Chirag Todi. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Two months on, Chirag Todi’s sparkling, collab-heavy debut album Bangers Only will see the Ahmedabad guitarist-composer take the songs to stage with special guests and a backing band. The first gig on the album promo run takes place on Oct. 22 in Mumbai.
The 10-track album project’s first song “Love Nobody” dropped back in 2022, showcasing Todi’s versatility alongside singer-songwriter Ramya Pothuri and rapper/singer-songwriter Ranj. It was followed by “Paper Boats” with singer-songwriter duo Gouri and Aksha the same year, while 2023 brought one of the project’s biggest songs – “Spiced Lemonade” with singer-songwriter Dot. At every turn on Bangers Only, Todi pushed his range further, from “Cross The Line” with pop artist Chezin to “Yearning” with singer-songwriter Anubha Kaul and “Jag Jaage” with classically-trained vocalist Nihira Joshi Deshpande, sarod artist Rohan Prasanna and more.
Todi says in a statement, “This album is the cumulation of my songwriting work over the last two years. The multi-genres and languages boast my versatility as a songwriter and my collaborative skills. My guitar playing and unique style is common across all the songs which makes this album quite unique as it’s led by a guitarist.”
The rest of the songs all came with the full release of Bangers Only, including the John Mayer-esque “Walking On a Minefield” that marks Todi’s debut as a vocalist. Then there’s “Saaya” with fellow Ahmedabad artists Meera and Raag Sethi, plus jazz drummer Sreenath Sreenivasan. Todi says the idea that guided the song was to do with “a person [who] is trying to forget another special person in life, but is having a hard time since all his memories still have a whiff of yesterday’s sweetness.”
He invites Chennai singer-songwriter M.S. Krsna on for “Ooty Dreams.” It explores “heart-wrenching uncertainty” when it comes to a dilemma that two people face as they come to question whether their infatuation will lead to true love, according to Todi. The funky, shimmering Tamil song also brings in singer-songwriter Pushkar Srivatsal, from the duo Second Sight.
Bangers Only closes with “Crafted Lies,” where Todi brings out the heavy riffs with Mumbai artist Siddharth Basrur channeling angst. Todi says about the song, “[It] against falsehood, embracing the rhythm of truth and awakening. The instrumental sections symbolize the intense struggle between deception and honesty, leading to a hopeful resolution where truth triumphs over deceit. Ultimately, the song is a powerful call to unravel lies and embrace an awakening to truth, authenticity and harmony is here as the age of deceit surpassed.”
With the album out now, Todi has also gone on to earn a nomination for Best India Act at this year’s MTV European Music Awards for “Spiced Lemonade.” He’s nominated alongside the likes of pop star Armaan Malik, hip-hop artist Hanumankind, pop artists Mali and Kamakshi Khanna, and a joint nomination shared between rappers Dee MC and EPR. The award will be announced at the MTV EMAs on Nov. 10 in Manchester.
Chirag Todi performs in Mumbai on Oct. 22 at G5A Warehouse. Get tickets here.