Melody with a shot of whiskey

Assamese artiste Aanchal Bordoloi’s lush debut track is a refreshing addition to the indie scene

There are certain moments in music that hit spots in our memories and float in its dreaminess. Aanchal Bordoloi’s debut single, Whiskey blues, set to release on February 11, is one of those special songs. An Assam-born and Bengaluru-based student of psychology, Bordoloi has managed to spin her web around the most frequented theme of songwriting, unrequited love. “Whiskey blues came from a place of nostalgia, hurt, love and everything in between. I made some good friends here and got close with a few and like anyone else, the heart did soar. The song captures those special and quiet moments of attachment and intimacy,” Bordoloi shares.

“When I played this song to a friend, it did not have a second verse. I thought the song was complete and I did not want to punish listeners with too many ideas and words. Upon her listening to the song and having played it on some occasions, there was a strong sense that this story was incomplete. There was more to be said and the second verse was pretty much born out of the audience. I find this to be quite refreshing and I am pleased with how the song came together,” the 21-year-old recalls, about her experiences while writing this song.

Born in Jorhat, Bordoloi spent her early years in boarding school in Ooty, and later headed to Bengaluru to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in psychology. At the age of 16, she went to Vienna as part of an exchange programme and was initiated into the Vienna Songwriter Circle, which she sees as a major experience in her journey into music. “I remember being influenced by many country and folk artistes since my early days in music. The school choir and even many of Louis L’Amour books influenced my songwriting ideas. I find that my music is heavily inspired by country and folk genres akin to the likes of John Denver, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell,” Bordoloi says.

Whiskey blues is simple and, at its core, minimal. This makes the emotions of Bordoloi’s husky vocals pierce through the listeners and recreate moments in their lives where the lyrics feel all too familiar. “The entire song was recorded by me, and Tejas aka Evermoonn helped with the production. I was clear in keeping this single as stripped down as possible. It was the easiest song to write because it came from a place of sincerity and speaks of the many goings-on in life,” says Bordoloi about the themes on this debut single.

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