IS IT SUNNY | Vinay Kaushal

Is It Sunny?

Vinay Kaushal ft. Shakthisree Gopalan

Well-known guitarist and composer Vinay Kaushal effortlessly blends contemporary pop and jazz in this love song. Singer Shakthisree’s Norah Jones-esque voice adds that honey-coated vocal range that Nina Simone was so famous for. The bluesy pop guitar lines add to that feeling of ‘then and now’. The lyrics talk about being far away from a loved one, a feeling many have endured during the strange year that was 2020, making it the perfect song to send to a loved one this holiday season.

"Is It Sunny makes you want to get out your smoothest single malt in the middle of the day and watch the sun fade out."

"Right from the get-go, 'Is it Sunny?' instantly feels like a beautiful earworm. The bright acoustic guitar flavors and Gopalan’s luscious vocal textures sit perfectly together."

"A serene blend of jazz and pop. The song is smooth sounding, thoughtfully written, and is worthy of being played on repeat despite its duration."

"A song that tugs at your ears and heart and cuts quickly to the pleasure centers of your brain, making you want to listen to it over and over again."

GIGITAL India

Shakthisree Gopalan Vocals

Agneya Chikte Drums

Sam Fitzpatrick Upright Bass

Vinay Kaushal Guitars

Composition & Production Vinay Kaushal

Lyrics: Uma Athale

Mixed Aseem

Mastered Vinay Kaushal

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Fender artist and Musician’s Institute (Hollywood) alumnus Vinay Kaushal surprises his audience yet again with his new pop-inspired single ‘Is It Sunny?’. The song released on the 18th of December and features the well-known, multi-award-winning vocalist Shakthisree Gopalan and the popular Toronto-based rhythm section duo Agneya Chikte (on drums) and Sam Fitzpatrick (on upright bass). The song was mixed by Aseem – Vinay’s go-to sound engineer.

The song was a BBC Radio UK Exclusive Release prior to being available on all major streaming platforms.

The release was accompanied by a music video starring Nupur Chaudhuri, India’s first pole athlete to win a medal in an international pole championship. A Rolling Stone India exclusive release, it is also the first indie music video featuring Pole Art in India.

Vinay Kaushal’s newest release is an homage to some of the great female jazz vocalists – both old and new. The vocal lines have a Norah Jones-esque flavour to them with Shakthisree’s voice adding that honey-coated vocal range that Nina Simone was so famous for. This love song conjures a nostalgia for the glory days of the past with its smooth surreal acoustic guitar accents juxtaposed with bluesy pop guitar lines adding to that feeling of ‘then and now’. The choral lines with Shakthisree’s dreamy harmonies evoke the feeling of time standing still when you’re with a loved one. The outro is a testament to Vinay and Shakthisree’s musical synergy as they interweave guitar and voice in a playful attempt to one-up each other.

Sam’s smooth double bass playing and Agneya’s restraint on the drums give the song that perfect classy jazz ballad vibe.

The lyrics talk about being far away from a loved one, a feeling many have endured during the strange year that was 2020, making it the perfect song to send to a loved one this holiday season.

The video shows Nupur dancing in a dream-like environment with a carefully choreographed routine that evokes the highs and lows of being away from a loved one. She says, "When Vinay spoke to me about collaborating for this song, and I sat down to listen to it - I was hooked. I could instantly connect with the vibe of the track. It speaks to me of love and longing. From the music to the lyrics to the amazing vocals - I loved it. I knew I had to be a part of it and hopefully add a beautiful dimension to it with pole."

In a move away from contemporary jazz (as on his album ‘Naked on a Train’), Vinay Kaushal recently surprised audiences with a rock tune ‘Reality Check’ featuring Siddharth Basrur, which won praise from the likes of the Rolling Stone Magazine, The Score Magazine, Rock Street Journal and more.

“This lockdown has been really productive musically. I have really been able to play around with different genres.”, says Vinay. “Is It Sunny? is my first foray into pop as a composer and I’ve really enjoyed it". He adds, “I’ve wanted to work with Shakthi ever since I heard her sing back in 2011. She has some incredible indie tunes out there. Somehow, it took 9 years and a pandemic to finally work together.”

Shakthi continues “My journey with this song has been nothing short of a love affair. From the get-go I found a connect with this song that made me dive deep into it. Uma’s beautiful words and Vinay’s brilliant music has so much magic that pulled me right in.

Vinay is a brilliantly talented musician whose work I have admired, and after many years of us wanting to work on something together - this song brought us together to collaborate for the first time ever and it has been an absolute joy working on this song and being a part of the beautiful journey it has taken us on.”

Shakthisree Gopalan is a Filmfare award winning recording artist, who has worked with some of the most notable composers and music directors, including the world renowned Oscar and Grammy Award winning composer A.R. Rahman. She is also an independent artist and has recorded songs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English; and is the recipient of several notable awards for her work in the Indian Film Music Industry.