Soul Folk Songwriter Meera Releases Music Video For Powerfully Delicate New Single ‘Keys’

Immersing herself into varying musical styles, singer-songwriter Meera finds herself rising in the Indian independent music scene with her newest single, “Keys.”

The 24-year-old has had years of guidance and training in an extensive amount of genres. From learning bhajans and singing old Bollywood songs with her mother to singing in a choir, music has been her passion for nearly all of her life. Born and raised in Long Island, New York, she sparked an interest in the music industry, then decided to move to Ahmedabad to continue her studies of Hindustani classical voice. 

Along with her classical studies, she has an extensive background in western and jazz music with a few of her musical inspirations being Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Sara Bareilles. Having recently worked with Raag Sethi on her first jazz/pop album, I’ve Never Been Happier to Be Lost, it found its way to some of Apple music’s top playlists in 2019 and was nominated for awards such as the TOTO Music Awards and The Production Music Awards. She says her aim is to listen to stories, tell her own, and immerse her most authentic self into her music. 

From the first note in her single, “Keys,” you can’t help but feel the authenticity in her voice. Beginning the song with her gentle vocals and slowly adding in acoustic guitar, she invites you in as if you’re listening to a lullaby. The melody is constant throughout the song and focuses on a theme of healing and moving on. Towards the end, she incorporates different voices speaking her lyrics, “we give everything away,” which closes out the song leaving a more powerful impact incorporating others’ stories. 

Aside from her solo artistry, she also tours with her jazz and folk band, The Meera Desai Quintet and the band Heat Sink, across India. Staying within the realm of pop, folk, and jazz, she enjoys experimenting within multiple styles. She says, “The indie music ecosystem is relatively small and close-knit. Everybody is in three or four bands.” Joining Heat Sink as their lead female vocalist, she instantly clicked because of their love for writing music that challenged them within their skill sets and pushed their boundaries. Being a part of a band and collaborating with different artists has helped expand her horizons and has ultimately made her become a better performer. 

With ongoing support from her family, she realized she could make her dreams possible. In an interview with Vivarta Arts she states, “Go out of your comfort zone, because you might find something you like, and never limit yourself.” Sometimes in life, people spend years looking for that one missing piece that makes them feel alive and for Meera, it’s pursuing her artistry. After learning a variety of genres, she found her calling and she can’t imagine doing anything else anymore.

Right now, she says there is still so much to explore within her solo and band career and she is also in the process of writing new music set to be released early next year. Not being boxed in a genre, you never know what to expect within her expression of styles and we are excited to see the next new sound from her along with a Heat Sink tour.