RANJINI ACHUTHAN
From being a fusion drummer with the alt-rock band The Family Cheese to being the frontman/vocalist/guitarist of the rock act Marshall and the Mischief and now into producing electronic music under the stage name of Yodadrunk, Yohan Marshall is truly living out his philosophy that music is universal.
Besides getting back to rapping and drumming, the witty, high energy performer, is now trying out new styles of singing with his latest act, that involves falsettos and melodies.
Says Yohan, "I never limit myself to just one genre or expression. It helps that I have a support system in the form of family and friends who empower and encourage me to try all my diverse tastes and experimentations in music."
Yohan believes that inspiration and ideas for music come in a variety of ways. It could be lyrical, musical, emotional or even the simplest of things like watching two people having a conversation.
Yohan adds, "I think in terms of the melody first, upon which, I develop the lyrics. I practice writing about my feelings and thoughts consistently; for myself and for others too. Having said that, I make it a point to not have a hard and fast rule about the process of songwriting. That creative freedom to generate a piece of art without rules is what I value the most. So for me, songwriting could begin either as a melody or as words or purely on the basis of an idea."
Yodadrunk is now garnering traction with the release of his latest single Sweetheart, a story about a break-up. The vulnerability that comes with love, the abandonment, hurt and desperation that, sometimes, we end up facing in a relationship, is what Sweetheart is all about.
What makes this ambient neo-soul pop track even more special, is its music video that was shot entirely during the countrywide lockdown. Yohan beams with pride as he talks at length about the video-making journey: "There would be hours of phone calls between the crew members who are all scattered in cities far away from each other like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi and so on. The actors Prabal Panjabi and Kaveri Seth, did a fabulous job executing the shoot themselves. Siddharth Chakravarty on the magnificent drone shots, Rishabh Shetty on editing and the Mumbai based cinematographer/video creator duo of Yazad Anklesaria and Gorkey Patwal, who planned and executed the entire shoot, made sure that the team realized the vision to its full potential."
Sweetheart has an interesting dimension to it considering the fact that it is attached to a social cause. Yohan recalls the time his mother decided to work for an NGO called SAATH, a suicide prevention centre. It is a hotline that has trained counselors who listen to anonymous callers in distress, those who are suicidal and depressed. The aim is to provide help and comfort to these distressed minds and guide them towards the path of a possible recovery.
Yohan hopes that, with Sweetheart, he is able to throw light about mental health issues and raise funds for SAATH that is working tirelessly towards the cause.
Sweetheart is the third single of Yodadrunk and the gradual but steady increase in interest for his music among the patrons of the indie music industry has upped his spirits. He has made sure to go full throttle with the marketing of the song in order to garner support for the NGO. Yohan feels that the reception for Sweetheart has been immense compared to any other music that he has put out until now.
Yohan aims to highlight and continue the conversation around mental issues and the need to help people in dire need of positivity and change. He signs off by thanking everyone who is sharing the song and contributing to the cause. Yodadrunk hopes to collect a sizeable amount of funds for the NGO and make sure their efforts to mitigate deaths due to suicides are bolstered enough and the message, amplified.
Yohan has partnered with the app Lemonade Social for this initiative. So if you are reading this and want to contribute to SAATH, visit the link. Every penny counts.