The New Delhi-based composer, producer, and graphic artist Sijya will release her EP Leather & Brass via her new label One Little Independent Records on September 12. A bold, visceral dive into raw textures and unfiltered emotion, the upcoming EP marks a pivotal chapter in her sonic evolution. From distorted synths run through abused guitar pedals to lyrics that linger in ambiguity, Leather & Brass is an exploration of weight, density, and contrast in sound and sentiment. It was shaped with the guidance of Accidental Records’ Matthew Herbert and Hugh Jones (aka Crewdson).
Tabla, the first single from the EP is now out.
Sijya Gupta is a composer, producer and designer who grew up in Delhi, surrounded by a family who were not musical nor artistic so it was quite a magical surprise for her to gravitate to the arts. Her first inclination was explored through Visual Arts she delved into while at NID. Music came much later in life, but her virgin foray into it was rather stilted. “There was always an extremely strong interest, but no real skills. I could sing a little bit, but somehow never got around to picking up an instrument properly. I remember trying at several points in my childhood, but it just never clicked.” Not being able to create music, Sijya was troubled. “There was no way for me to be a musician without being able to play an instrument. So, I decided to be a listener and a fan instead, and that’s what I was until very recently.” Even though there was an undeniable desire to create music, she started work as a visual designer and gradually began taking up more and more music-related projects: album art, event artworks, music videos. “Those were really the only things I was thrilled to work on, I guess, till I started making music myself. It was incredible when I got onto a DAW and made something that sounded like music. I remember crying to my parents, thinking I might have found something I connect with so deeply.”
Leather & Brass is her sophomore effort after her acclaimed debut EP Young Hate, released via Accidental Records, an institution known for launching artists with an independent-minded approach. But that didn’t make the process of making Leather & Brass any easier. “Finishing it was a long process… Painful, and not just in the way that it is painful to make anything, because it is,” she says, adding, “Before this EP, I felt like I was messing about. I didn’t think a music career was possible. Young Hate was my first attempt at ‘doing’ any music at all. Now, with this second EP, I feel like I have become a musician. I am now doing this with intention. This EP feels like the beginning of me trying to find a sound.”
The making of the six-track Leather & Brass was relentless. Each track was pushed to its limits, revisited, abandoned, and then resurrected through cycles of experimentation. Recording engineer Jay Panelia played a crucial role, working alongside Sijya to strip digital synths of their sterility. By running them through compression, slapback delays, and mono reverbs, the sounds took on an analogue warmth – gritty, heavy, physical.
The EP’s title reflects this transformation; soft sounds were hardened, refined surfaces were roughed up. Final mixes were taken to Seth Manchester at Machines with Magnets, ensuring that every layer of distortion, every nuance of weight, was not just preserved but elevated.
Unlike the rest of the EP, which underwent rigorous refinement, ‘Tabla’ – the first single off the EP – emerged effortlessly, with minimal revision. Not initially viewed by Sijya as a centrepiece of these sessions, in the end, the curiously named single claimed its place as one of the defining songs of Leather & Brass.
“The song is about forcing yourself to go through the ordeal of believing in yourself,” she sheds light on the idea behind Tabla.
“It’s also about not letting other people (especially men) do things that seem hard, for me. That makes me feel weak and hollow. This work is all mine. It’s imperfect, but I wouldn’t have anyone else make it theirs,” she adds.
Much like her music, even the title is a commentary on 21st-century trends. “The title is a bit of a personal joke,” she lets in. “The song has one tabla sample, so ‘Tabla’ was the working title. There’s so much pressure on us as South Asians to commodify our identity and culture, and it’s so prevalent right now. So, this is me laughing about it.”
Listen to the track here.
13.06.2025