Sound Of Scotland
Multi-instrumentalist Kapil turns the spotlight on the Indian film industry
Glasgow-based Kapil Seshasayee uses music to explore deeper issues
HAD this year gone differently, you could be listening to Laal, the second album by Kapil Seshasayee right now. For the follow-up to his critically-acclaimed debut, the Glasgow-based multi-instrumentalist had an ambitious vision, one which needed a live band to fulfil. Covid-19 might have put recording plans on hold, but it hasn’t impacted on Kapil’s work ethic.
Instead, the album, with its focus on the Bollywood film industry, has grown, with Kapil able to take time to further dig into his chosen subject.
“If I was to be honest about my writing process, I basically pick what I’m angriest about, make a big spider diagram of the things I want to talk about and start writing about it,” says Kapil whose first album, 2018’s A Sacred
Bore, was a detailed exploration of the impact that the caste system continues to have on Indian communities.
“I don’t really work like I’m making an album. The narrative needs to be there for the music to make sense.”
“I think a lot of folk, especially my age, would probably find the phrase ‘concept album’ a cringey dadrock throwback. But my dad never listened to dadrock, so I didn’t feel like I had to rebel by not getting into it. I’ve become a massive dadrock apologist, so I’m more than happy with the idea of concept albums.”
Kapil has released three tracks from Laal – recorded before lockdown – as teasers for the project.
The Gharial is about a recent wave of Bollywood period films with nationalism and religious conflicts at their centre, which some believe have escalated
contemporary societal divides. The Pink Mirror, named after a Hindi LGBTQ film banned by the Indian Censor Board, looks at the issue of censorship and Bollywood’s way of portraying queer characters.
The third track, The Item Girl, takes on industry misogyny through the lens of the highly sexualised peripheral female character common to many of its films.
Kapil’s biggest influences, he says, are the films of 20th century socially conscious filmmaker Satyajit Ray and the singer Scott Walker. Closer to home, he recently contributed to Return to Y’hup – an album of covers celebrating the songs of Ivor Cutler put together by Matt Brennan of Citizen Bravo and Raymond Macdonald, and featuring a who’s-who of Scottish independent music.
“The Celtic Connections launch show at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall was the last live thing I did before lockdown,” he says, laughing. “It felt like a weird X Factor moment – I’m 31, and a lot of the performers were the music I grew up with.”
“I’ve played to much smaller crowds and felt nervous, but that night in front of a couple of thousand people I felt like I was in an all-star football team.”
“I felt like I was in an all-star football team”
Find out more about Kapil Seshayee’s music at kapilseshasayee.bandcamp.com