'Lay It On Me' with its unique sound is our collaborative effort with Lebanese blues-rock band The Wanton Bishops - arranged by red Bull, this track is reflects a musical style that unifies two cultures
Swarathma and the Wanton Bishops in Kolkata for the video-shoot of 'Lay It On Me'. Photo: Red Bull India
We are quite lucky to have had the opportunity to work on the most interesting collaborations. We had Delhi-based EDM-duo Dualist Inquiry remix our song 'Naane Daari'. We were thrilled to have the icon on Hindustani classical music, Subha Mudgal ji collaborate on 'Dur Kinara' - a beautiful track for our second studio album Topiwalleh.
In December 2013, we shared the stage with Lebanese blues-rock band The Wanton Bishops at Bacardi NH7 Weekender on the Red Bull Tour Bus in Kolkata. And we struck a chord. So, in 2014, when Red Bull arranged for us to collaborate on a track called 'Lay It On Me', we got right to it.
After talking over Skype, we finally wrote the song over two days - jamming in our hotel-room in Kolkata. The music-video was also host during this time. 'Lay It On Me' takes its name from a refrain The Wanton Bishops vocalist Nader Mansour sings and includes Vasu singing in Hindi, Kannada and English. The lyrics are about our individual struggles which when shared become that much more bearable.
The final result of the collaboration is a high-energy song with influences from folk, Hindustani Classical and rock. A unique sound unifying the best of The Wanton Bishops and Swarathma.