SOFT ECHOES • 2024
Los Angeles-based vocalist, composer, and producer Sharada Shashidhar has a deep awareness of the cosmos. There’s a distinct tug-of-war in her music, an understanding that scanning the heavens to answer existential queries isn’t quite enough; there are internal depths to plumb as well. Shashidhar’s first album, 2020’s Rahu, found her voice billowing out of smoky, post-beat-scene soundscapes, meditating on the collective unconscious and the energy exchange between all living things. Her newest work, Soft Echoes, is a bold step forward, eschewing her previous work’s hip-hop tilt for expansive compositions that blend jazz and Indian classical influences into a swirling, spiritual whole.
RAHU • 2020
Rahu is the debut release by Sharada Shashidhar on Leaving Records. Shashidhar, a lifelong vocalist and musician, is currently pursuing a degree in jazz voice. The songs on Rahu were recorded over the last four years between Los Angeles and New York, in a constant collaborative exchange with rising producer and Stones Throw Records artist Jamael Dean.
The music of Rahu is arresting, an unforgettable introduction to Sharada's compelling voice and songwriting. Her elaborate harmonies and vocal creativity come together in brief yet powerful songs that explore universal themes of inner and outer exploration.