Whether it is the beautifully layered electropop soundscape of the track, or the seamless key changes from sudan’s tempered low-register vocals to Frizzell D’Souza’s melodic, crisp vocals, or its succinct lyricism, 'ghost' by the duo is a track that became an instant favorite from first listen for this writer. I was introduced to sudan initially through his collaborative track 'trouble' with LAVI, and then his debut album 'sudan?'. While listening through his body of work, and tracks like "Fire/Snow" that the now 22-year-old musical polymath produced in 2021, I couldn’t help but become a fan.
Frizzell D’Souza is an artist whose music has been the background to the worst of my pandemic blues. 'Drown Away', released in late 2020, and cover songs on her Instagram feed were among the online respite I’d found during this particularly difficult time of living by myself. In the four years since, Frizzell has released a number of new tracks, analyzing the varied aspects of human life and the human condition. Fresh off her performance at Sula Fest 2025, and a nine-city tour promoting her latest album, Frizzell worked with sudan, who is set to perform soon at Lollapalooza 2025 in March, following the success of his debut album. The track was co-written by the duo and has been brought to life with typically refined production by Sudan.
'ghost', released as a single by the duo on January 31, 2025, with an accompanying music video, is an electropop track that began as a forgotten demo. The track, which delves into the bounds of lingering feelings, was co-written by sudan and Frizzell in what they’ve referred to as an ‘open-narrative lyrical’ format. While they worked in tandem, the collaboration itself was a process that spanned around five to six months, though not in a strictly work-focused manner. “Frankly, the collective process of getting the song done did not take too long. We spent a lot of time outside of the track just hanging out and discussing music and art in general. I think that’s what got us to understand each other’s instincts far better,” Frizzell shares. This natural synergy extended into the creative process as well, with ideas taking shape over a few creative choices, flights between Bangalore and Bombay, and copious amounts of cold brew.
For sudan, this track had been sitting in his archives for three years before he decided to revisit it with Frizzell in mind. “As soon as I had decided to work on a collaborative EP, it was kinda obvious that I would want to have Frizzell on it. Luckily, I had a demo that seemed to me as the perfect balance between both of our sounds,” he explains. Once they agreed to develop the track, the duo expanded their team, bringing in collaborations like Gautam David for saxophone recordings and Rohit Kumar (Vavae) for mastering. Beyond the technical aspects, the songwriting process was a deeply introspective one. For Frizzell D'Souza,
“I’m a sucker for an intriguing lyric and a bridge that takes you by surprise. I knew ghost had the potential to be something bigger. We’d had a bunch of conversations discussing what he had written the demo about - a lingering feeling that won’t seem to leave. We sat up one night in Bombay and wrote a bridge which I ended up absolutely loving, snuck in a few Easter eggs in the melody and production, and headed to the studio the next morning to record it.”Frizzell D'Souza
Despite their individual artistic styles, the duo found a rhythm in their creative differences. For both artists, the collaboration was about more than just the music. It was about the conversations, the shared ideas, and the connection they built. “Most of our ‘work’ calls were spent generally hanging out or talking about things outside of music. And I think eventually, to share the same instincts made the work process much more fun and easy,” says Frizzell. Sudan echoes this sentiment: “The realization that we share a lot of ideas and values in and outside of music was the most interesting aspect. We’d end up spending some good time talking about things that have nothing to do with the song and call it work.”
“Other than that gorgeous voice, I admire a lot of things when it comes to Frizzell’s music, but that’s not the only thing that made me want to work with her. I base my collaborations on how much I like an artist as a person and not just their art- I knew I was gonna love the process of working with her regardless, everything else is secondary”sudan, Independant Singer-Songwriter
As contemporary voices in indie Indian music, they hope ghost resonates with listeners in ways they might not even anticipate. “To begin with, I think ghost amalgamates both our styles in a way that I believe will be an enjoyable listen to both our niches. Beyond that, I hope it further encourages artists to embrace crossovers outside their comfort zones. I sure had the most amount of fun doing something I didn’t imagine I would two years ago,” says Frizzell. sudan, however, takes a more laid-back approach. “That’s too much responsibility, to be honest (...to think about what they hope this track will inspire in their listeners), hahah. I’m just a dude shaping some sounds out of my home studio. It’s a beautiful feeling knowing that people connect to your art, but it’s always in ways that I would never expect. I can only try and tell a story as authentic to me as possible — anything beyond that is out of my control.”
With a track that blends their unique artistic instincts, ghost is a testament to the magic of collaboration — one that is bound to stay with listeners long after the last note, or in this case, the garbled voice recording, fades.
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