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It takes a lot to accept one’s truest vulnerable self and even more grit to share that with the world. But sometimes, the best kind of art is born from a place of vulnerability. It is exemplified in Aditi Veena's (better known by her stage name, Ditty) latest single, Hold Me, from her upcoming EP Skin, which is scheduled to be released on March 2024 via German label Clouds Hill Records. The cinematic music video and evocative lyrics complement each other seamlessly.
Quite literally, she bares open her scars, narrates her personal losses, navigates the complexities of human relationships and reclaims herself by connecting with her body and the natural world. My favourite lines from the song are:
"You're lonely my friend and I am as well
Our roads don't meet though, we're faraway friends"
It poetically evokes a universal feeling that almost all of us can relate to — the loneliness we experience when geographical boundaries separate us from our loved ones. 'Faraway Friends' is also a reference to the Collective formed by Ditty.
The song is a labor of love born out of a huge transformation process that I underwent during the pandemic. There was a major illness, separation, losing loved ones and a move to Berlin. I had to learn ways to come home to myself. Skin takes a lot from those experiences and speaks about connecting to the body of the earth and myself.
Ditty, in a statement released by Cloud Hill Records
Conceptualized by Ditty, filmmaker Shrutiman Deori and German artist Keno Langbein, the music video has been produced by Dhruv Bhola and features drummer Karan Singh, both members of the talented contemporary gypsy-jazz band, Peter Cat Recording Co.
My songs are places I can go to where I can reveal myself entirely. First, I pour myself into the songs and then let the songs speak to the world. It was like this with Hold Me. I wrote it when my love was still yearning. Can we be honest with ourselves and our feelings, even if they ask us to trust fully and leave everything behind?
Ditty, in an interview with Rolling Stone India
Prior to the release of Hold Me, Ditty’s 2019 album Poetry Ceylon had made waves in the Indian independent music scene, with India Today hailing it as the debut album of the year. She not only identifies as a singer-songwriter but also as an urban ecologist. Using her music as a catalyst for environmentalism, she wonderfully intersects her identities. Her folk-infused tunes invoke an inherent telluric feeling. Her activism is not just limited to her craft but also in her praxis as she has been actively involved in planting forests in India. In 2020, she was the first Indian musician to organize a carbon neutral tour, aimed to lower emissions and pollution. As I continued to discover more of her music, I couldn’t help thinking of Ditty as an modern-day Gaia, healing the planet through her music. Like me, many ardent fans cannot wait for her upcoming India tour in 2024.
Watch the music video of Hold Me below:
Find out more about Ditty here.
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