Shubham Roy on ‘Dheere,’ his slowly unfolding love song

Shubham Roy, Katya Krishnan
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

For his first release since 2021, singer-songwriter Shubham Roy reaches into a journeying love song called ‘Dheere’ with singer-songwriter Katya Krishnan and producer GNDHI.

Bengaluru-based Shubham says he began working on ‘Dheere’ around the same time his previous single ‘Aankhi’ came out at the start of 2021. “Unfortunately, that was also when the second wave of COVID-19 hit, and we found ourselves in lockdown, which put a lot of our plans on hold.”

Much like many musicians at the time, Shubham made it a point to set up a bedroom recording studio that he looks back on as a “creative haven” for him and his collaborators. “It allowed me to keep experimenting with our music and continue developing our projects despite the restrictions. I was also juggling music with my corporate job at the time,” he says. Eventually, Shubham left his job and focused entirely on what has become his upcoming full-length album, which ‘Dheere’ gives us a glimpse into.

The song is produced by Rohit Gandhi aka GNDHI, in what is new territory for the artiste who has hitherto been known for electronic music. The pair worked on the composition and brought in Shiny Das on lyrics; GNDHI also introduced Shubham to Katya, a friend and previous collaborator with the electronic artiste. “Katya brought her own creative energy and essence to the song, adding layers that truly elevated it.”

Katya Krishnan, who has studied and lived in Boston and is presently based in Mumbai, says she was immediately drawn to Shubham’s “intriguingly gentle yet profoundly powerful voice”. It was during her time in Boston that she connected over a virtual call with Shubham and GNDHI to work on ‘Dheere’, in the midst of sharing different project ideas.

Shubham and GNDHI had earlier worked together on a project in 2017. “I was immediately drawn to his unique perception of sound, production style, and his deep understanding of song concepts,” Shubham says. It was by 2019 that they teamed up to work on Roy’s album, with ‘Dheere’ being their fourth song, with the previously released ‘Aankhi’. The reason they chose to release ‘Dheere’ first to mark Shubham’s return to indie music was because of how it came together, based on energy and teamwork.

The song also features guitarist Ritwik Bhattacharya playing acoustic and bass guitar, drummer Ujwal KS and percussionist Sidharth Ravi. “They contributed unique rhythms, each enhancing the song’s dynamic flow,” he says. Sharavan Sridhar’s violin added a special touch, according to Shubham. “The final sound is a rich, layered experience — an intricate blend of electronic soundscapes and classical Indian instruments that feels both fresh and timeless.”

By the time Katya came on board, the song structure, melodies and instrumentation was already “built out” for ‘Dheere’. She adds, “I adore the vocal production stage, so I recorded a bunch of harmony stacks for certain sections of the song to add to the rising anticipation. The song’s climax — the final line that Shubham and I belt out together — was especially fun to workshop.”

Lyrically, it is a story of passion between two lovers, leaning on intimacy. “The push and the pull, the longing between the two lovers is palpable within the lyrics — it’s definitely sensual, yet there exists a sort of purity in the inability to control the feelings of the aftermath, the vulnerability. It feels as though something is growing, blooming, breathing,” says Katya, talking about the song.

With ‘Dheere’ now out on all streaming platforms, Shubham is setting the pace and thematic universe for the rest of his genre-blending album, whose title is yet to be announced. He says, “In this collection, we’ve woven themes that resonate with everyday experiences and emotions, aiming to create something relatable yet profound. We’ve collaborated with some of the most renowned musicians in the country, bringing together diverse influences and talents to shape each track into something unique.”

Katya, for her part, marks ‘Dheere’ as her first independently-released song in Hindi. She had previously sung ‘Dil Ki Gali’ by composer duo Vishal-Shekhar for the 2022 comedy/drama Jayeshbhai Jordaar. She adds, “For this year and the next, I will be writing, releasing, and performing a range of new R&B, indie, and rock tracks, while also exploring my roots by creating music in Hindi and other Indian languages.”