London, 2026​

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During this interview, I change seats, place myself in front of another artist and ask him the questions I wish people asked me. Today, I meet with Indian composer and pianist Suvobrata Dutta, who has just released his first solo project, After. 

 

Suvobrata, tell us about yourself.

 

I am a pianist and composer based out of Brooklyn, New York. I was born in Calcutta, India, and I have been playing the piano since I was a child. My brother, who is a very good jazz guitar player, used to buy a lot of cassettes and CDs and play them from his room, and I would hear them all the time. I was very much influenced by the Beatles, the Doors, Dire Straits back then, while at the same time learning western classical — it kind of created this whole world of music in my head. I played guitar and keyboard with my band for a while before moving to the United States. After I moved here, I took a long break from music and started working as a software engineer. Then COVID happened, and I slowly got back to the piano and realised how much I truly enjoyed playing it.

 

Tell us about After, your first solo project.

 

Around the same time I was getting back to the piano, I started listening to a lot of modern classical music and discovered so many amazing artists making piano-driven music that I had not heard before. I think that pushed me to do something on my own, and I started composing. I reached out to Gijs, who has worked with Hania Rani and Joep Beving, and I was fortunate that he agreed to work with me to produce the album. He is based in Amsterdam, so we had long sessions over Zoom discussing the pieces. It was a big learning experience, as all of this was very new to me. Once we reached a point where we felt the pieces were taking shape, I decided to go to Amsterdam and record at his studio, which was another fantastic experience. There, along with Joep, his assistant, we recorded almost ten tracks over three days, seven of which made the cut. The album was mixed by Gijs himself, and he did an amazing job.

 

What is the role of the piano, your main instrument, for you as an artist?

 

I think the piano helps me immerse myself and translate my experiences into sound. It also helps me think. It is the only instrument I know well enough to actually think in terms of music.

 

Tell us more about your creative process.

 

I often sit at the piano and try to bring out whatever I am hearing. There is a lot of improvisation in the moment and trying out different directions, taking influences from different kinds of music. Sometimes I record a theme that I feel is good and then come back to it later, recalibrate, and work on the other parts. Sometimes it also happens that I finish the entire piece in one sitting, which is rare though. I keep recording whatever I am playing, and after some time I go back over them and decide which ones are actually making me feel something.

 

You live in New York, how is this city influencing your music?

 

Even in a city as hectic as New York, I notice pockets of quiet — parks, rivers, rooftops. Those little moments of calm really inspire me and shape the music I create. It is a very vibrant city with so much culture and art, and they are slowly seeping into my music.

 

How is it to be an independent artist in today’s world?

 

I think it is pretty challenging, given the volume of music being uploaded to the internet every day. I personally do not like the idea that, as artists, we have to constantly keep our audiences hooked on what is brewing through social media. I feel like it takes something away. But of course, if you are just starting out, you cannot really avoid it. On the flip side, without modern technology, it would probably have been nearly impossible for someone like me to be heard or connect with people. So, in a way, it is a stalemate!

 

Where do you find inspiration to create?

 

From books, movies, nature, philosophy and architecture. 

 

So after After what’s next?

 

I am planning to record some new pieces that I have been writing for a while. I might release them in the second half of this year. I am also experimenting with some analog synths to see where it goes.

 

Thanks very much Suvobrata. A last one for the road — one book, one album, one film —, tell us about your latest cultural findings?

 

Book: Right now, I have started reading Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Album: Environments by Rafiq Bhatia. Film: La Chimera, which I absolutely loved.

 

Bouncing on Suvobrata’s words, and meditating on the idea of pockets of quiet and how music can create this space and opportunity to find rest. Read my review of After.