Artist: Ajay Mathur: Vocals and guitars; Back-up musicians: Fausto Medici: Drums and percussion; Gregory Schaerer: Bass; Kalyanjit Das: Sitar; Sandip Banerjee: Tablas; and Adriana Husy and Patrizia Scarnato: Backing vocals
Single: ‘I Need You Now;’ Single released on July 30, 2021 by Yaketeeyak Music; Video released on August 20, 2021; Produced and recorded by Mathur; at The Lounge, Stans, NW; Mixed by Austin Asvanonda, Ventura, CA; Mastered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge, NYC, assisted by Chris Allgood
The world’s current medical and political environments have reminded people how much everyone needs human connection and closeness. Musician Ajay Mathur is reminding his listeners that admitting they’re vulnerable or lonely isn’t always easy, but the rewards can be satisfying and helpful, in his emotionally relatable single, ‘I Need You Now.’ The adult contemporary song and its accompanying video from the Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter-instrumentalist, which are now available, highlight the need for people to overcome their fears and say out loud, “I need you now!”
The powerful, up-beat tr aboackut connectedness from the artist is driven in part by a stellar contemporary melody, harmony and rhythm, as well as bright instrumentals. Those instrumentals include the spirited, superb playing of the sitar from back-up musician Kalyanjit Das and tabla from artists Adriana Husy and Patrizia Scarnato, as well as dynamic drum patterns and keys. Mathur, who’s currently based in Lucerne, Switzerland, used his experiences being born and raised in India to blend both Americana and traditional Indian instruments into his radically genre-bending pop-rock tune.
‘I Need You Now,’ which is also influenced in part by such fellow pop-rock singer-songwriters as David Bowie, Tom Petty and Jackson Browne, features equally soulful and energetic guitar strumming and expressive vocals. Mathur croons enthralling, affectionate lyrics that chronicle how he wants to hold the person he loves and have her by his side, as he can longer hide his feelings for her. He also passionately proclaims that his love for her will never end, and he never wants to let her go.
The video that accompanies the musician’s single, which were both released this past summer, features an array of distinctive, colorful animated scenes. From a sequence of a rainbow and butterflies set against a bright blue sky to Mathur playing his guitar against a background of flowers, which are tied together by a floating blimp that eventually flies past a castle and fireworks, ‘I Need You Now’s video is an equally fun and memorable reflection of the artist’s expression of his momentous love.
‘I Need You Now’ is a melodic, uplifting pop-rock-adult contemporary track that uniquely and memorably interweaves grand sitars, tablas, rhythmic guitars and percussion to support the singer’s lively vocals that sentimentally remind his listeners that they need to admit when they’re lonely and need human connection. The equally fun and emotional tune and it’s colorful, visually alluring video are a relatable, necessary and optimistic reminder that everyone needs to overcome their differences in order to bond together and battle life’s most challenging circumstances together.
For more information on Mathur, visit his Bandcamp and Spoify pages.