Paitra Channels Psychedelic Serenity on “A Universal Feeling”

Toronto-based artist Paitra invites listeners into a lush, dreamlike soundscape with her latest single, “A Universal Feeling,” the title track of her debut EP. Rooted in her Northern Ontario upbringing yet shaped by the experimental edge of Toronto’s indie scene, the song distills Paitra’s diverse influences into something entirely her own: psychedelic, warm, and ethereal.

The track begins with muted, otherworldly keyboard tones that immediately establish a contemplative mood, almost as if stepping into a parallel dimension where time slows down. As the layers build with dream-pop melodies, hushed harmonies, and winding vocal lines, the song mirrors the journey of a psychedelic trip: initial disorientation giving way to calm surrender. Paitra does not just sing, she guides, her voice floating like a tether between uncertainty and trust.

At its core, “A Universal Feeling” is a meditation on release. Drawing from her own psychedelic experiences, Paitra channels that moment where fear dissolves into acceptance, when you stop resisting and realize you are being held by something greater than yourself. That emotional pivot, one of surrender and quiet knowing, is where the track lands. It is a song that does not demand attention but rather rewards it, enveloping you in a sonic embrace that feels both expansive and intimate.

As the title track of her debut EP, “A Universal Feeling,” represents more than just a single. It acts as a manifesto. After years of honing her craft in bands and experimenting with sounds across genres, Paitra has finally carved out a space that feels authentically hers. The influence of seventies legends like Fleetwood Mac and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is evident in her sense of harmony and storytelling. Still, the modern textures and psychedelic shimmer ensure the track feels firmly contemporary.

What is most compelling about this release is its universality. Whether or not you have had the kind of transformative experience that inspired the track, the feelings of uncertainty, nervousness, and eventual trust are ones we have all known. Paitra taps into that collective thread, creating not just a song but a shared moment.

“This song is about surrendering to the unknown and trusting the process,” she explains. “We have all been there. That is a universal feeling.” With this release, she turns that truth into something worth holding onto.

"A Universal Feeling" was born out of creative frustration. How did that moment of being stuck shape the final song?

I think when you put too much pressure on yourself to create, it rarely works out. During that session, I decided to step away and just mess around on a keyboard, which instantly lifted the weight off my shoulders. It stripped away my ego because I wasn't trying to write a song; I was just playing and having fun with sounds I wouldn't normally reach for. That sense of freedom is what brought the song to life. Ironically, the moment I stopped trying so hard was when the real magic happened.

You have mentioned psychedelic experiences inspiring this track. How do you translate something so personal and abstract into sound?

Whether you've had a psychedelic experience or not, there are specific sounds that just feel psychedelic. They're dreamlike, hypnotic, ethereal, even a bit swirly. In the process of writing this song, those were the first sounds that came out. As I was ad-libbing vocals over the piano, Sam kept saying how trippy it was, so we really leaned into that.

One of the first lines that came out and stayed in the final song was "and I open the door to your embrace." To me, that didn't feel like I was physically opening a door to hug somebody on the other side. In that moment, it instantly felt like I was opening a metaphorical door to embrace Mother Nature and let her guide me - to trust the process. That might sound a little out there, haha, but that's how it felt.

This is the title track of your debut EP. Why did you feel this song best represents the project as a whole?

Choosing this song as the title track just felt right. Every song on the EP carries a different mood and sonic texture - one might be upbeat and high-energy, another more somber or uncertain. To me, that variety reflects the different elements of life. We all go through constant changes: the highs, the lows, the in-betweens. You can't really escape them, but they're what teach us balance and perspective. That's what "A Universal Feeling" means to me: the shared experience of navigating all those shifts.

Growing up on seventies rock and folk, what elements of that era still influence how you approach writing today?

Oh man, so many! First off, I've always loved the warmth in the production from that era. That's something I try to carry into my own music - I always want it to feel warm, full, and alive.

Vocally, I'm inspired by Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac) and Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) because they had such range: knowing when to lean into power, when to be raw, and when to pull back into something softer. I'm also really drawn to the sound of things recorded live off the floor. There's a special kind of energy in hearing musicians interact in real time, and I try to capture that same collaborative feel whenever I record.

When listeners finish the song, what is the one emotion you hope stays with them?

Peace. After being taken on this sonic journey, I want them to feel calm and grounded. Bonus if they have goosebumps.