Born and raised in Texas by immigrant parents, honest, soulful, and empowering are all words to best describe singer-songwriter Shelly Bhushan. The half Indian and half Mexican starlet left Texas to find a new path and perspective on her journey to pursue the American dream of being a singer.
Gifted with an incredibly powerful voice, Shelly Bhushan draws on a depth of emotion that ranges from a desire to defiance, longing to exhilaration. It’s as if her soul reaches out to yours when you hear her sing. It’s real, she’s real, without a trace of pretentiousness.
As we relish in her most recent single, “Heat,” we feel a determined push and pull that rises through the atmospheric realm she cast out musically. The protruding nostalgia comforts us in familiar notes all while the instrumentation allows us to explore the inquisitiveness that takes over our very being. With powerhouse vocals that ignite simmering timbres to bask in, the intensity in which Shelly Bhushan has us feeling is rather uncanny.
Creating elements that truly leap from the speakers, we’ve lapsed into the wistful funk and R&B elements that amalgamate in order to create the ever-flourishing “Heat.” We’re exposed to a narrative that drips lyrical motifs of being caught up in the grey area of life, where the definition is missing and misunderstanding seems to be the friction that emerges from within on your mission to become your authentic self.
Vacillating in the depths of personal ventures, we have a lived-out experience that is reflected on by Shelly Bhushan herself. As we take in the refreshing quintessence that is laced into this striking representation of what she stands for, the appeal for this emerging artist makes itself more known in the prevailing manner we observe.
Welcome to BuzzMusic ShellyBhushan, and congratulations on such a triumphant release! Was there a particular breaking point for you in your life that brought the inspiration for “Heat?"
You know, I've been tooling around with this song for a long time. And it just wasn't coming together with the way I wanted it to. I think I needed to work on really understanding what the song was truly about. A couple of years ago, a woman came up to me after a set and said, man, that song is hot! And I thought you know what, she's right. So I took it into the studio. I hadn't been in the studio for a while and we just started working on it. I wrote an additional verse and breakdown section that I felt helped pull the song together to really translate what I was feeling. I'm really glad to bring it to life this way now. It feels complete.
The nostalgic feel of “Heat” took us to a place in our mind where we could truly feel the music. Was this what you were aiming to do when structuring the lyrics we hear?
I don't know If I was going for that. I generally like to have the song lead me rather than leading the song. But given my love for soul and r&b, I guess it felt like a natural destination. I think after the past year and a half, it feels good to feel and hear something like this. It's hopeful, it's fun and I think despite feeling retro, it's now. These artists who contributed to my song have worked with so many talented people. So it's great to be able to assemble so much talent to put something out there like this. John Celentano and Harry Cordew have been part of my band forever. Sam McIlvain and I played on other projects together throughout the years. Additionally, Quinn McCarthy produced this track at The Creamery in Brooklyn. He really added something special to the song that I wouldn't have been able to do without him. So I'm super grateful.
What words of advice do you have for your listeners that are caught up in the undefined area of the middle?
It's hard to be in "the middle" because sometimes you're misunderstood. But if you're being true to yourself, I think people will see that even if it takes a bit more effort. I find that all the best people, the best music doesn't exist in the black and white, it lives somewhere in the middle. It's unique.
What's next for you?
I'm working on some new songs that I'm going to be releasing throughout 2021 and 2022. And of course, I'm thinking about a full-length album. I'm also hoping to release a full-length album with my friend Anthony Lanni under the name "The Beveled Edges" which is a different kind of sound than my solo project.