When growing up in Kolkata, India, Debajyoti Biswas was not immediately exposed to music and had to find what resonated with him for himself. “I didn’t come from a musical family, per se,” Debajyoti says of his background when speaking with Post-Burnout. “I’d say Dad was music[al] a little bit; I mean, during his scholar days, he used to play the guitar but nothing too serious. He didn’t write his own songs or wasn’t heavily into music.

“So, for me, my musical journey was about really appreciating musicians that inspired me and kind of figuring out my passion for it and figuring out my sound. During my school days, I used to play the guitar in my school band and I was the vocalist. We were really into rock – so, like, the ‘80s rock, like Guns N’ Roses, Pink Floyd, and Metallica. So, yeah, we were really blown away by all that stuff – heavy riffs and drumming. So, that was how my music journey started.”

That school project worked under the label Greyer Versus Grey, and the members were inspired by hard rock, metal, prog rock, and prog metal. “We did make a formal album, and we had a concept album – so, it’s like a single storyline which kind of ties in all the songs – and this is something that we got inspired by from Dream Theater and Pink Floyd, where they have a thematic core to the album and the songs, and it’s like storytelling,” Debajyoti says of that project.

“So, yeah, we had an album at that point, but I don’t think we’d be able to play those songs now because we deliberately made very difficult stuff at that point because we were inspired and into all of that. […]

“We were in a rebellious mode, talking about grand ideas, which, now, when I reflect, I don’t think we really even got what we were trying to communicate. So, I kind of feel that a load of those songs were kind of immature and not really heartfelt or born out of personal experience.”

After the project ended and their one album was dissolved by the loss of Myspace (the only platform they uploaded it to), Debajyoti persisted with songwriting, as he enjoyed the craft, but without the intent of releasing new music.

“I was writing my own stuff, and I was exploring different kinds of sounds because I think my tastes were taking a different direction with the music that I was listening to, and that, naturally, influenced the way that I wrote and the way that I conceived the arrangement of the songs,” Debajyoti says.

“So, I was listening to Sting, I was listening to Coldplay, John Mayer, Passenger, [and] Radiohead. So, it was a shift from, let’s say, Guns N’ Roses, Scorpions, and Dream Theater, to this. [Laughs]

“And I think that the sound that came up, naturally, was born from certain constraints that I had because I realised that I couldn’t get the same set of people to play with me, so I was limited to an acoustic guitar or piano, and I had to make do with that, which is why I had to make melodies that were more dependent on the guitar, and I could add a little bit of the harmonica sometimes, so that’s where the influences from, let’s say, Bob Dylan came into play.”

The mundanity of the COVID-19 pandemic ironically sparked creativity for Debajyoti. “I think the lockdowns were definitely a phase where I was introspecting a lot,” he says.

 “I was forced to introspect because I was in a room, all by myself. I was studying at that point… – I was doing some higher studies in France – …and there was a lockdown, and there was no possibility to travel anywhere, so I was held in a studio apartment and there was nowhere to go, and I had my guitar and a headful of thoughts, and I was reflecting on the things that had changed in my life in the last few months and the things that had changed around me, and it was so overwhelming to see things change so rapidly, in terms of relationships, in terms of just the modalities of life at that point, and it was really unsettling in ways and liberating in ways, that you were kind of embracing something new in life – possibly things which you never thought of – so that was the core of the EP that I was making.

“It was called Changing. So, the main hook of the [title] song goes, Everyone’s changing, and everything’s changing, and that was kind of the most resonant feeling at that point. […] When I was making the EP, Changing, I had made a lot of songs during the lockdown …– maybe…I don’t know. I’ve lost count. Maybe ten to fifteen songs – …but then I realised that ‘Changing’ was the predominant thought, and the rest of the songs were kind of complimenting that theme in different ways, and that’s how I pieced all of them together. But, back in the band days, I think we started with the theme and everything that we made was in that direction. I don’t do that now because I want a song to be more natural and just flow out.”

Debajyoti released Changing towards the end of 2023, which signified the birth of his new solo career. After the pandemic, Debajyoti moved to Dublin and continued his new path. “I think the first thing that was a very, very pleasant surprise to me is that people are very accepting and encouraging towards new, fresh music,” Debajyoti says of his experience of encountering the local music scene.

“They really are open to listening to a new song, whether it’s something very polished or professional, whether it’s something very raw. You can rest assured that if you’re playing to a Dublin crowd, they’re going to give you their full attention and, invariably, cheer for you in the end. And that is something that has been common in every performance that I have given here or that I’ve attended as a listener.

“I have found people to be so receptive of new music, which is, I think, one of the reasons that I’ve gotten back to writing my own music, because I believe that if I write a song, I will have a place to play and I will have a set of people who would be listening to it, and that’s something which is different from the scene back home.

“Back in India, there are places where original music is appreciated, but I would say that the number of such venues or forums would be in the minority. So, mostly, you would have places where you would play cover gigs and you would play some artists to get by, but places, or open mics, or singer-songwriter nights where original music or emerging music is celebrated is still a place where work needs to be done.”

Last month, Debajyoti released his first song since moving to Ireland and his first since the Changing EP, which is titled “Somewhere You Belong.” “The story to the song actually goes back a couple of years before now, before I moved to Dublin,” Debajyoti says of the track.

“So, I was working with the sound producer of my previous EP, Abhi[broto Mitra], and he gave me this challenge. He had this sound engineering workshop in a studio, and he just called me and said, ‘Deba, why don’t you write a song on the spot, and let’s do something in a day? Let it be spontaneous – don’t think about the production or anything – just let your emotions flow.’

“At that point, I was thinking about moving to a new place and starting a new life, and, through this song, I had this strange feeling that I wanted to manifest what I want in my life going forward. So, I was kind of imagining that I go to this place where I really connect with the place and the people, and I find a community where I feel heard and seen for who I am.

“So, that’s where the Where You Belong comes from: You’re literally finding your niche, finding that place where you’re welcome and you can be yourself. That was at the top of my mind, and, musically, it was in those two or three hours that…So, the thought was there, and the music kind of flowed around those thoughts, and I didn’t expect that the song would come together in a few hours, but it did, and I felt challenged in the beginning because I didn’t think it would be possible.”

“Where You Belong” was the final song Debajyoti made whilst living in Kolkata. At the moment, he is crafting a group of songs that he feels will work together for what will become his second EP. Now based in Dublin, he’s looking to link up with local talent to make that future release a reality.

“At this point, I’m open to working with musicians and producers here because this is where I’m based,” Debajyoti says. “And, now, I’m getting to know a lot of lovely musicians when I’m going to these open mics and singer-songwriter nights, so there’s so much talent in Dublin. I just get overwhelmed each day! This is truly the city of music!”

Debajyoti Biswas’ latest single, “Where You Belong,” is on all streaming platforms now. You can find all his music and social media links here.

Tune into POSTBURNOUT.COM Interviews… tonight at 21:00 (IST) to hear this interview in full. Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music Podcasts.

Aaron Kavanagh

Aaron Kavanagh is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Post-Burnout. His writing can also be found in the Irish Daily Star, Buzz.ie, Totally Dublin, The GOO, Headstuff, New Noise Magazine, XS Noize, DSCVRD and more.