Music from the Hills: Abdon Mech dreams of better days in “Again”
Abdon Mech. Photo: Livenow Events
Nagaland-based singer-songwriter Abdon Mech discusses his lockdown-inspired single “Again”, his song writing process, future plans, and more.
Even the darkest cloud can have a small silver lining. And the cloud of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to novel creative voices to emerge in India, particularly in the indie music scene. Musicians and artists usually thrive when faced with adversities—and in this case, when the performance of stage and live shows have been shut down, many artists have taken this moment to self-reflect, discover, and work on their craft.
One of these artists to become a rising talent in recent years has been Abdon Mech. The singer-songwriter from Dimapur, Nagaland didn’t slow down in face of the shutdown, and instead, made sure to stay engaged with fans through social media over the past few months. He connects almost daily through his live feed on Instagram with his friends and fans, which appears to be growing in numbers. His talent has caught many by ears and made his way to appear (almost regularly) on Raghav Meattle’s famous live chat session ‘Late Night ConeVersations’ and on chat/jam sessions with Ehsaan Noorani on Instagram.
With the recent release of his debut single “Again”, Mech has presented a fresh and an authentic sound, something that he has taken years to build. (The video below premiered on August 15, 2020). The song is slow, melancholic ballad, an emotional tribute to all of our shared tribulations during this lockdown and pandemic. Mech sings:
I miss the air that I could breathe without the fear of dying,
I miss the hugs that I received when no one’s really crying,
I miss the restaurants and all the places we would go,
Will I wake up on the right side of the bed… Again?
The track is now available on all streaming platforms. Personally, I felt that it was one of the best tunes I have heard in this whole damned virus situation! I caught up with Mech recently to discuss “Again”, his song writing process, and future plans.
Q. What was your thought behind “Again”? I mean the song is quite self-explanatory, but was this something conscious, or did the song happen without much planning?
Mech: There wasn't much thinking really. It came as an aftermath of over two months of a writer's block. It felt organic to write it, and there was an honest flow both lyrically and melodically. As I sat down to write, I knew that I had a song, it was just about being patient and trying to put myself in people's shoes and tell their stories for them. Thankfully it didn't turn out too bad!
Q. What's your usual process of creating a song? Does the chord structure and melody come to you before you start writing the words down, or do you write something first, and then try and find a melody to match it?
Mech: When I started, I used to pen down the lyrics first, but now it's changed. I don't have a fixed process or a method. Once I have a concept or a storyline, I just let the lyrics and the melody come naturally to me. But make no mistake: the skill to write honestly and organically comes from many years of practicing and forcing yourself to write.
Q. Have you been surprised or overwhelmed with the kind of response you received with the release of “Again”?
Mech: Yes! Considering that this was my debut into officially releasing music, I was quite scared and anxious. Once the song was out, I received literally hundreds of messages from different people thanking me. There's nothing more gratifying for a songwriter when people connect with the story you want to tell.
Q. Is there an element of your natural surroundings, and the mountains, that affect you as an artist? Does that somehow reflect in your music as well?
Mech: I think so. I live in a very quiet and beautiful village in Dimapur. I like it when things are simple and quiet and it definitely shows in my music. In this side of the world, everything is unfiltered and honest and that's how I want my music to come across.
I live in a very quiet and beautiful village in Dimapur. I like it when things are simple and quiet and it definitely shows in my music. In this side of the world, everything is unfiltered and honest and that's how I want my music to come across.
Q. Who are the other musicians or tracks that you’ve been listening to in recent weeks?
Mech: I have been listening to Bruno Major's album To Let A Good Thing Die on a loop for a while. There's also this local Sumi song written in my mother's language called "Lomi Aghacho Toi" by Ashito Awomi. The third one in the list would have to be Kacey Musgraves—I have also been listening to her album Golden Hour a lot. She's brilliant.
Q. What do we expect from you in the future?
Mech: For now, there will be another single out soon, and then an EP towards the end of the year. And if things get better, hopefully a tour, too!
Abdon Mech will be joining us live for the Chakkar Circle on our Instagram page @TheChakkar later this week! Stay tuned for more info soon.
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Ady Manral is a singer-songwriter based in Landour whose debut EP Lean On Love was released globally to critical acclaim in 2018. Ady has performed gigs in India, the UK and USA over the past few years. He was the co-founder and director of Big Gig, a music festival in Landour. He currently works at Woodstock School India. You can follow him on Instagram at @adyindia or Twitter @adymanral
