Siddharth Coutto (Sidd Coutto), the renowned multi-instrumentalist and one of the few musicians who has seen the indie music scene grow right from the beginning to the present, is back again with a bang. Over his musical career spanning 25 years, Coutto has played a whole range of instruments from the guitar to drums, and performed all over the country with many different bands. He has composed and produced music for diverse fields such as advertising, films/TV and online streaming platforms. He has sung and composed music for well-known indie bands such as the alt-rock band Zero (where he was a drummer), Helga’s Fun Castle and Tough on Tobacco (where he was the lead vocalist). His solo performances consist of live looping, with him beatboxing and layering multiple instruments and sounds. He is also well known for creating songs on-the-spot, based on topics suggested by the audience. Currently, Sidd is a multi instrumentalist with renowned bands such as Ankur & The Ghalat Family as well as Vir Das’ Alien Chutney.
He has recently released his EP ’Glow’ and plans to release 12 EPs in total, on the 6th of every month, for a year. This EP is released under Misfits Inc., which is an independent record label supporting indie artists. ‘Glow’ draws close inspiration from his love life, and is dedicated to his long time girlfriend, Tullika. The whole mood of the album is cheery and heartfelt, with foot-tapping melodies and the old 80s country music vibe is quite prominent throughout. Sidd Coutto’s versality is evident from the composition of the songs on this EP which incorporate a wide range of instrumental sections including guitar, drums and the piano arrangements. Sidd Coutto’s dynamic vocals further add to the ‘glow’ of the EP.
The first song ‘Glow’ comprises of breezy guitar tunes with funky drum grooves. The song is about being in love and how it can make a person ‘glow’ from both inside and out. The song gives us the message that if a relationship is meant to be, it will be. ‘You And Me’ is a charming love track, and the entire song rests on gentle yet heart-warming ukulele tune. ‘Stay With Me’ is a mellow and sombre track, and has a slow paced tempo and rhythm. Lyrically, the artist wishes his lover to stay with him forever. Sidd Coutto wishes to record as many songs as possible in his entire lifetime, and has high expectations from the 12 EPs which he will be releasing subsequently.
As a child, he was quite impressed by improv musical performances on the popular TV show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ Initially, he found improvs were not possible until he tried them out, when he realized not only were they possible but he had the ability to compose songs on the spot. He further adds “Within the next few years, inspired by the Sting song, ‘If I Ever Lose My Faith In You’, I decided that I wanted to be a songwriter for the rest of my life. I was in my first band by age 16 and a few months later I saw Pentagram for the first time, deciding that I would have a band like Vishal Dadlani’s as well.”
Talking about how his musical style has evolved over the years, Sidd Coutto says, “I had a sound in my head when I started writing songs regularly, in the Zero days. We were kind of limited to what genres we could perform as a live act as well as to what we already knew and loved as a group. There’s been so much new music that I’ve heard in the past 20 years. I pretty much took a 10-year break from listening to anyone else’s music in between. I made tonnes of my own music in that time and was happy to limit my new influences to a few select new artists each year. These days, I can produce music in a variety of different styles and I am sure I can write a song in any genre you throw at me, given a little time.”
For the young indie musicians out there, he has some useful advice, “Make the music that you want to hear. Make it any way you like. Collaborate with as many people as possible. Play with people who are better than you. You define your own success. Be nice to people, always. Treat everyone with respect. The only thing constant in life is change. And don’t ever blindly follow someone’s advice.”
‘Glow’ is a refreshing EP, and breathes calm and happiness into the chaos of our daily lives. It makes us believe that despite all the odds, ultimately love will conquer. We look forward to Siddharth Coutto’s future EPs and see what they have in store for us!
