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Love, Vulnerability and All That Life brings: Aakash Mehta's "What a Life"


What a Life album cover. Art by Madhurjya Dey | Design by Annie Hazarika

You know, there were several ways I thought I could open this feature article with - but none came close to the truth. I am now coming to you as just a listener. Someone who happened to find these songs on the ‘larger than life’ playground that is the internet. And I am so, so happy I did. When Pagal Haina emailed us about Aakash’s releases, and I listened to the songs, something in me struck. ‘What a Life’, one of the two releases so far, has to be my favourite. It is now a part of my playlist I would like to be played at my funeral, as something that describes a life lived, or at least aspired for. It imbibes in it the essence of what I think growing up sounds like. Beyond my testimony as an eager listener, I believe it is best described in Aakash’s words,


“What a Life. I really thought that said it all. 8 songs of moments in time and feelings I’ve felt and stories I’ve wanted to tell, or maybe I had to tell them. What a Life is the closest I could get to a musical diary of sorts. A journal of stories and feelings that were better left sung out instead of held in.”

“Love of You”, the first release on his record ‘What a Life’, speaks of the joy and emotion that comes with loving someone. The song brings in elements of regret, compassion and the everyday thoughts that are involved when you love someone. He talks of jealousy and hypocrisy, and inherently poses the question of “what is it like to love someone?” in his song. He mentions that the record is a homage to all those untapped feelings we never seem to seep into because of the ways in which life gets in the middle.


You know Aakash Mehta as a stand up comedian and writer, but it is refreshing to see him dig deeper into his love for music. While this is his first foray in music, this record reeks of the passion he embodies for the art, and shows this off with the vulnerability that makes us, as his audience, feel what he feels through his music. This record is also produced by Shashwat Bulusu (a constant OC favourite) who is known for his innovative technique in production and sound-making.


Needless to say, ‘What a Life’ is packed with what music is supposed to be. It opens us up to Aakash’s world and makes us feel for ourselves. Isn’t that what it's all about?


Aakash's record 'What a Life' releases in January 2022, but you can listen to 'Love of You' and his titular release, 'What a Life' here.





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