A little bit ago, our very own Maddi got to have a chat with Austin Based artist Riya Mahesh aka Quiet Light, they talked about all things from Riya's inspirations, their EP, and so much more.
Q: Hey there Riya! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me. I wanted to start off with a lil’ vibe check, so how have you been? I’m doing great, you actually caught me at a very exciting time. I am demoing what will be the first Quiet Light LP. I’m locking myself in my bedroom for the weekend and cranking out some songs... How are you?
Q: Congratulations on announcing your newest EP ‘Stories I Am Now Telling You’, which is out on April 8! It must be a very exciting time for you – what are you looking forward to most with the launch? Thank you! I wrote some of these songs almost two years ago so I am looking forward to them just being out in the world. I am also looking forward to all of my exes playing guessing games trying to figure out which songs were written for them haha.
Q: We’ve been given a little taste of what is to come with ‘Alight’, the lead single off the new EP. It’s an absolutely stunning track. I remember listening to it for the first time, closing my eyes, and thinking damn, this is beautiful. Can you tell me a bit about what this song means to you? That is so terribly sweet, thank you so much. “Alight” was written during peak social isolation during COVID and I spent a lot of time reflecting on all of the other more exciting seasons of my life. Everyone has experienced unrequited love except for maybe Megan Fox and so this tale of loving someone and them not loving you back has been told in song form many times. Basically I just wanted to tell this story from a different angle and focus on all of the beautiful characteristics about this person rather than the fact that they don’t love me. Writing this song was a really quick process, I had just finished reading Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem and was really yearning to be in California with all of its beaches and mountains. I was inspired by the way she talks about that landscape and really drew from that to describe the subject of “Alight.” I essentially wrote the song in one sitting, it really just poured out of me which was crazy.
Q: Thematically, what I adore about ‘Alight’ is the idea of being in complete awe of a person, wholeheartedly loving someone without feeling reciprocation. It’s something that everyone feels yet is deeply individual. Do you prefer to be self-reflective or look outward for stories and ideas? I definitely prefer to be self-reflective and I think it makes people uncomfortable. Friends have described my music as reading my diary and if you really think about it, it is a bit weird to be so vulnerable and confessional when songwriting. I’ve always gravitated towards songwriters who hold nothing back in their writing. There is this interview in The Creative Independent of Matt Berninger of The National and Phoebe Bridgers discussing songwriting and this interview changed my life. In the interview they discuss the possibility of hurting people’s feelings when writing songs and whether or not to avoid it. Matt Berninger says this great line about how the songs that he likes have a lot of blood in them, the songwriter is really risking something. This made me reevaluate the way that I write songs. I think on my first EP I was scared of hurting people’s feelings and opted for vague generalities so people wouldn’t know the songs were about them. Not anymore. These days I am incredibly unhinged.
Q: What has the creative process of the EP been like for you? It has been a lot of isolation. This entire EP was written in the trenches of COVID with just me and my guitars. I read a lot of books and consumed a lot of records. I think I read six or seven Joan Didion books while I was writing and recording this EP so she is very strongly there as an inspiration. I was also listening to a lot of post-punk, which I had never really gotten into before. I love Black Country, New Road. I was also listening to a lot of Life Without Buildings, this was a huge inspiration for the song “Saltwater.” Of course there are also the usual suspects like Phoebe Bridgers, Caroline Polachek, and Skullcrusher. I recorded the EP months after I had finished writing all of the songs. My friend, Nico Fennell (who plays in this incredible band called Photokem), produced the EP. We had already worked on some music together for another project so we understood each other’s styles. It was kind of insane working with him. We took a more experimental take on the songs and added autotuned baselines and Lorde-type drums. He is really into Phil Elverum and always wants to try new production techniques. I trust him completely so it made for a fruitful relationship. We worked on recording the EP for all of last summer.
Q: I’m interested to hear about what inspired you throughout the creation of ‘Stories I Am Telling You’. Who would you say are some of your biggest influences? Biggest influences wow. Well I mentioned some of them in the previous response but I think Phoebe Bridgers is my number one influence. I am in awe of her songwriting and her vocal delivery. She taught me that you don’t need to belt out every word musical theatre style to be a good singer. The other Quiet Light influences are constantly changing. While I was writing the EP I think I was very inspired by Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, and Caroline Polachek. Currently I am really into Dijon, Grimes, Kate Bush, Big Thief, FKA Twigs, and Hovvdy. I am super inspired by Hovvdy. I love that they are from Austin, their music sounds like home to me. I also am inspired by other art forms, specifically books and movies. I love the work of JD Salinger, Joan Didion, and Jack Kerouac. Wow. I am just now realizing all of their names start with J. The way that all of those authors describe scenes and paint pictures with their words is what I try to do with my songs. I’m also inspired visually by movies like Suspiria, Mulholland Drive, and Carrie. I think the drama and blood translate well sonically. I try to draw inspiration from a lot of different things. I don’t want someone to listen to Quiet Light and think “wow she’s just a Phoebe Bridgers knockoff.” I used to be like that. I am trying to move away from that and pull inspiration from as many places as I can.
Q: What does the name Quiet Light mean to you? Three years ago when the project was born I was super into The National. I would listen to I Am Easy To Find for hours every day. The second song on the record is “Quiet Light” and is about recovering from a long relationship and learning to be alone. It is one of the most beautiful songs ever and there are so many lines in that song that I adore like “I'm learning to lie here in the quiet light while I watch the sky go from black to gray, learning how not to die inside a little every time I think about you and wonder if you are awake.” I just really liked the song and thought it would be a good name for my project. It’s not the coolest, catchiest name but the song means a lot to me and got me through a tough time.
Q: If you could go back and give yourself a piece of advice before the beginning of making this EP, what would you say? I think I would tell myself to have a little more confidence.
Q: I know it’s hard to pick favourites, but is there a certain track on the EP which you are most proud of for making? Can’t lie, “Saltwater” goes crazy and I love her more than all of the others. I just really like the choir at the end of the song. I started out singing as a classically trained vocalist and did choir for seven years. There will be more choirs on future Quiet Light songs.
Q: What artists or bands have you been listening to that we should check out? One of the cool things about living in Austin is that literally all of my friends make music, and they all make great music. You should check out stunts, Will Clark, Disco Cowboy, sleep well., and Nova.
Q: Other than the EP launching, what else can we expect from you in the future? Quiet Light LP is in the works.....:D Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me!! Great questions. <3
Words by Maddi
Keep up with Quiet Light
You can listen to Quiet Light's newest single "Saltwater" here
