A Delhi-based singer-songwriter's new single pays homage to pets

There are songs about heartbreak songs about home and songs about finding yourself Then there is PAWS Irsquoll Wait a new single from Delhibased singersongwriter Shourya Malhotra Itrsquos a song that captures all three sentimentsReleasing on Monday the track is a homage to the two rescue dogs that irrevocably changed his life and served as an emotional blueprint for the entire project What elevates this release from a personal ode to a powerful cultural moment is its accompanying cinematic music video Shot entirely inside an animal shelter in Delhi the video is designed to translate art into tangible action a citywide adoption driveMalhotra known for his introspective and often melancholic discography admits this song strays away from his usual beat It was sparked by an intensely stressful period in 2017 when he was fighting bureaucracy to bring his sisterrsquos adopted dogs from Canada to India ldquoMy sister lives in Canada and she had to move to a hostelrdquo he recounts The dilemma of where her two adopted dogs would go led to a pivotal moment ldquoMy mom gave me an ultimatum She said she wouldnrsquot talk to me again if I didnrsquot figure out a way to bring the dogs to Indiardquo he laughsPicIshita SinghAfter a tough process of navigating governmental policies the two dogs finally arrived bringing with them a transformative peace and lots of love ldquoYou know how dogs can totally change your life and they can make you a better personrdquo he reflects ldquoI wanted to pay homage to them and it took me a year to write PAWS because there was so much I wanted to capturerdquoWhile the song began as a tribute to his two rescues ldquoI realised that therersquos a larger message which can go out So basically PAWS is kind of a letter to pets for bringing so much joy into our livesrdquo he saysMalhotra is hopeful his dogs will appreciate the song but they certainly know how he feels about them ldquoThe amount of time that I spend cuddling with them I think they already know that Irsquom kind of obsessed with them To a large degree these guys have saved me that is the message I want to put across to themrdquoPiciStockMusically the song marks a distinct departure for the artiste Malhotra describes his inherent style as that of ldquoa sad songwriterrdquo but PAWS mandated a different feel ldquoI wanted it to be a happier songrdquo he says detailing the use of brighter synths and guitar parts to create a ldquomore livelyrdquo mood The emotional complexity remains as the song does contemplate the short time pets are in our lives but he adds ldquoAll in all itrsquos a happier song and it ends with a realisation that I found home in you referring to his petsrdquoAny dog lover would find themselves smiling watching the video Each frame shows dogs at the shelter that are up for adoption Each one of them has a story of survival but are seen running playing with Malhotra rolling in the grass enjoying pets and scratches and well just being merry A part of the video is also shot at Malhotrarsquos home where you see him and his band playing with his petsThe video was shot in collaboration with Fur Ball Story an association that began serendipitously when Malhotra initially sought them out for sponsorship advice Finally he decided to film at the organisationrsquos shelter ldquoWe knew that we could serve a larger purpose of adoption through it as wellrdquo he says The director too fell in love with the space making the facility mdash which houses up to 30 dogs up for adoption mdash the perfect setThe shoot itself was a marathon of genuine canine interaction ldquoThe shoot started at five in the morning it was a gruelling 1314 hour shoot But the good thing was that I got to spend time with a lot of dogsrdquo Malhotra recalls ldquoWe wanted to show these dogs in a happier place you know in a more energetic active moodrdquoWhile the experience involved plenty of running changing clothes due to drool and playful kicks from the dogs the emotional payoff was immediate ldquoGenuinely we were kind of missing the dogs as soon as we left the facilityrdquo he says When asked about the concrete change he hopes to spark he says ldquoI donrsquot have grand expectations but even if one dog gets adopted or if this video can impact people more positively what more can I ask forrdquoFor Malhotra PAWS is also a step in a larger artistic evolution Having secured his profession as a lawyer he has freed his music from the pressure of monetisation focusing purely on passion He no longer wants to be constrained by genre labels ldquoIrsquom just having fun I donrsquot want to be categorised as a singersongwriter only or a folk artiste onlyrdquo he says hinting at a forthcoming January album that will showcase this diverse new sound