Bengaluru duo Ashwin Mandoth, Vivek Kiran release ‘Neenillade’

Ashwin Mandoth and Vivek Kiran began ‘Neenillade’ with a dark piano idea, then spent a year and a half turning it into a Kannada indie-rock ballad.

The Bengaluru musicians say the single explores absence: the loss of people and of parts of oneself. Vivek says its opening emerged during a jam session and became the sound around which the rest of the track was built.

‘Neenillade’ layers distorted guitars, raw riffs, strings and traditional drums in a mellow arrangement. Ashwin says the extended process gave the pair time to develop as musicians and take the song further.

Their influences include Kannada and Bengaluru artists Charan Raj, Raghu Dixit and Pineapple Express, as well as KK, Coldplay, Periphery and Slash.

The duo say they have more releases planned through 2029.