MUMBAI: Many people have a defining moment in their lives which comes with a certain thought about their childhood; Sidharth Bendi, uses one such childhood thought that defines and makes him look at himself differently. He’s tried to commune with a specific nostalgic memory. Bendi has been uncharacteristically immersed into reminiscing a recollection of past events. There’s a wide-eyed zeal that pops up with the emotional rollercoaster ride that Bendi has been going through reliving a few of those memories.
“2006” is his latest record, a course correction as he looks back into time and reconsiders his life moments. With garnish elements, Bendi delicately throws his thoughts and feelings into the mix. The song starts with a conversation piece of him as a kid with an eerie organ playing the chords behind followed by an acoustic guitar as he starts singing “I’m waiting for my turn to feel alive….” He’s yearned to recapture his childhood self into his present being. The timing for the song makes complete sense as he’s shifting into the upper echelons of the music industry. The song cascades into a modern aesthetic pop production, with a steady drum machine and eye candy elements that fill in the gaps. Bottomless vocal harmonies feel like a tug at heartstrings. The lyrics speak about everything Bendi is feeling and going through. Bendi is achieving something that is more “personal” with this release.
We get a clear picture of his “present” time as he looks back in the “past” creating a perfect blend of his current state of mind. While talking about the song he said, “2006 was written about missing my childhood self and talks about how I’m giving up on my current state. The idea came about when I bumped into an old video from my 7th birthday in 2006 and felt so many different emotions from watching it and reflecting on my life right now”. Bendi’s word choice & lyrical abilities shine through as he envisions what deeply personal lyrics would even look like. He adds, “It was also a peak pandemic when I wrote this song so I’m sure that had an influence on how I felt as well. It was a generally slower time in the world”.
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Sidharth Bendi a.k.a BENDI is a household name in the Indian indie creative community. Known for his soulful performances across India, Bendi is a multi-faceted singer/songwriter, music producer & acoustic pop performer who is also 2022 alumni of Berklee College of Music (Summer Programme). Since his beginnings right out of school, Bendi has performed over 1000 shows and was the youngest singer/songwriter in Hyderabad to put out a self-written EP, ‘One In A Million, in 2017. He has done two India tours and hundreds of shows outside his home turf, which include festival stages like Zomaland, Under 25, TEDx, and more. Bendi’s notable releases, ‘Newness’, ‘June’, and ‘One’, along with other songs have amassed over 150k streams across platforms and he has at least 15 more projects in the works. He was awarded a top 30 position in a singer/songwriter competition held by BGBNG & Compassbox Music in 2022. He has also opened for many of his idols like Tejas Menon, Vir Das, Prateek Kuhad, AWKS, Dhruv Viswanath, WCMT, Divine, Ritviz, and more.
“2006” is a high-wire drama as Bendi tries to come to terms with his present state of mind. It’s a song that’s relatable, an extension into Bendi’s musical perspective and an intensified vision of his younger self. The music offers a roadmap to understand where Bendi is heading for, which one can certainly point in the right direction. The interplay with the sounds and his lyricism read as a modern pop ballad. Bendi’s work reveals a larger truth about his maturity in music that’s fascinating with a touch of nostalgia.
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