coastal alt/indie rock

​​Field Notes​​

 

I had been traveling to India for years before this song appeared.

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My first trip was in 2000, when we flew into Delhi, went to Agra, and saw the Taj Mahal again and again under different light. We traveled through Rajasthan — Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur — experiencing the Pink City, the Blue City, palaces, temples, elephants, camels, chilies, music, dance, and architecture that seemed almost impossible to believe.

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Later, India became part of my yearly work rhythm. We would stay by the water at Fisherman’s Cove or Mahabalipuram, spend time at Dakshina Chitra, eat tandoori lobster at the GRT Resort, and go to the Mahabalipuram Dance Festival, where the performers were astonishing. Musicians, dancers, monkeys, goats, temple carvings, drums, ocean air — all of it stayed with me.

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I collected carvings of Saraswati, goddess of music and learning, holding the veena. I loved the sound and symbolism of Indian instruments, and for years I wanted a sitar. But every time I touched one, those wooden tuning pegs reminded me how much patience the instrument would require. I already owned a Okinawa sanshin, so I knew how quickly romance can turn into tuning.

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Around 2018, I bought a Line 6 Variax modeling guitar. One of its sounds is an electric sitar. I started playing with that setting, and a riff appeared almost immediately. But the riff didn’t stay purely Indian.

 

I also love spaghetti western themes — Ennio Morricone, the wide-open drama, the dusty standoffs. I love surf guitar, Dick Dale, and the cinematic violence and humor of Quentin Tarantino. So the sitar riff started colliding with tabla rhythms, surf energy, and spaghetti western attitude.

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Pretty soon the idea was obvious:

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What if a spaghetti western had been produced in Bollywood?

And what if the title was "A Fistful of Sitars"?

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The cover image for this single was taken during one of my stays at Fisherman's Cove. It's popular, but the water isn't safe for swimming, which fits the vibe of the song. During one stay, I photographed three women in saffron robes standing before the surf. I was told they may have come from a nearby religious community — perhaps an ashram or monastery — and the moment stayed with me: three still figures facing the force of the sea.

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Enjoy!​

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