New Music Releases From Zehen, Club Ruby, Saroj Kashyap and More
In this list, we explore a range of February releases, featuring tracks delicately threaded with Indian classical textures, rap bars packed with Bombay slang and sharp Marathi one-liners, reflections on time as a…
In this list, we explore a range of February releases, featuring tracks delicately threaded with Indian classical textures, rap bars packed with Bombay slang and sharp Marathi one-liners, reflections on time as a fragile currency, and more.
Nen – ‘What Am I Living For’
For her first drop of 2026, New York-based singer-songwriter Nen steps into the mindset of someone worn down by time, reflecting on hopefulness, lost moments, and experiences that leave a lasting impact in ‘What Am I Living For.’ Opening with an ominous backdrop, Nen stirs brooding guitar plucks, bleak string-like patterns, and her soul-baring vocals to craft a dark, alternative pop tune that draws you in with its alluring melancholy.
The artist explained via email, “On the surface, the song reads as the story of an addict, both comforted and trapped in an abusive relationship. But the deeper you step into her world, the clearer it becomes that this narrative is a facade for a more intimate struggle: the mishandling of oneself.”
Find Nen on Spotify | Instagram
Zehen – ‘Pankhudiyaan’
Coasting in with a wailing electric guitar riff and a rush of rapid violin lines, Bengaluru-based collective Zehen introduces its second original composition, titled ‘Pankhudiyaan,’ drawn from the Hindi word for petals. Spanning nearly six minutes and offering a danceable pop-rock vibe, it courses through tidy bass licks, bright upbeat vocal hooks, shimmering key swatches, a steamy guitar solo, and punchy, free-spirited drumming.
According to the multilingual outfit, this release explores “the weight of society’s questions, timelines, and expectations,” touching on “the feeling that no matter how much effort you pour in, you’re always ten steps behind, always falling short in someone else’s eyes.” They add that ‘Pankhudiyaan,’ much like petals blooming at their own pace, “becomes a metaphor for growth that isn’t rushed.”
Stretching past the five-minute mark, ‘Pankhudiyaan’ feels refreshingly unhurried, letting its pop-rock aesthetic and deeper meaning fully sink in.
Find Zehen on Spotify | Instagram
Club Ruby – ‘Don’t Gaslight Me!’ (EP)
Auckland-based Club Ruby raises their profile as a must-listen pop-punk act via their newly released sophomore EP ‘Don’t Gaslight Me!’ Spanning six tracks, this release stands as a reflective and thought-provoking rock mural brushed with broader themes of mental health, intergenerational trauma, and immigrant identity.
Sonically, this body of work threads jarring garage-rock hues through the opening number ‘Shades Of You,’ while ‘You Don’t Even Know’ shifts into a shiny pop-rock escape. Electric guitars roar, and cymbals crash emphatically around the lead singer Jade Lewis’s spirited vocal delivery on ‘Lament.’ ‘Komorebi‘ taps into grunge rock territory while gliding toward a more poignant chapter.
Rounding things out, ‘What My Bones Know’ serves up a somber, piano-laced rock cut that reflects on cultural displacement, fading family ties, loss of native language, and inherited trauma carried across generations.
Lead singer President Ruby (Jade Lewis) reflected on the release, saying, “I think growing up is just a slow acceptance of grief that accompanies the shattering of your childhood innocence. The realization that the world isn’t fair, and that all the adults around you are winging it as much as you.”
Find Club Ruby on Spotify | Apple Music | Instagram
7 Bantai’Z x Kaam Bhaari – ‘Ramba’
Two years on from morphing up a Marathi language classic into a hard-hitting drill, ‘Plus Minus,’ multilingual hip-hop crew 7 Bantai’Z return with their newest single, ‘Ramba.’ Independently released via Indian hip-hop cornerstone Azadi Records, the track is produced by longtime collaborator DRJ Sohail and features rap sensation Kaam Bhaari.
Lyrics hit hard on this outing, which is steeped in local slang and peppered with street-style Marathi one-liners, all piercing a slick desi hip-hop beat. Classical elements add depth and a dollop of Bombay nostalgia to the rugged melody. The Bantai’Z have their say, folding humor and menace, love and liquor, bravado and responsibility into the mix before Kaam Bhaari’s untamed rap flow bursts to life toward the end. According to the press release, “‘Ramba’ doesn’t try to clean up Mumbai, it revels in the mess.”
Find 7 Bantai’Z on Spotify | Instagram || Find Kaam Bhaari on Spotify | Instagram
Saroj Kashyap – ‘MODA’
Among the many talented musicians in India, Bengaluru-based singer-songwriter Saroj Kashyap certainly leaves a lasting impression, thanks to her ever-expanding sonic palette and a songwriting approach rooted in introspective lyricism and emotional depth.
Her latest project, ‘MODA,’ fits seamlessly into her engaging catalog with ripples of tabla, delicate sitar plucks via Naya Rudrappa, and Saroj’s dulcet crooning in Kannada and English. Saroj described MODA as “dreamy, intimate, and slow.” She added, “It comes from a place of childlike simplicity; chasing shapes in clouds, squinting at the night sky to count stars, and laughing without inhibition.”
Find Saroj Kashyap on Spotify | Instagram
NIVID – ‘Reet’
Multifaceted artist Aditya Virmani‘s alt-electronic rock project NIVID folds industrial rock, cinematic sound design, post-rock, punk, and electronica into meaty compositions. NIVID’s brooding new single ‘Reet‘ plunges into a dark-pop tone welded with roaring hard rock vigor. Sung in Hindi, the single offers a groovy, almost alluring tone while tying down a belting rock effort with action-packed drums, industrial synths, crunchy guitars, and a wicked bass line.
“‘Reet’ is not about debauchery. It is about the cost of living without restraint,” the press release explained, calling it “a declaration of dominance ends as a prophecy of isolation.”
Find NIVID on Website | Instagram
Rono – ‘Tune Kya Yeh Kar Diya’
En route to his new album, Bombay-based singer-songwriter Rono workshops a sampler into his latest production and carves out what he calls “the most happily-in-love song” from his repertoire on the new release. ‘Tune Kya Yeh Kar Diya.’ Polished with an elegant sax sequence, crisp electric guitar, and the use of a chopped-up sample of Rono’s voice, the Hindi-worded track offers a breezy melody you can snap your fingers and tap your feet along to.
According to the press release, the single is “written in tribute to love that takes you by surprise and turns even the most guarded of hearts.”
Find Rono on Spotify | Instagram
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