Houston based indie Artist Shreea Kaul (previously known as Shrey) released her debut visual “Gluttony” a track from her latest EP titled “The Seven Deadly Sins.”
The Indian-American singer is known for the uniqueness in melding of RnB and Soul mixed with South Asian, Indian roots delivering an impressive visually captivating video. Vocally Shreea captures the very essence and the depths of greed and “Gluttony.”
Check out what Shreea had to say about her second project “ The Seven Deadly Sins,” themed projects resembling secret passageways, SZA, collaborations and much more below.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
TRNB: You are released your second project titled “The Seven Deadly Sins” last year. Tell us why you chose this title for the project, and what, if any significance does it represent in your life?
The title itself kind of outlines what exactly the contents of the project are. I wanted to create this project to examine the Seven Deadly Sins in more of a modern context. When I started writing this project, I was 21. At the time, I was starting to experience the world from a different lens. The sheltered bubble that I was cowering inside was slowly starting to wither away, and I had to figure out how I fit into this world. I found myself exploring themes of love, sensuality, heartbreak, and ego. At the same time, I was also attempting to understand more metaphysical concepts and dive deeper into my spirituality. This is kind of the reason that I chose to write songs about these themes in a somewhat secular context.
TRNB: Tell us about the visual “Gluttony” and the meaning behind this.
I wanted to incorporate a setting resembling the Garden of Eden to go along with the secular theme of the project. I also really wanted to incorporate elements of Bollywood films into the video as well, so the costumes and looks were inspired by some of my favorite Bollywood films and actresses.
TRNB: You mentioned being a fan of themed projects, like secret passageways- “they always have deeper meanings and nuances that are so interesting to explore.” Can you expound on this?
I listen to a lot of the “Dissect” podcasts on Spotify. They really break down the imagery and symbolism behind certain elements of popular songs. I want to place elements in my songs that are like a secret message… only accessible to those that have a keen and attentive ear. I feel like picking up on those subtle elements makes you feel closer to the artist in some way…like you were able to get inside their head, pick their brain, and unlock a secret box.
TRNB: You also mentioned wanting this project to describe the seven deadly sins from a more innovative perspective that relate to our modern society. Do you feel you have accomplished this and if so, how?
I definitely feel that I was able to at least crack the surface. It honestly just depends on the listener. There are so many subtleties within each song that are open to their interpretation; however, when I was writing the project, I made sure to place certain nuances throughout it which really resonated with me, and tied a lot of the project together.
TRNB: How did you get into music and specifically, why R&B?
I’ve always gravitated towards artists ever since I was a child. I think it was an innate inclination. I was always so fascinated by actors, singers, and dancers…I remember trying to copy dance moves and recite dialogues since I was like 6 or 7 years old.
When I was little, I was definitely more into pop music as majority of the young ones are, but as I grew older I really fell in love with sultryness and soulfulness of RnB. It’s such a versatile genre, and expresses so many different types of moods. It also allowed me to showcase my voice in a style that felt most authentic to me.
TRNB: Who are some of your idols and/or mentors in the industry?
I’m a huge fan of SZA. She’s the ultimate lyricist, and I really admire her style. She’s one of my greatest inspirations when it comes to songwriting because all of songs have such a unique and swagged out style but such an intricate and deep meanings behind them.
TRNB: Are there any artists you would most like to collaborate with?
SZA is definitely at the top of my list, but I would love to collab with Sabrina Claudio, Masego, Tyler the Creator, Kali Uchis. I’m also really hoping to manifest collabs with international acts like Rosalia, BTS, and WizKid, but we’ll see haha.
TRNB: Are there any other talents other than signing that you would like the world to know about and, what’s next for you?
To be quite honest, the arts are like the only thing that I’m good at. Singing, dancing, directing, acting….That’s all in my playing field, but anything outside of that…..yikes.
-email interview by ThisIsRnB
Shreea is an artist we’re keeping on our radar.
Watch “Gluttony” below. Available for download and streaming.