Tag Archives: 20s

Pinch Me Release!

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Gahhhhhhhh it’s FINALLY out!!! I can’t tell you how seriously excited I am to finally put the video out for my newest single “Pinch Me”. Pretty.Freaking.Excited. The video took 2 days to film, and months to edit, but I’m really happy to get this badboy out there and be able to have a visual to go along with the song! 🙂 Long blog post will begin in 5….4….3…2…1.

“Pinch Me” is a weird one for me. It really started off as a true love song in my head. It’s about being so incredibly infatuated, that the line between dream vs. reality can get blurred. It’s about wanting to stay in whatever “fantasy world” includes the person you love, because you’re terrified of waking up without them. The concept came about a little over 2 years ago, when I met this guy one night, who I fell head over heels for. But it was at a club (alas) – music blaring, smoke machines hazing everything, that the next day I couldn’t honestly remember what was real and what I was making up in my head. The next afternoon, I talked to my mom about it (always quite the adviser) and she told me that being in a setting like that – it’s hard to tell what could actually be a connection and not just imagination. Right after that convo, I started writing the song with my co-writer Jordan Garner…and a couple hours later, “Pinch Me” was born.

When I worked with Director Chris Canucciari for the video concept, I pictured something light, airy, perhaps a field of sunflowers of some sort. He, however, pictured the exact opposite – a haunted house, falling out of a window, and the theme of a never ending nightmare. We decided his take would definitely be a more unique approach. (Plus, I would get to throw multiple plates at a wall, and free fall onto a huge cushion from 30 feet in the air (homegirl can’t say no to that)). Even though the two days of filming were a bit grueling, especially given the 20 degree temperature, lack of electricity, and my fear of heights, all in all it was an absolutely incredible experience.

(It took about 12 jumps to master a semi “graceful fall”)

Ever since I’ve pursued singing, music has constantly been the driving force to get myself out of my comfort zone…from showing my face in YouTube videos, to writing my own music, to performing, and now to finally doing my own videos. People always say it’s all about the journey in life and not the destination. That we should focus on cherishing memories and moments, and follow the path that makes us thrilled and thankful to be a part of this world. Being able to film this video and take a concept from my head, to pen and paper, and eventually to TV is absolutely insane to me. Regardless of the dollars I’ve spent, and hundreds of times I’ve wanted to give up – the thought of having people watch something that was once just a note in my iPhone makes everything completely worthwhile. Thank you all for being so supportive and watching/sharing this video. It truly means the world to me ❤

Would love to hear your thoughts! Please message/comment/tweet/any type of social media me 🙂

xoxo,

Shilpa

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A Note for My Early 20s

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The weird thing is, I had always planned to be a writer. To write everything that I saw, everything I experienced, every move I made, feeling I felt, love I loved. I wanted to paint my story with words, so that I could look back on it – many years from now – and think…god…did I live or what?

And somehow that got put on the back-burner as I tried to push forward in other things. So here I finally am now on my 27th birthday, at a café in Soho…writing. For the very 1st time in the whirl-wind 4.5 years I’ve lived in this magnificent city, I’m finally sitting down and putting pen to paper. And I just can’t believe how much I’m in love with life at this very moment.

I’ve gone through the most ecstatic of highs and the lowest of lows, but if I could do it all again – I wouldn’t change a thing. I wouldn’t change the move to NYC to “find myself” in music and find out what my real purpose was. I wouldn’t change the nights we stayed up till 6am, eating late night pizza, drinking till we forgot who we were or what we were escaping from. I wouldn’t change the constant juggle of dating, social obligations, the working harder than I thought possible, the ever-present bags under my eyes. I wouldn’t change the move to NYC for a job in Finance, the ultimate lay-off, the way I crumbled after, the search for purpose. I wouldn’t change the stays over night in studio, the many thousands of dollars spent on videos/beats/rehearsals/vocal lessons. I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’ve gone from the girl who was afraid to raise my hand in class, the girl who struggled with anxiety, the “new girl” who moved to 4 middle schools. The girl with a speech impediment who was scared as hell to ever show my voice…to becoming the girl who performed in front of 120,000 people in Times Square.

I’ve made my share of mistakes, caused my share of disputes. Had my heart broken numerous times, broken a couple hearts here and there. Laughed till I cried, cried till I fell asleep. Learned a lot of lessons, forgotten a lot of faces. Loved not enough, moved too fast. Been proud of myself, dreaded getting out of bed to face the world. Embraced life to the fullest, broken down completely. Drank too often, partied too hard, pushed myself too much, failed too many times… but I force a smile on my face, knowing that my aspirations will always be greater than my actual talent.

As I sit here with tears forming in my eyes, Alicia Key’s “Empire State of Mind” playing on my headphones, I can’t help but be so thankful of how beautiful life is and thankful to all of those who’ve helped me realize this. I’ve lived. And I truly can’t wait to see what 27 will bring.

Lots of love,

Shil Continue reading →