Papon to Launch New Album, ‘The Story So Far’, This Month

Singer-songwriter Angaraag Mahanta, better known as Papon (of Papon & The East India Company) is set to release his debut Hindi album, The Story So Far this month. Slated to play two back-to-back gigs this week at the Blue Frogs in Mumbai and New Delhi, the Assamese folk singer is now also a popular Bollywood playback singer.

The 11-track album is a blend of electro-rock, pop-rock ballads and folk-sy songs from Assam. With sounds rooted in the Himalayas, Papon’s lyrics reflect a sort of simplicity that can be associated with nature and its surroundings. He says, “I wrote the songs on this album when I was in the Himalayas, so it’s very influenced by nature. It’s a calming, introspective album – one that you’d listen to at the beginning of a long journey, or after you’ve dimmed the lights at home.” With six Assamese albums behind him, Papon admits, “I’ve definitely grown as a musician since then, but in a way, I couldn’t have reached where I am now if it wasn’t for those songs, and this album.”

The last couple of years have been incredibly prolific for Papon. The singer has collaborated with Karsh Kale (who is touring the country soon) on his album Cinema, the Midival Punditz (on their album Hello, Hello and for the movie Soundtrack), Rabbi (for The Dewarists; watch the episode here), Susmit Sen (of Indian Ocean) on his solo album Depths Of The Ocean. He’s also been featured on Coke Studio (photos from the Mumbai minicert here), collaborated and is working on an album with Troikala (deets here), a folk supergroup alongside Bickram Ghosh and Rachel Sermanni, and played The Dewarists Stage on day three (photos here) of the Bacardi NH7 Weekender over the last year or so!

Stream The Story So Far here.

Dates
January 11 – Blue Frog, New Delhi
January 12 – Blue Frog, Mumbai

Tracklist
‘Baavle Jharne’
‘Baarish Ki Boondein’
‘Chhoti Chhoti Baatein’
‘Main Chalta Hi Rahaa’
‘Boitha Maro Re’
‘Durr’
‘Kyon Hota Hai Pyar’
‘Din Guzre Woh’
‘Jonaaki Raati’
‘Aankhee’
‘Keep Rolling’ (Bonus track)

Check out the album cover below.

Papon - The Story So Far