It was the friendly Instagram app that got these two friends together. And now Josh Dasgupta and Dipan Basak have launched their debut single Small Talk. Not only was the song place second on Spotify’s Editorial playlist but it paved the way for the two to work on a full album that will come out next year. A The Telegraph chat...

How did the two of you work on Small Talk??

Josh: I remember Dipan calling me one night and he said that he had written a song and if I would like to sing for it. I said sure... and at that point I had no studio equipment and I was struggling to record. I waited for about a month and got to recording it initially but it was all messed up. It took a couple of takes but I finally managed a good one.

How long did you’ll work on the song?

Josh: About three months. He (Dipan) wrote the melody and had a rough track and he sang the rough vocals and he sent it to me. Then I sang over and we worked on the production for a while.

Dipan drew inspiration from John Mayer for the sound behind Small Talk Sourced by the correspondent

So where does the message behind Small Talk stem from?

Dipan: When I write a song it’s generally the melody first and then I write the lyrics. I had this very catchy tune in my mind so I thought of working on it. About the message, what generally happens is that there are two people in love but then they can’t work it through. They want it to work though. So the song is about how it feels to let go. You are actually sad but you’re pretending to be happy.

Since the melody is the first thing you come up with, sonically what have you tried to play out?

Dipan: I wanted the song to sound like a mix of the 1980s and pop. The ’80s idea came from the big drum and snare sounds, reverb sounds. Josh had told me about it so we thought to try it out. I am really inspired by John Mayer so I tried to merge, ’80s, pop and some blues.

Do you guys go way back?

Josh: Not really, actually. We met virtually during quarantine, when the lockdown started... through Instagram. He came on my Instagram suggested list and I gave him a follow and he followed me back. We went live one day and we started talking. So one day I messaged him asking if he wanted to collaborate and that’s when it started.

When it comes to making music,what similarities do you draw between each other?

Josh: So I don’t produce my own music, I just sing. Dipan does most of the hard work (laughs). Dipan is just 20 years old and he produces like a pro. He has a really good idea of what he’s doing. His guitar playing really stands out. I know a good number of guitar players and he is the most settled guitar player I know. He doesn’t over play and he plays the right amount which goes with the song, which is really rare to find.

Dipan: Josh is just insane! He is turning 16 in December and the first time he sent me a track where he covered a Dire Straits song, I was thunderstruck. “That’s you singing? It sounds like a 30-year-old guy,” I had told him.

With this single out are you guys planning some upcoming releases as well?

Dipan: Yeah, we are planning on releasing an album by next year. We are working on it right now. As Josh and I met through Instagram, we also met a few other musicians through Instagram. One from Pune, one from Bangalore and another guy from Calcutta. We are working together and writing songs, so let’s see how that works. Sonically the songs are going to be sounding like Small Talk but not exactly. We are trying for 13 songs (laughs).

Arunima Dasgupta and Jayanta guided the two during their recording sessions. Sourced by the correspondent

Small Talk came second on Spotify’s Editorial playlist, so do you feel the pressure as you work on your upcoming album?

Dipan: Not that much of a pressure. Currently we’re just taking it easy because there’s no point rushing it through. We have to make the songs sound good.

Josh, being Arunima and Jayanta’s son, are you following in your parents’ footsteps?

Josh: I do feel that I have to live up to a certain standard but now I’m just taking it easy. Going with the flow.

Dipan, you are also closely associated with Ehsaan Noorani...

Dipan: Before releasing Small Talk we sent it to Ehsaan sir and he gave us some advice about the song and production. We took it into consideration and worked it through. Whenever I have some trouble with my guitar playing I ask him. He is there for us all the time. We are so grateful to have him helping us with this.

What tips and tricks did Arunima give you?

Dipan: So this is really funny (laughs). I never sing and Arunima aunty told me that I have to do the harmonies. No! It’s not happening! But she was with us during all the recording sessions and she helped me figure out the melodies for the harmonies. She has been supporting us throughout, not only for Small Talk.

Josh: When Dipan comes over there is total havoc but she helps us a lot.

So as musicians what role do the two of you play with respect to each other?

Josh: There is no definite role as such. It’s more like me being the vocalist and Dipan is the producer. That’s how it works because Dipan does pretty much everything. He plays guitar, piano and programmes drums. And for his guitar lines, we just programme them with the MIDI keyboard. I too play piano and guitar

Dipan: Josh helps with the harmonies and tune of the song, which is a major part of song production.

Since you guys are now musicians and are surrounded by such great inspiration, can we see a collab sometime soon?

Josh: We probably will collab in the future but not anytime soon.

Dipan: Definitely, with Arunima aunty and the two musicians we met on Instagram, Nidhi Vagle from Bangalore and Perrin Mehta from Pune.

They are studying music in Mumbai and are also on this album.