Last year, the first of the covid19 pandemic, was challenging for almost everyone. Musician Viren Neel also had to deal with death in his family and questions about his own existence.
But out of that came his first EP, Sunset Lane, released in June.
The nine tracks, which explore the meaning of life, death, romance, the value of nature and adventure, are likely to fill lovers of oldies with nostalgia, while adding a refreshing collection of earworms to the playlists of many members of Gen Z. The album can be found on all music streaming platforms. including Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music and Tida.
Neel, 21, said much of his inspiration came during brushes with deep despair that triggered what he referred to as a sort of spiritual awakening.
Neel said the experience reached an all-time high in the isolation of covid19 lockdowns after he had battled anxiety since 2018.
[caption id="attachment_903758" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Viren Neel his first EP, Sunset Lane, was released in June. - Photo courtesy Viren Neel[/caption]
Contemplating the big questions of life, he said, led him to seek ways to find "grounding," such as meditation, breath work and mindfulness.
That mindfulness practice – taking note of what surrounds him and how he feels at any moment – is embodied by the album's title track.
His love affair with music began, he said, long before he knew it was love.
"Maybe it became even more of a love affair when I started piano at seven. That was the first instrument I started learning."
He could not recall the moment the thought of his future career came to him, but by the time Neel was ten he had started playing guitar, and by then, he said, the intention of becoming a musician was set.
He was not a member of the choir at Hillview College, but towards the end of his time there he performed at school functions, which was the start of his live performances. He later performed at Kaiso Blues Cafe and was on the 2018 lineup of the New Fire Festival.
Asked if he has family members in the music industry and whether he got their support, he said, "My father always wanted to be a musician. So he was happy to have a son who is a musician."
Family support inspired the name of the album – which is the name of the street where he grew up in east Trinidad.
[caption id="attachment_903759" align="alignnone" width="683"] The nine tracks on Viren Neel's his first EP, Sunset Lane, explore the meaning of life, death, romance, the value of nature and adventure. - Photo courtesy Viren Neel[/caption]
"For everything I wanted to do in my life, my parents supported me to the best of their ability. They were always sceptical about me being a full-time musician, but over the last few years, especially after my first single Change, which was released in October 2020, the level of support increased."
They're also responsible for much of his musical tastes.
"The music my parents played throughout my life i
