V A T A V A R A N
Writing and recording two songs for the feature film ABOUT STRANGERS led to the formation of the duo VATAVARAN (Sapna Gandhi & John T. Mickevich), along with the creation of six original songs and the independent EP Paper Dolls. With an eclectic range of influences, the music defies genre as it travels through decades and pays homage to various styles of sound, each song differing from the next.
The duo has additionally reimagined over a dozen songs, from jazz standards ("What'll I Do," "Cry Me A River") to pop ballads ("Don't Worry Baby," "Just The Way You Are") to 80's shoe gaze favorites ("Never Let Me Down," "Under The Milky Way").
The cinematic tracks from Paper Dolls, as well as the covers, lend themselves to and are available for commercial placements (television shows, film, and ads) and choreography.
PAPER DOLLS EP
STREAMING NOW
SPINDRIFT - "DIL GIRA NA DE"
Spindrift is a psychedelic western influenced cinematic rock band, created by singer-songwriter-composer-producer-actor Kirpatrick Thomas in 1992. Kirpatrick invited Sapna to collaborate on a song, with the vision of injecting a retro eastern sound. Inspired by the great R.D. Burman and Kalyangi Anandji, she and fellow actor/musician Bivas Biswas co-wrote lyrics in Hindi and named the tune "Dil Gira Na De" (Don't Fall For Me). The song was released as a single in 2014 and Sapna has subsequently joined the band in the greater LA area to perform it throughout the years. In 2017, longtime Spindrift collaborator Mike Bruce was brought on to direct the music video, shot in Joshua Tree and its adjacent townships. An avid fan of 60's/70's Bolly-cabaret legend Helen, Sapna infused her evocative choreography to the already nostalgic sound, bringing a distinct feel to the video.
