Singer-songwriter Tejas. Photo: Karan Kumar Sachdev
It’s not very often that artists have looked back at their earliest work with a sense of pride and preservation. Tejas leans exactly in that direction with his debut EP Small Victories, which is now expanded into an album for it’s 10th anniversary edition, releasing on Nov. 15, 2024.
This edition from the Mumbai singer-songwriter includes three more songs, including the swaying tune “See You Tonight,” the first track Tejas wrote and uploaded as a demo, which you can hear exclusively below. The other songs on Small Victories include a warm pop track called “Stationary” and the title track “Small Victories” which was written recently in the vein of the original EP’s style.
“See You Tonight” closes the album edition of Small Victories, padded up by roomy drums, wistful electric guitars that gradually amp up the rock elements.
The EP edition was originally released on Nov. 5, 2014 with five tracks including Tejas’ breakthrough song “Brave.” It’s now an eight-track album.
Tejas says in a statement about why he decided to revisit his first EP, “You have a love for it because it started it all, you’ve wrestled with it because of the cringe-element of looking back on your younger self and all the mistakes and bold statements you made at the time, not really knowing what’s going to happen next. I guess there’s something innocent about it, and nostalgia set in deep for me, which is why I decided to honour it by giving it a remaster and re-issuing it for fans and friends alike.”
The artist, who went on to release albums like Make It Happen in 2017 and Outlast in 2021, gradually moved into a more full, versatile pop sound. His latest EP Museum, was out earlier this year. He says, “I think apart from the fresh material, the original songs are still good songs to listen to, and hark back to an earlier modern pop-rock era, which does not have too many sanitized production elements.”
The Small Victories 10th anniversary edition hits streaming platforms along with a CD collectible, which Tejas calls a throwback. “I just thought it felt right, and I know no one has a CD player, but it just acts as an instant piece of nostalgia merch, and a nice tangible keepsake that you can hold and look at,” he adds. There’s also an hour-long interview with the team behind Small Victories, including bassist Adil Kurwa, drummer Jehangir Jehangir, Tejas’ manager (and filmmaker) Krish Makhija and keyboardist-percussionist Aalok Padhye. Tejas says they recap the time of recording, the processes and “fun little anecdotes.” He adds, “We might do some shows further down the line, but mostly this was just a small treat for us and the long time supporters.”
After this nostalgia trip, Tejas turns his focus to the full-length version of Museum which will release in 2025. He says, “That record is very different and so special and maybe some of the most progressive stuff I’ve done in pop music, sonically and thematically, so I’m really looking forward to that release.”
Tejas’ Small Victories (10th Anniversary Edition) is out on streaming platforms on Nov. 15, 2024.
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