Ankit Shrestha’s new banger MV for ‘Dust and Bones’

By Mannu Shahi

Ankit Shrestha is a prominent indie-pop singer/songwriter based in New York, significantly cherished by the Nepali music audience for his originality and distinct sonic palette.  Post the singer's relocation to the US for higher education nearly a decade ago, he has constantly been releasing songs from his official social handle. He also busks in open spaces within his proximity to further explore and share his songs with a global demographic.

His vibrant YouTube channel is filled with a mixture of soulful covers, mesmerising original content, concert bootlegs, live sessions and collaboration with other musicians. 

The songster’s repertoire comprehends him writing his own tunes, arranging the musical structures, producing the final tracks, editing the video and promoting the end product, all by himself.

Having independence in the creative process proffers more authenticity and personalisation which churns the entire product into a journey based on the perspective and worldview of the narrator. 

These stories, based on such artistic honesty and vulnerability, infatuate the audience who consumes the anecdote and make sense of it in their own terms. 

With almost a cult-like following of devoted fans, the singer rose to fame with his 2013 single ‘The Underwater Song’ followed by the publication of the two five-track EPs, Finger and Fables (2015) and Kathmandu Saharmaa (2017), and over half a dozen singles.

And last week on May 19, Shrestha released the official video for his recent single “Dust and Bones”.  

Written, composed, produced and mixed by the singer, the audio is mastered by veteran musician and sound engineer Diwas Gurung.

Similarly, drums in the song are played by Nicola D Adamo, upright bass by Hugo Iglesias, cello by Juan Hernandez and the trumpet by Matt Giella. 

The video is edited by Ankit Shrestha and the cinematography and video production is credited to IYKYKUSH and Robin Neupane. 

The singer penned this tune initially in 2017 and continued to play raw live versions with just vocals and acoustic guitars; however, in 2021 more intricate ideas started to blossom during the post-production phases and, gradually, one thing led to another until this version came into fruition. 

As he dropped the official audio of “Dust and Bones” on April 14, 2023, many acclaimed media outlets, including the highly exalted ‘Rolling Stone Magazine India’, also published an interview of the singer and a review of the song.

The tune takes over with layers of acoustic guitars: flowy rhythm, plucking fills and enhancing natural harmonics, and the drum rolls pave the way for the vocals to lure in the verse. 

The first interlude amidst the verses with slide guitar piece and cello accompaniment sets a cosy and ambient mood for the listeners. The change of the rhythmic pattern on the chorus is very simple yet very effective and impactful in grasping attention. 

The bridge with trumpet solo creates the dynamic peak, and the timbre of brass gives a nostalgic and rainy-day-snuggle vibe, commuting the song to its outro. 

Overall, an ear-treat with commendable work on the audio production, composition and lyrics, the video is also just as spectacular with impressive cinematography and colour-gradings displaying astounding landscapes, and sceneries and Ankit Shrestha playing his guitar and singing. Although all instruments shine through in their respective regions, the guitar work and cello are my favourites for their catchy melodic choices and finesse tone. A highly recommended listen for everyone.