Frizzell D’Souza Reflects On Her Evolving Sound & Upcoming Album: 'Melancholy And Hope Can Exist Together’ | Exclusive
Frizzell D’Souza’s music doesn’t shout—it lingers. In this exclusive interview, the Mangaluru-born indie artist opens up about her slow-burn creative process, the lessons from architecture school, and her refusal to chase trends in a viral world.
Frizzell D’Souza doesn’t rush her music. She doesn’t chase trends or write to fit in. Instead, she writes the way a late-night conversation unfolds—quiet, considered, and full of feeling. Her voice is as warm as it is weightless, and her songs blur the line between melancholy and comfort, like rain falling softly on a window you didn’t realize you needed to sit beside.
From her coastal hometown of Mangaluru to festival stages like NH7 Weekender, Frizzell’s journey has been rooted in trust—trust in her sound, her instincts, and her slow-burn approach to building a body of work. Whether it’s the midnight-born Foolish Once Again, her genre-blending 2024 EP In My Asymmetry, or her electro-pop collaboration ghost with Sudan, her music quietly surprises, always carrying an emotional afterglow.
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In this exclusive interview, Frizzell opens up about how architecture school shaped her songwriting, the lessons she’s learned from artists like Hozier and Prateek Kuhad, and why staying authentic in a viral-obsessed world is a form of quiet rebellion. She shares how her church upbringing influences her musicality, how she navigates vulnerability on stage, and what it felt like to perform her story in front of family at her TedX debut.
As she works on her first full-length album—an exciting sonic shift she’s already teasing at live shows—Frizzell D’Souza remains one of the most emotionally resonant voices in India’s indie scene. And if her music teaches us anything, it’s that slowing down isn’t hesitation. It’s intention.
Here are the excerpts:
NH7 Weekender is known for its immersive energy. How do you prepare for festival performances compared to more intimate gigs?
I treat every show with the same amount of importance, regardless of whether it’s a solo set or a larger ensemble. The exciting bit is the changing context of every show and tailoring my set according to its scale and energy.
Performing alongside artists like Prateek Kuhad and Akshath, do you take inspiration from your peers? What’s something you’ve learned from the indie scene?
My biggest takeaway yet from true break-out artists is authenticity. It’s a painstakingly long haul, but I would enjoy taking my time to craft my sound and identity over relatability/virality.
You grew up in Mangaluru, a city known for its serene coastal beauty. How has your hometown influenced your music, both thematically and sonically?
I’m not quite sure of how my hometown directly influences my music yet, but my catholic school/church upbringing definitely shaped my instincts and influences when it came to songwriting and musicality in general.
You originally pursued architecture before transitioning fully to music. Are there parallels between designing buildings and composing songs?
I believe that it’s the values and soft skills one cultivates in school/college that really enable these parallels in the first place. In my time as an architecture student, the best principle I learnt was that creating art is a heavily iterative process. It is through these iterations and trails & errors that one refines their design – the musical counterpart of which is one’s style. While I’m nowhere close to having a distinguished artistic identity, my college years drilled the idea of trusting and enjoying the process.
Many artists cite a defining moment that pushed them toward music. Was there a specific experience that made you realize you wanted to be a full-time musician?
Perhaps the idea of sitting at a desk and working to enable someone else’s dream, when the opportunity to chase my own dream was staring me in the face. It would have been a more euphoric moment if I’d had a blanket to fall back on, so the decision to switch was slow and more calculated. And in hindsight, a decision I’m very happy with.
Your influences range from Eric Clapton and The Beatles to Hozier and Lizzy McAlpine. What is it about these artists that resonates with you the most?
It’s the intricate songwriting and lyricism that strikes me the most as a songwriter. But what distinguishes these artists is their distinct sound – how beautifully the production complements every element of the music. Part to whole, whole to part.
You seamlessly blend acoustic pop, country blues, and soft rock. How do you navigate between these genres when crafting a song?
I’d say the blend is kind of intuitive. All my influences melt into one without me thinking too much about it.
Your music often carries a melancholic yet hopeful tone. Is that an intentional choice, or do you naturally gravitate toward these emotions when writing?
My songwriting is constantly evolving and is also dictated by the context in which I write it – both physical and mental. Most of my earlier records were written in my bedroom around the time of the pandemic, when I found a lot of comfort in soft and melancholic music.
Foolish Once Again was a major breakthrough for you. What’s the story behind the song, and did you expect it to resonate so strongly with listeners?
Foolish Once Again was inspired by my love for ballroom dancing, and drawing a parallel with the general human nature of making mistakes when you learn something new. I wrote it in the dead of the night when everyone was asleep and that’s probably how the song’s sombre sonic direction took shape. I don’t think I set numeric expectations from the song and so was pleasantly surprised when it crossed a million streams.
Your 2024 EP In My Asymmetry was ranked among Rolling Stone India’s 10 Best Indian EPs. What was the most challenging and rewarding part of creating that record?
Getting a cohesive sound across the whole record is always the biggest challenge I face. The reward of making music in general is getting to work with musicians who fascinate me with their craft on the daily. Nothing makes my heart happier than that.
In 2025, you collaborated with sudan on ghost. How did that collaboration come about, and what was it like blending your signature sound with an electro-pop vibe?
Sudan and I were good friends long before the collaboration, mainly through a music cohort we were both part of. One day we decided we should do something together and he sent across a demo he had kept aside for a while. I was really excited and curious to hear my vocals in a different setting. Safe to say, our audiences enjoyed ghost as well.
The indie music scene in India has grown tremendously. How do you see your place within this movement, and what excites you about its future?
India is facing a boom in the music scene right now and it’s pretty exciting to know that the industry is able to harness potential really well. I want for myself and my peers to make the most of the opportunities available to us.
You made your TedX debut in Mangalore, where you performed and shared personal stories. How was that experience different from a traditional live gig?
Performing in Mangalore is always a little more special and nostalgic because it’s where everything started. I was lucky to have my family in the crowd as well, who are a big part of my story in becoming who I am now.
What’s next in the pipeline for you? What should your listeners look forward to?
My first full-fledged album is in the works with a slightly shifted sound which I’m over the moon about. While I’ll take my time with it, my listeners can get a peek of it at my live shows!
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