Kendra: Was it music that brought you two together?

Vanisha: Yes! We met at Buddhafield Festival at the open mic stage and I loved Bradley’s vibe, message, and sound. We then cosmically jammed around the fire for two nights in a row and on the third evening did our first improv performance together. It was magical!

Bradley: After only a few days of knowing each other; we played our first gig together on one of the festival stages, entirely improvised!

Kendra: How do you feel that you’ve been able to balance one another out when it comes to the creative process that goes into Cosmic Soup?

Bradley: I’m a perfectionist and quite detail orientated when it comes to lyrics and music production. I’ve also been a musician since I was a kid. Vanisha is more free-flowing and intuitive and is much newer to music-making. Vanisha has this “yes, let’s do it!” attitude and enthusiasm to play with music. This is good for me as after many years of music study I can become a little jaded! I also think Vanisha’s intuitive style serves as inspiration and my detail orientation helps to bring everything together into something congruent. Maybe.

Vanisha: So Bradley is the brains behind it all, he has a great talent in writing lyrics and creating those dirty funky beats. I think I’m the energy that propels us forward. In the music, my style is much more free flow and uncontained. We definitely balance each other out in this sense, the harmony of structure and free-flow, masculine and feminine!

Kendra: The overall vibe of your music is like if you walked into a record shop and it was sort of just in alphabetical order void of genre. Have you always been someone who likes to pull from all directions?

Vanisha: I absolutely love music of all genres! There isn’t much music I don’t enjoy. I grew up with my mum’s musical influence of Motown and Bob Marley and my dad’s love of classical Indian music. As a teenager, I listened to a lot of R&B and hip-hop, and in recent years I’ve grown fond of tribal sounds. I have always wanted to find a way to fuse everything together and I think our music really does that!

Bradley: In my case, yes. I like lots of different types of music, so in a sense, the eclecticism comes from indecision and a lack of commitment to any one particular thing!

Kendra: You’re also inspired by yoga. With that, is there a certain pose that, when you’re in it – you get more bursts of creativity?

Bradley: Yoga is probably my biggest influence. The posture and physical exercise side of yoga is a very small part of the whole practice, as ultimately it’s about meditation and freeing the mind from limitations. So, it could be boring but I think the best pose is just sitting upright! Some of the breathing techniques stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and creative centers in the brain though! Particularly kriya pranayama.

Vanisha: As Bradley has said, there is so much more to yoga than just the asanas (poses), this part has become hugely popular in the west. Yoga means union, so it’s about bringing all aspects of the self into harmony. But if I had to choose I would go for something like the Sufi Rolls in Kundalini yoga, which really helps activate my energy and get me ready to dance and sing!

Kendra: Let’s talk about “Coldest Day.” I always like to know how people were feeling when they write songs. So what was your state of mind for this one?

Vanisha: Bradley wrote the lyrics and so he’ll have more to say on this one. My contribution is the sounding call which was inspired by the line “the tools are new but the spirit’s the same”. I wanted to express that feeling of Spirit that wakes people up, so no matter who they are, they will still recognize the sound of the ancient earth that everyone can feel deep in their bones.

Bradley: I wrote the lyrics in 2017 after a vision quest retreat. I was feeling inspired by some of the people who were holding the retreat and had this sense that during dark times these people could carry a light. It was a kind of “okay life, show us what you got! We are going to follow our hearts no matter what!”

Kendra: Also, when it is cold outside – soup is always my favorite go-to meal. With that, if you had to compare “Coldest Day” to a soup, what soup would that be and why?

Bradley: I don’t know but it probably has drugs in it. Ha. No, I don’t know. Lentil soup with plenty of spice and some unexpected flavours in there. Probably some tahini and soy sauce in it if Vanisha gets involved in the cooking!

Vanisha: It would be some kind of fusion, hot and spicy, aromatic Thai Tom Yum Soup. Maybe with some earthy greens and lentils. It smells great, has a zesty kick, and leaves you feeling nourished and satisfied.

Kendra: Time for a side note moment – since it’s February, I’m asking everyone to please share what they believe is the best love song and a bit of insight as to why they believe that song is it…

Bradley: This is such a good question and I’ve asked several people since reading it! It’s so hard to answer. I don’t think I can say that anything is the best but I like that line in John Legend’s “All of Me” where he says, “what would I do without your smart mouth.” It kinda shows how love includes more than just the nice stuff, sometimes the challenges are just as beautiful.

Vanisha: This question is so tricky! When I first heard the question I thought, “I’m not the kind of person that listens to love songs,” but the more I thought about it, the more I realized so many of the songs out there are about love! It’s our biggest inspiration! Rattling down to one is hard. Songs about universal love light me up, like Bob Marley’s “One Love” and “Love Train” by the O’Jays, they just fill me with so much joy! But thinking romance-wise, one song that really moves me is Elton John’s “Your Song.” I sing it full pelt every time I hear it. It tells the story of love beyond riches which I’m a sucker for!

Kendra: Lastly, what else can fans both new and old be on the lookout from you in the coming months?

Bradley: Thanks for the interview! Um, keep an eye on our YouTube and Spotify for our upcoming singles and our album will be released this year after a long wait.

Vanisha: So we just finished recording our third music video “Icaro,” in Bocas del Toro, Panama. This will be our next single and will be released very soon! And even more exciting, this year we will be releasing our first album which is absolutely epic! Keep in tune through our social media for all updates on new releases!

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