Feature: Dharmika Decodes “Give Me Shelter from the Storm”
What was the creative process like for this particular song?
I have been writing a song a week for a while now, and I was given a prompt of "Rooftop Drama" that week. I thought about how thunderstorms dramatically affect our lives from way over our heads, and then equated that with the metaphor of extremists who are legislating our lives according to their religious beliefs, and the damage they are doing to families by making these controlling laws. Then I found the chorus along the way, a simple reminder of our basic human need for kind connections.
Whether it's about the presidency, women's rights, guns, bathrooms, books, wedding cakes, vaccines, or those pain-filled, heart-tugging war zones, wherever you turn, it is almost impossible to have productive conversations with people of polarized viewpoints. Each side sees the other as extremists, or at least, that those spearheading their groups or running their side of governments are extremists. Everyone is dug in, and we all can find evidence for how we are right and "they" are wrong. That is the water I was swimming in when I wrote this song.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "Give Me Shelter from the Storm?"
The challenge of this song, for me, was writing about extremist views without alienating people who may believe differently than I do. Interestingly, people with polarized viewpoints tend to point to extremists on the other side as being problematic.
After I wrote the song, I realized that this song does not exclude many of a number of polarized views of our world, both in in the US, and even in the heart-tugging war zones that we witness daily. Extremists all over are causing harm to people by putting their own priorities above basic human compassion. I don't have solutions for the political conflicts, but we can always try to reach out a hand to people around us who may feel lost and need a kind deed or just a smile or a listening ear.
What did you enjoy most about making this track?
I was happy about how the harmonica brought a more upbeat, bluesy feel to the music, to counter the heaviness of the subject matter. I love the interplay between the bluesy groove of the harmonica bringing in the verses, and the keyboard's mellower melodic appearance later in the verse that lets us ride the smooth, gentle wave of the chorus home.
How do you balance crafting relatable stories with maintaining your unique voice as a songwriter?
I figure if I am going to take the time to write a song, and someone is going to honor me with their time to listen to it, then I ought to offer them something of value for their time. My goal is to rise to the challenge of trying to envision and articulate a positive future in a twisted, greedy world by offering a moment of empowerment or inspiration through crafting the story and sharing the song. In this case, I realized that although some lawn signs are divisive, others are welcoming messages for uniting community. That was the twist that I could bring to the final verse of this song, to remind us all of our higher callings to our friends and neighbors that underly our everyday deeds.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
I love the energy exchange of performing live. For this song, with such a singable, relatable chorus, I love looking people in the eye while we are singing together, creating a moment to feel and know that we are not alone. Those connections through the music are precious, and they linger in our bones and heal us. I feel that I am energized by each person who listens and sings with me while I am sharing music live, and I always end up feeling more alive than before I started. Hopefully, my audience walks away with the same buzz, feeling connected and grounded and optimistic about knowing that we can, and must, create a future for our grandkids where kindness prevails and all of life is loved and appreciated. I believe that that is what we are here for.
