Anjana’s Debut EP ‘Yes No Maybe?’ Turns Love, Doubt, and Identity into Song

When Anjana Padmanabhan, better known simply as Anjana, stepped onto the studio floor as a songwriter, she wasn’t just adding a new credit to her résumé. She was, in a very literal sense, writing herself into the record‑making process. The result is ‘Yes No Maybe?’, a five‑track debut EP that feels like a diary you can listen to on repeat.

The songs grew out of an impromptu jam session in a wooden chalet in Dharamshala back in 2025. Anjana and a handful of friends sketched out a string of thirty‑ to fifty‑second snippets, humming over tea and the occasional bird call. When she got back to Mumbai, a few of those fragments lingered in her mind, nagging for more. That’s when the EP began to take shape.

Each track walks a different emotional step in the often‑circular journey of love. ‘Hai Pyaar Kya’ asks the big, timeless question – what does love even mean today? – and lets a simple guitar line wander into a chorus that feels both hopeful and hesitant. By contrast, ‘Naseeb Tu’ flips the script, singing about the unsettling feeling of finding someone yet not seeing a shared future.

‘Rjhaaun’, which features the smooth vocals of Nakul Chugh, dives into the messy middle of a relationship, where insecurities rise like tide and you keep wondering if you’re strong enough to stay afloat. The EP closes with two October releases – ‘Kaise Main Kahoon’ and ‘Azad’ – that turn the gaze inward, celebrating self‑realisation and the freedom that comes from embracing one’s own identity.

What makes the record feel especially personal is how Anjana weaves her South Indian heritage into the fabric of each song. You’ll hear the lilting resonance of a Carnatic violin, the rhythmic pulse of konnakol, and even a kazoo that slips in playfully, all while the lyrics swing between Hindi and Kannada. It’s a subtle reminder that love, doubt and acceptance aren’t bound by language.

The EP’s title, ‘Yes No Maybe?’, wasn’t chosen on a whim. Anjana admits she wrestled with it for weeks, feeling the same indecision that threads through the songs themselves. That very uncertainty mirrors the creative process – the endless “does this line work?” and “will listeners feel this?” that any artist knows too well.

In her own words, the project is an honest snapshot of where she is right now: “I’ve always made melodies, but I never gave them the full story. This EP lets me ask the questions I’m asking myself about love, relationships, and who I am.” It’s a brave move for someone who started out as a violinist, and the result feels both fresh and familiar.

‘Yes No Maybe?’ is more than a collection of songs; it’s a conversation with yourself about the fragile, exhilarating, sometimes painful moments that shape us. Whether you’re in the middle of a romance, just out of one, or simply learning to love yourself, there’s a track here that will echo your own inner monologue.