Long Distances is the new kid on the block, but not really – it’s a band consisting of singer-songwriter, drummer, and guitarist Aarifah Rebello on vocals, and Apurv Agrawal and Zubin Pastakia on guitars, bass, and synths. The project, which was set up as an effort to create music that highlights the uncertainties of a post-pandemic world, recently released its first single ‘Empire’ – a sort of contemplative offering that serves as an idea of what to expect from the new wave dream-pop/shoegaze band.

With some fuzzy guitars, a driving groove, and shimmering synth embellishments, the song evokes a dreamy yet gritty soundscape that complements Rebello’s silky voice. Her (faraway) vocals are overlayed with doleful harmonies, courtesy of indie artist Mali (Maalavika Manoj). Rebello’s schmaltzy crooning about the transience of power and the helplessness brought forth by its loss blends nicely against the backdrop of a punchy soundscape that eventually goes into a calmer sonic place to reach a smooth, laidback end. Having said that, one might be more of a fan of the vigour the track commenced with that eventually gives itself away into a relatively tamer outro.

‘Empire’ is also accompanied by a lush music video that features a live take of Apurv and Zubin scribbling away at their instruments and solo shots of Rebello singing along. This is juxtaposed with shots of nuclear bombings on a retro TV ending with Rebello directly staring into the screen at a darker version of herself singing on the other side. The music video does a good job of creatively representing an evocative image of the song’s narrative. If you’ve been a fan of Rebello and her creative antics, this new band is definitely worth keeping up with. Together with Apurv and Zubin’s production chops, they stand to compliment Rebello’s musical mojo, which is a win.