On Thursdays Del Osei-Owusu sits down with an artist on the FOTN radar and gets them to tell their origin story over a cup of tea and some biscuits. This week it’s the turn of Sharon Katta and he brought chocolate cookies.

Hello Sharon how are you?

I’m doing really well, thank you! I’m grateful and excited to do this.

Congratulations on the release of “Detachment Theory” how does it feel?

Thank you! It feels liberating in a quiet, personal kind of way. Detachment Theory is only my second release, so I’m still finding my footing as an artist putting work out into the world. This track came from a deeply emotional place, so even if a few people truly connect with it, that’s more than enough for me right now. I’m proud of what it represents and how far I’ve come just by letting it go… wink wink—Detachment Theory, you see what I did there? [laughs] <😂Del>

What’s the story behind the song?

Detachment Theory is about that emotional limbo we enter when we’re trying to protect ourselves from pain. It explores the tension between letting go of harmful environments and the fear of what comes next. I’ve struggled to detach from trauma, relationships, and even old versions of myself.

The song captures that inner conflict—the emotional void, the quiet chaos—through a kind of internal dialogue, shifting between 1st and 3rd person. It’s like observing yourself from the outside while still feeling everything on the inside.

You worked on it with Nat, how did your collaboration come about?

Nat and I were classmates at ICMP in London back in 2022–23. One evening on campus, he played me this beautiful chord progression he’d recorded. It really stuck with me. I layered some synths over it, and a few months later, I added piano parts and sent it back to him. That back-and-forth became the foundation of Detachment Theory—it all started around early summer 2023.

What I love about working with Nat is how naturally things flow. We both approach music intuitively, and the track took shape through that kind of open, fluid exchange. Even recording vocals felt more like a conversation than a session. Nat’s incredibly talented—a true multi-instrumentalist—and he’s also one half of the gloom rock band If I Die Tonight.

You’re a singer-songwriter, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from London—how did it all begin for you?

I’m originally from Hyderabad, a city in South India, and I grew up in a Christian household—my dad’s a pastor—so music was part of life from early on. I played instruments at church, and apparently, even as a toddler, I’d line up cooking pots and use cutlery as makeshift drumsticks! That sense of rhythm and curiosity never really left me.

Fast forward to around 2018 during my undergrad—I started doing cover songs and taught myself how to produce and record in the process. That became a gateway into making my own music. But even though I was creating, I didn’t release anything for almost eight years. I was stuck in a loop of fear and perfectionism—worried about judgment, always tweaking. Looking back, I think that held me back more than I realised. But I’ve learned from it. Now, I write and produce music that feels eccentric, honest, and valuable—not just for me, but hopefully for those listening too.

What did you listen to growing up?

I listened to a real mix of music growing up. At home, there was a lot of CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) and regional gospel. I also heard a lot of Telugu and Hindi songs from Tollywood and Bollywood—that was the music I grew up with.

In my 20s, I started exploring Western music, and that really opened things up for me. Artists like Bon Iver, Jon Bellion, and classics like Pink Floyd changed how I thought about sound and lyrics. I’ve always been drawn to music that feels raw and emotional—like Kendrick Lamar or Twenty One Pilots. What surprised me was how similar that honest, poetic style felt to some of the Indian music I grew up with. Different languages and sounds, but the same kind of heart.

Your previous release “Home” explored the themes of self-discovery, mental health, and cultural identity. What has been the most challenging and easiest part of the process for you?

Actually, Home wasn’t about cultural identity—it was a love letter to myself. I wrote it during my recovery after a major mental health crisis that nearly ended me. It became the starting point of rediscovering who I was and recognising the strength I had, even in the middle of chaos.

The hardest part was completing it. I wasn’t healed enough to fully define what this new “home” meant for me. It took me five years to finish—going through so many versions, both in production and lyrics. But the easiest part, surprisingly, was the writing. It felt like something I had to say, like the words had been waiting for me all along.

I truly believe that words speak beyond race, culture, or background—we’re all connected by the tragedy and beauty of being human. (I love this)

You studied at ICMP, what was the biggest lesson you learned there?

The power of collaboration and community. I made some real, lasting connections there.

Being a multi-instrumentalist, how do you usually start off a writing session—what does your typical workflow look like?

I usually start with a texture or chord progression on whatever instrument feels right—it sets the tone. From there, I build layers until a melody or lyric reveals itself. It’s a very organic process, rarely linear. I keep writing and rewriting as I sit with the concept, and sometimes that takes weeks—or even years—until something finally clicks.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Right now, I’ve been listening to Genesis by RAYE and some soundtrack work from composers like Ramin Djawadi. I love cinematic music that pulls you into a whole other world.

What are you looking forward to doing next?

I’m continuing to build toward the full narrative of my debut album. Each release so far has been a chapter, and there’s still so much more to uncover. I actually have another song that’s almost ready—it’s in a completely different genre, but it adds important context to this ongoing story. I’ll give you an exclusive—it’s called Unchosen.

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