A BLOSSOMING DAISY

SU first-year Padma Mynampaty tells Jerk about her budding musical career and inspiration.

Padma Mynampaty uses her soft, velvety voice and an indie pop production to capture her autobiographical lyrics. For her, music is not just a form of self-expression but rather self-reflection as she sings about the ins and outs of growing up and finding herself.

“It’s like journaling,” she said. “It’s a really good way to process my emotions and capture this one moment in time.”

Raised in the outskirts of Boston and now a first year in SU’s Bandier Program, Padma began her musical journey at age 8 when she quit guitar lessons and started teaching herself. Since then, she has jumped at any opportunity to perform live, ranging from open mic nights back in her hometown to popular house venues on campus.

“[I] just like having my friends there and having them sing along,” she said. “But also just seeing a person I’ve never seen before just vibe with the music.”

Inspired by her Indian-American heritage, Padma interlaces her music with a touch of Hindustani influence, since she has trained her voice to perform similar runs heard in this style. She also takes inspiration from other indie artists like Norah Jones and Samia, but her most significant influence stems from her own family.

“Both my grandmas were super musical. One of my grandmas wrote poetry all the time and the other used to sing in temples,” she said. “I’ve kind of been surrounded by it, but it’s just been nice growing up as an American and also as Indian.”

On the production side, Padma has worked with professional artists to write and record songs, going as far as producing a music video for her song “I’m So Cool.” Her closest professional connection has been Sheel Davé, a member of the Boston-based band Bad Rabbits, who has helped her define her sound and navigate her way into the industry.

With Davé’s guidance, Padma released a seven-song album named “Daisy” last October. Basing the album’s floral name on her own name, “Padma” — which means “Lotus” in Telugu — the album encompasses a yearning for the future with a hint of hometown nostalgia.

“It sounds like it’s about someone [else], but it’s kind of about self-love,” she said. “It’s like a future version of myself, and I thought Daisy just sounds really pretty.”

Since the album’s release, Padma has already released another single, “Supersonic,” and is currently working on her next one. But mostly, she has focused on performing around campus to share her work with other music lovers.

“My favorite thing is seeing people singing the lyrics back to me,” she said. “I just love music, and I hope other people also love my music if they ever get a chance to stumble upon it.”