A Friday Night Feeling: Mera Bhai on His New EP Now I Need You

“Stop being so busy, caught up, and stressed. Enjoy what you have and you will be rewarded 10x for that gratitude and appreciation.” How right Mera Bhai is. One of the paradoxes of our time is that no one seems to have time. Everyone is busy, always chasing, always on. The weeks blur into months, the moments pass unheld — and somewhere in that constant forward motion, the magic slips quietly by. “I feel much more centred and aligned, coming out of that phase. My work ethic is way less punishing, and I’m getting much more done.”

There’s something about Mera Bhai — real name Karthik Poduval — that feels both grounded and expansive. A globally raised Londoner, he grew up between Italy, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and beyond, absorbing the rhythms and textures of different continents. Before launching his solo project, he drummed in the psychedelic band Flamingods and was part of the Daytimers collective — always in motion, always exploring.

His new EP Now I Need You is a beautiful body of work — a little retro, a little nostalgic, yet still fresh and immediate. It’s the sound of leaning against a bar in soft lighting, the soft haze of a dancefloor, or walking home alone after a night out — still glowing. There’s a club feeling, yes, but it functions far beyond that space. It makes you lust for those small, electric moments of a Friday Night — meeting someone new, catching fragments of their story, and feeling part of something bigger than yourself.

In our conversation, Mera Bhai speaks openly about reconnecting with joy in music, how repetition soothes him as a drummer, and the subtle shifts that pulled him out of creative stagnation. A reminder that sometimes, the most important beat is the one you take a breath to feel — preferably over a perfectly crispy dosa, some chutney, and good company.

photography by Sam Rockman

Hey dear Mera, I’m just listening to the first released track “Friday Night” from your EP Now I Need You (out via Platoon). I really love the energy of it – it has such a positive, carefree vibe to me. You mentioned it’s kind of a “love letter to the romantic disco anthems of the ’70s and ’80s.” What connects you personally with that era?

Heya! Thanks so much for the kind words, I’m happy to hear that the track resonates with you. Musically speaking, there seemed to be so much more room for experimentation, disco crossed over into psych, folk, rock, soul, blues, electro. Look at artists like The Rah Band, Ned Donehy, Laura Allan, Nancy Wilson just to name a few. Many of their tracks have a similar message and musical sensibility despite being so different, which is what I love. There was a real sense of playfulness, which is definitely more romantic to me… Also music was funky as hell back then. The further we get down the line, genres seem to become more and more homogenised in my opinion and things have started to feel less playful, experimental, and generally sound more pastiche.

Not overthinking was also one of the “ingredients” in your process with this track. Does overthinking usually happen to you when you’re producing?

Yes I think so. I’m getting much better at not overthinking though. Having too much attachment to the outcome from the beginning is typically the issue for me. This is almost always the reason things get overcooked – you’re not giving the track the chance to be what it wants to be, and to breathe. Now that I’ve been spending more time producing other artists, I’m trying to be really conscious not to overthink whilst still being really intentional. It’s a hard line to walk!

Your new EP is your most club-focused yet, with influences from ‘90s dance, UKG, French touch, and rave culture – what sparked your love for those sounds?

I grew up listening to all that stuff. I’m fortunate to have an older sister who fed me loads of amazing music growing up, from Dance, to Pop, Bollywood, Rap and the rest of it. I also grew up in Italy, which in the 90s had a particularly thriving mainstream dance music scene, so I was always surrounded by it. My first ever tape (I copped when I was 8) was Apollo 440 – Gettin’ High On Your Own Supply. It’s a bit rock leaning but definitely has elements of Big Beat, Techno and Trip Hop. I loved it! There’s something that’s always touched me within rave culture and dance music, I can’t say exactly what it is. Perhaps the repetition, as I’m first and foremost a drummer.

“There’s something that’s always touched me within rave culture and dance music. I can’t say exactly what it is. Perhaps the repetition — as I’m first and foremost a drummer.”

You also said you were “in a rut and needed a change of scene” – and ended up recording the EP in your friend Mikey’s (from Snapped Ankles) studio while he was away. You prepped a bunch of demos and then “spent four days pulling it all together. The music just flowed.” Would you like to talk a bit more about what kind of rut you were stuck in? And what new paths did making this music open up for you – not just professionally, but maybe also personally?

I felt like I went through a phase of making music that didn’t sound like me. Retrospectively, I’m glad I went through that, and I’m sure I will again. It reminded me that I needed to change things up and be aligned and intentional. I found myself in a situation at one point where, rather than focusing on my production and writing strengths, I would focus on my weaknesses. It became more about comparing myself to others than making a musical offering – which is such an easy trap to fall into, especially with social media and the streaming numbers that unfortunately have become metrics of success.

I feel much more centred and aligned, coming out of that phase. My work ethic is way less punishing, and I’m getting much more done. I’m finding inspiration by giving myself more space in general. Also by working with others more, it’s about sharing and finding creativity in shared moments both in and out of the studio.

Were there any moments where you actually did feel a bit stuck while working on the record?

I had a co-writing partner at the start who became extremely busy. It encouraged me to take things into my own hands and keep the wheels turning, which was also really instrumental to me breaking out of my rut!

You’ve described the EP as designed to connect, a conscious departure from one single sound or cultural reference point.

Totally. I wanted to take all of the sounds that I felt were missing from my last few records and bring them together. I also felt very intentional about moving away from a sound that I could be culturally pigeon-holed into.

“Music and art with a sentiment that connects a wide audience is generally a good thing.”

Already in a 2014 interview, you said that pop music connects so many people – and that’s something really important to you. Back then you were already asking yourself how to musically connect with more people. I often feel that people are becoming less connected these days, maybe also because of all the tech and stress – like we’re all closing ourselves off more and more. Do you think that art and music can make the world better, or even just create a deeper but also lasting connection between people?

Definitely. There’s a widely held view that pop music is low-brow, which I disagree with (for the most part). Without delving too far into capitalism’s reach on music, I’ll broadly say that music and art with a sentiment that connects a wide audience is generally a good thing. When I talk about this kind of art, I’m talking about art that is sincere, meaningful and finds itself in the realm of pop without having intended to – look at artists like MGMT, Hot Chip or Scissor Sisters for example. Their breakthrough records are timeless and have created a real sense of community.

Why did you choose the title Now I Need You? Does it have a personal meaning for you?

It’s a lyric from the opening track. When I was working on it I knew it captured the record. ‘I could’ve made you mine, but now I need you’

You’re London-based but globally raised – what does “home” mean to you, and where do you feel most at home?

It’s funny, I feel at home in so many places – not just the countries I grew up in, but after 15 years of touring with Flamingods, countries and cities that we’ve revisited and created long lasting friendships. I feel at home wherever I have a community.

You’re not only a producer, DJ, and label head, but also a drummer and percussionist. Is that how you originally got into music?

I first started with piano, then violin – which I gave up for drums when I was 10. I also picked up bass at School but drums and percussion have always been my primary instruments. When I was in Flamingods, we’d co-write everything and swap around on stage so I was always encouraged to play everything to a level that I could perform in front of crowds. It was a really great way to connect more deeply with music.

“There was a real sense of playfulness back then… Also music was funky as hell.”

When you’re not DJing – what’s your favourite thing to do on a Friday night?

Haha, I’m still getting used to Friday nights and weekends. After years of touring, weekends don’t really mean anything to me! I’m also still in the studio on weekends, I’m not the best at chilling. I think finding time to connect with friends is super important, so having catch ups, or going to gigs to support other artists is something I’d get down with on a Friday Night.

You love talking about food – what’s your absolute favourite thing to eat, and do you also like cooking (and are you good at it)?

Yes, I love food! I was a chef for years before I went full time with music. I was a chef at a private addiction recovery centre, so I’d get given these amazing budgets and get to make my own menus and make and serve what I wanted. It was the best job I ever had, honestly. Everyone was always so grateful and I’d really connect with them over food. I used to balance touring and chef work to make ends meet which was tough, but I only ever felt burnt out by it when I moved into working in commercial kitchens.

My absolute favourite thing to eat is Dosa, chutney, sambar and Chammanthi podi. I’m South Indian so that just reminds me of home, and my Mum makes it all the time. My family are all amazing cooks (I’m definitely the least skilled), but we all connect over food massively. This was also the case with Flamingods, going on tour to all these amazing places was great as we all have a shared love for food and trying new things.

And finally: What has been the most important life lesson for you so far?

Stop being so busy, caught up, and stressed. Enjoy what you have and you will be rewarded 10x for that gratitude and appreciation.

Check out the Now I Need You EP — listen here.