Forager
A ménage à trois of pop, progressive jazz and R&B that goes down with a spoonful of sugar
“Okay, we write this complicated music which has a lot going on, but we're trying to make it down easy.”
Life is about balance, and Brooklyn-based trio Forager know that. Their songwriting encompasses a tactful sparring between nerdy and cosy; between weird and welcoming.
“We often get compared to Hiatus Kaiyote,” says drummer Colum Enrique. “They're in the middle of the pop, R&B, and prog Venn diagram, and that’s where we want to be. We want to fuse those genres together in an interesting way.”
The trio, completed by vocalist Shyamala Ramakrishna, who’s classic trained in Indian Carnatic music, and guitarist Jack Broza, met as undergrads at Yale University. But it wasn’t until they’d relocated to New York, enjoyed a “fun but very productive jam session” and played their first show in Enrique’s backyard, that they realised their potential.
Fast forward to 2026, and they’ve just played a Tiny Desk concert to support their charmingly uncategorisable sophomore album, 'Even A Child Can Cover The Sun With A Finger' – a concept plucked from a book about physics, and a record that spotlights their uncanny ability to appeal to music nerds and pop fans all the same.
“In the past year or so, as the listeners have been coming more naturally, genre isn’t something we've talked about as much,” says Broza. “And in the space of not talking about it, we’ve really pushed ourselves creatively, and as performers. I think that allows us to wander genre.
“But we’re also very songwriting driven,” he adds. “Most questions of, ‘Is this too in and normy, or is this too out and inaccessible,’ end up solving themselves, because there’s a natural pinging off of each other; when we’ve landed on something we all like, it’s usually already in that sweet spot.”
For the finest example of the band craftily marrying two very contrasting musical philosophies, look no further than the Instagram reel they posted detailing the time changes that take 'Pomeranian' from jazz masterpiece to pop banger in just a few bars. It went viral.
“It was a way of saying, ‘Okay, we write this complicated music which has a lot going on, but we're trying to make it down easy,’” Broza explains.
“I’ve heard instances of our friend’s five year olds running around the house singing it,” Enrique returns. “Professors at Hunter College [in New York] and Berklee have showed it to their students. Something about that reel beckoned engagement, and it’s all on the merits of the song.”
That juxtaposition transfers through to the lyrics. Sure, they sing about the “predictable parts of life, like going through your 20s, aspirations, and relationships,” but there are denser topics broached, too. 'Split Lip' explores the complexities of motherhood, 'Your Good Time' is about women's health and birth control. That balance hangs on a knife edge. And as the Tiny Desk performance highlights, the heat of the kitchen is never too much for them.
“It was a hard work pays off moment,” Broza smiles. “We were doing something difficult, and we did it really well. I was really proud of us, it was super fun.”
- Phil Weller
PROG FILE
LINE-UP: Shyamala Ramakrishna (vocals), Jack Broza (guitar/keys/bass), Colum Enrique (drums), Almog Sharvit (bass)
SOUNDS LIKE: Fun but intricate and irresistibly catchy pop coloured with jazzy turns, R&B flair, and flashes of indie rock git
CURRENT RELEASE: 'Even a Child Can Cover The Sun With A Finger' is out now via Ring Road by La Reserve Records
WEBSITE: https://forager.band/ FORAGER