The Atypical Songwriting of Swati Sharma

As an Indian woman and an out lesbian in the music industry, Sharma said she has been "blessed or blind, or maybe both," as she hasn't faced any discrimination regarding her ethnicity or sexuality.

"I've never gotten any, 'You can't play because you're Indian' or 'You can't play because you're gay,'" she said. "As a lesbian in the musical sense, I've never felt any discrimination whatsoever. But I do feel discrimination as a musician. People definitely decide what kind of person a musician is and that's it. I dated a girl once and it was great and I was shocked when she was like, 'You know, I really wanted to see what it was like to date a musician.' That's like the same thing as saying, 'I always wanted to date an Indian.' People like to label you."

Like most musicians, Sharma does not want to be categorized. She doesn't let being referred to as a lesbian slip by without also mentioning that she reserves the right to change her mind at any time. "I'm definitely an out lesbian but I'm not going to say 'never' about men," she said. "I've always been drawn to women, but I don't like to put myself in a box that says 'never.'"

But Sharma added that her sexuality does have something to do with her songwriting style, as she inevitably looks at the world through her own, lesbian eyes. "'Blackjack' is about picking up a prostitute. I don't know any straight women that would do that," she said.

Being out is something Sharma sees as natural and largely a non-issue. "It's not a shtick," she said. "I don't walk around in my life screaming that I'm gay, because I don't feel straight people should do that if they're straight. We live our lives the way we live them. I'm not just a gay person. I protest for gay marriage; I'm totally a supporter of all of these causes. But at the end of it, I'm just Swati Sharma and I'm just trying to get through to people and connect to people, gay or not."

This is most likely why Small Gods is an album that resonates with listeners looking for a deeper connection to songs and lyrics than as background music. The CD is only Sharma's introduction to the world as a musician, and her plans for the future include recording a "rock record" with a lot of layers and personality that is, above all, "forward-thinking."

"I don't want to be conventional," Sharma said. "I do my best to be forward. I want it to sound like tomorrow." She's certainly ahead of the game.

For more on Swati Sharma, visit her MySpace page.