Radhika on her cinematic debut record, Cine-Pop

“Let's bring back daydreaming!” Radhika becomes noticeably animated as she warms to her theme of creativity and how to nurture it. “We need to explore our minds more. People my age are almost afraid to sit with themselves. I've noticed this with my friends, they're on their phones the whole time, and I think daydreaming is a big part of this album. I think something that was really important to me was being bored. Letting your mind wander. It’s the most creative thing you can do, just to sit still with your thoughts. When I’m in silence, or when I’m on a walk, out in nature, that’s when the ideas come.”

It's an intriguing provocation from an artist who, at just 21 years old, has some very mature ideas about the path she wants her music to travel, and a clear vision for her sound. Our chat turns into a hugely enjoyable discussion over an hour-and-a-half, taking in Alice Coltrane, Twin Peaks, race, childhood, Scottish identity, and much more. What shines through is that Radhika isn’t just someone who happens to be making music – she is a genuine obsessive, a lifelong fan of the art of song, and a natural when it comes to sharing the joy she gets from music with her audience.

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. Cynics may raise a quizzical eyebrow at the influence of Radhika’s dad and bandmate, Sushil K Dade, a pop veteran himself with The Soup Dragons. Radhika is clear about the pros and cons. “I didn’t even really know my dad was in The Soup Dragons until I was a lot older. He was very low key about it! But I feel so blessed to have been brought up around music. It’s something not all kids have access to. When I was young, iPods were coming in, but I had my dad’s record collection. Even when I was being born, in the birthing room my mum and dad had Indian chants playing! An Indian prayer – reassuring and meditative. So, it is literally ingrained in my soul. Music is everything to me.”

And the music is where Radhika truly shines. From her first forays into songwriting at the grand old age of ten, she is now on the cusp of launching her debut album, Cine-Pop. It’s an album that will confound anyone expecting a hesitant, diamond in the rough, debut. This album emerges fully formed and glorious in its ambition, taking as much influence from David Lynch as Byrne or Bowie, and with a cinematic thread that even extends to the sides being labelled as 'spool one' and 'spool two'.

Festival season approaches, and over the next six months, Radhika will play Wales Goes Pop and Glasgow Mela before a triumphant homecoming show at this year’s Glas-Goes Pop in August, ahead of an appearance at West Sussex festival The Wake later that month. These shows allow Radhika to develop her live style, honed at The Hangar – her monthly residency at Paisley Arts Centre, which has already seen visits from a range of guests including The Cords, and Debbie Googe from My Bloody Valentine. How might her dreamy, woozy pop soundscapes transfer to the live stage, particularly to festivals with audiences who may not have paid to see her?

“We always want to do things on our own terms. With The Hangar, we tried to create a night to enjoy alternative music in an interesting way. And very much in our own way. We really enjoy giving space to people who maybe otherwise wouldn't be playing somewhere like Paisley. And when people see us at a festival, we want them to have a universal connection for half an hour – to be there and be present with us.

"I mean, Glas-Goes Pop is the dream for me. That's my Glastonbury! I get emotional just thinking about it, I can't believe they asked me. And to play at their fifth year anniversary will be so special. So, I just hope the album resonates with people. It's been a very difficult secret to keep, so I'm glad it's been announced now.”

Radhika has the enthusiasm, and if Cine-Pop is anything to go by, she also has the tunes. So where could this take her? Will we see her on the main stage of a major festival in the years ahead? “I don't really think in that way. When I daydream, I just think of playing shows. I mean I would love to play Barrowlands – it's big, but still intimate. I would love to support Elizabeth Fraser, that would be incredible. That would be the dream. And Scottish heroes – Teenage Fanclub, Roddy Frame… I mean, this is me dreaming!”

They may be dreams for now, but as the lights dim, the opening credits begin to roll, and the film unfolds, it seems certain that Radhika will play more than just a cameo role.

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Cine-Pop is set for release on 22 May via Glass Modern

Radhika plays Wales Goes Pop, Cardiff, 3-5 Apr; Glasgow Mela, Glasgow, TBA; Glas-Goes-Pop, GUU Debates Chamber, Glasgow, 14 & 15 Aug; The Wake, Loxwood Meadow, West Sussex, 29 Aug