I don’t need to sing 10 songs every month: Ash King

It’s refreshing to find in Ash King a Bollywood playback singer who’s quite nonchalant about his Bollywood career and is happier with less, rather than more work. It comes with the territory. There are only so many big films being made and so few songs being recorded. But there’s no dearth of singers. And we live in times, where anything could change at the last minute. Ash’s latest outing is Half Girlfriend’s Baarish and as we talk shop, his voice betrays no fears or insecurities. He explains why...  

It’s been a while since Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’s Alizeh. What did you in the interim?

For me, it’s not a while because I don’t sing many songs and  I do more live shows and work on my own songs. In Bollywood, I don’t record that frequently. So for me, it’s only been three or four months since Alizeh (which released in November). See, I don’t need to be singing 10 songs every month. I’m happy singing one or two that really mean something.

That’s rare for a Bollywood playback singer to admit. By the way, there’s a buzz going around about you being roped in at the last minute for Half Girlfriend’s Baarish to replace Jubin Nautiyal. There’s a fair bit of controversy around that decision. What’s your take on the matter?

I don’t think it’s about being replaced. Because whoever’s voice gets released in the end is the first voice and the only voice. It’s not as if somebody is deleting that and replacing it. There’s no such thing as replacing someone, I actually heard that the song was sung by five to six different artists and what everybody needs to remember that it’s a film, it’s not an independent single. Whatever is best for the film goes.

Is Baarish a duet? If not, do you think it made sense to credit Shashaa Tirupati on the track?

Baarish is not a duet. But it’s really nice to credit people who are part of the song and I think it’s a good thing to credit people. When I sang I Love You for Salman Khan (in Bodyguard), Clinton Cerejo was also credited because he did the backing vocals. When I did Te Amo, Nikhil Paul George was not credited... but then, Nikhil didn’t care. And he’s like a brother to me. And we just work together when we care. As long as I have a song, he’s happy for me, and as long as he has a song, I’m happy for him. But yeah, to credit someone is always a positive thing.

What about solo tracks? Which ones of yours are you proudest of?

Delhi-6’s Dil Gira Dafatan because it gave me an identity. AR Rahman gave me a break with that song. Anytime I meet anyone in my industry, they always talk about that song. It makes me so proud that however low I feel sometimes (I’m human, after all) and I listen to that song, it makes me feel like I’m a somebody.

Do you think it’s better to be a singer-composer is this day and age, rather than just be a singer?

I definitely believe one would want to compose, because we all have our own thoughts and feelings and we should express those. I don’t believe anything is necessary commercially, but at the same time, if you’re a singer and you’re struggling and you feel you’re struggling, then  one way out is also for you to compose. And I come from an independent music background. I wrote a song, If I Said, which the Backstreet Boys sang, I’ve featured on Lady Gaga’s single Bad Romance and I released a song called Love Is Blind, an independent song (it’s one of the most popular songs I’ve sung till date). I think it’s important to express yourself as an artist. At the same time, working with another music director allows you to be part of a different version’s vision.

What’s next for you?

I don’t know. I’m just working on a few independent singles. The next song up for release is actually a Marathi song composed by Ashwin Srinivasan, which should be out May-end, beginning of June.