Singing from the soul

What type of music are you playing on Saturday?
I’ll be performing originals and covers — pop, soul and R&B. The music has more of a western background because English is my only language but I’ve found that a lot Indian music has a western feel to it. The other day, I was listening to the F16’s and if I had closed my eyes, they could have been an American or English band — they’re really good.

How do you feel about performing originals?
It’s scary! But after quitting my job last March, I’ve had more time to concentrate on writing my songs. It takes time and isn’t something that just happens. I couldn’t sit down and write a song straight away. There is a lot of planning behind it, and I have to really believe what I am writing about — it’s not just random stuff. But my band is great; they’re really talented and encourage me to do my own stuff. 

What made you decide to quit your job?
I needed more time to concentrate on my music. I loved my job because I love writing, but I didn’t have time to take music seriously at the same time. It was a good decision — people seem to know that I’m less busy so have been in touch with more opportunities. And once I’ve spoken to one person, I end up speaking to loads of people — everyone knows everyone in the industry!

Are there any inspirations behind your music?
I aspire more to an idea rather than specific people. It’s important to me that I perform very honest music that is personal. This makes me vulnerable because I put so much about myself into my songs — you just have to listen to know exactly what’s going on in my life! But I am happy to do that. I think the best music comes from being honest. Some people are talented enough to write about hypothetical situations — and if it’s done well, it’s good. But that is a completely different skill and I prefer to sing about stuff that means something to me.

What are you hoping to get out of the gig on Saturday?
It will give me more experience, which is always important. I also hope to see the culture of music grow. I am lucky to be able to perform my own stuff. Kids struggle a lot to produce music. Not everyone has the right facilities and you have to make a huge commitment to be successful. The crowd can expect Saturday to be fun, dance-y and intense at some point—there are some really intense songs — but it should be a really fun and happy night. There will be great music, my band are all really talented musicians.

And this time next year, what do you hope to be doing?
I hope to produce an album; it would be great to get one out. And then I can start to perform across different cities and not just gigs. More exposure would be great, but ultimately, I want to be a respected artiste in the eyes of indie music lovers, and make a connection with other people that love music.

Be at Counter Culture, Whitefield, Saturday, January 25, call 41400793/794