Prateek Kuhad: ‘I do not assume a single label is doing a great job with their musicians in India’

Your new EP City Secrets has the texture of old style romance. My private favourite is Tere Hi Hum.

I such as you an excessive amount of. It was the primary tune on the EP and impressed its temper as effectively. When I wrote this, I used to be very enthusiastic about it. I wrote it final 12 months, and I wished to place it on the market with the EP. With Shehron Ke Raj, I attempted to discover the ideas of affection, that are fairly timeless. This is a really light-hearted EP that must be straightforward to eat.

Listen to Shehron Ke Raaz:

It additionally appears to be influenced by previous music.

I’ve undoubtedly been influenced by previous music. To be trustworthy, the affect of my music is calming in all places. Some spectacular issues I’ve heard are outdated, particularly with my Hindi songwriting. The romanticism that’s in it comes from the film Pyaasa. The movie had a deep influence on me. This to me is essentially the most inventive and best movie of this century. I’ve numerous romanticism (in my songs), which isn’t so widespread as we speak. Maybe that is why a few of my music sounds previous.

Was there strain to make the music the followers anticipated?

I do not care about it, and I’ve been like that from the start. I care that I like them. I’m very strict on myself. I’m my very own largest critic. Sometimes I do not just like the songs folks like. I’m by no means going to put in writing songs for folks.

hearken to you

Is there any Prateek Kuhad tune that you do not like?

Maybe my first 30 songs had been actually unhealthy. They had been horrible. And so I by no means actually put most of them on the market. I put a few of these 30 songs out. I imagine it was solely after 20 or 30 songs that I began writing songs that had been acceptable to me. But most of them, I might hearken to a 12 months later and assume to myself, ‘Oh my god, what was I pondering!’ So rather a lot occurs.

So, you simply need to concentrate on your self.

I need to develop as a author and as an individual as a result of all of that is finally mirrored in your music and your artwork. I’m simply attempting to develop and be a greater individual and a greater musician, which I feel is rather a lot tougher.

Do you realize that folks tag you as a kind of artists who’re altering the music scene in India?

I’m completely satisfied however it’s not solely me. There are others who’re doing rather well within the unbiased scene and dealing exterior the Bollywood framework, which I feel is essential. It’s additionally a pleasant change because it makes it attainable for the music trade to be its personal factor and never simply an trade that’s nearly like a sidekick to Bollywood.

Growing up, numerous my favourite songs had been from motion pictures and that was as a result of it was the one music we needed to eat, particularly with regards to Hindi music. Outside of Bollywood, we had Lucky Ali, Euphoria, Strings and others. Then he additionally began brainstorming on Bollywood music. So, there was a part, which had begun to die down. My downside shouldn’t be with the music. My downside is how Bollywood continues to be a benchmark.

So, this wasn’t the benchmark or the dream for you?

For me, Bollywood was by no means actually a benchmark as a result of philosophically I do not belong to its construction/functioning model. The music trade all around the world has its personal factor. There’s a music trade after which there is a movie trade, and typically they work together with one another. There are large artists like Rihanna, Beyonce, Kanye West, Taylor Swift and others who set their information and have big followers. The music trade (within the West) is totally different the place even the artists have the liberty to compose the music for the movies if they want. You can do soundtrack music or write for motion pictures. There are crowds of people that do that. There is place for everybody. But in India it’s the solely factor.

I attempted too. I reached out to my pals and my household to ask if anybody had connections or was working in Bollywood, however I noticed there was not a lot room for what I used to be doing. I wished to put in writing, write and sing. I wished to place the tune out the way in which I wished, not within the context of the movie. There must be area for musicians and this may occur provided that there’s a music trade, which is sort of non-existent in India. Right now, the one place that exists for musicians is the unbiased music area, which may be very small however rising.

Listen to Kasoor:

You have signed up with Elektra Records. How do you see collabs affecting the music scene in India?

I do not know, I did not give it some thought. Hopefully, if I do effectively, and my songs do effectively, it can assist the world to see the musicians of India in a unique context. If you go to speak to folks anyplace on the planet, Indian music for them is all concerning the sitar or Pandit Ravi Shankar and the likes. It is gorgeous music however there may be rather more occurring in India that persons are unaware of. People’s fascinated about Indian music may be very cliched or boxy. People ought to begin musicians from South Asia with a unique and extra sensible view of who we’re as we speak and what we’re doing.

Surely your affiliation is being appreciated all around the nation.

But a label shouldn’t be an achievement. Yes, it may be useful for the profession of any musician however it’s not the one factor. There are numerous unbiased musicians as we speak who are usually not with a label however are doing effectively. So there isn’t a proper or flawed. And I feel 30 years in the past, that was essential. If you had been a musician or wished to be a musician, you wanted assist as a result of there was no ecosystem. There had been no professionals doing this for unbiased musicians. There was no solution to distribute your music or create your personal music. But as we speak, you possibly can solely create a whole album in your laptop. And then as you become old, you will discover folks, you will discover managers and firms that can allow you to. I did this for some time. Being related to a label will get your profession going within the route you need to take it, which is a bonus. But as a substitute of attempting to chase a deal, concentrate on making actually good music, making actually good information, and advancing your profession, as a result of you are able to do it your self.

Listen to Con Do:

But why did you retain your self away from signing to the Indian label?

To be trustworthy, I do not know of a great Indian label. Most of the labels are related to large movie manufacturing homes. I actually did not even like approaching anybody as a result of I do not assume a single label is doing a great job with their musicians in India. And even when given an opportunity, it’s particular for Bollywood. After all, it is not concerning the label. It’s concerning the folks on the label who’re working with you. At Electra, the persons are good and have expertise. They encourage numerous confidence. So I’m enthusiastic about it. But I didn’t have such expertise in India.