Despite the predominance of Bollywood music in India, the music culture is becoming more accepting towards the Indie and Western genre of music.
Many artists are trying to put their music out there and The Circular got the opportunity to interview one such amazing artist.
“From trying to find the right notes to creating
my own tunes, I think I am far away from where I began. “
Mandhir Singh is an Indian singer-songwriter based in New Delhi. He talks about his love for music, his journey as a musician and about his debut single – ‘Aurora’ in a quick interview:
How will you define music? Music is a feeling for me. I don’t think my words are capable enough to describe this feeling, but still, if I have to, I’d call it home, a safe place! Just like home is a place you run back to, when everything else gets harder and rains & storms are hard to deal with, I run back to music in the same way. Just like home, it keeps my life warm.
How far have you come in your musical journey? From trying to find the right notes to creating my own tunes, I think I am far away from where I began. I have been learning all my life and I have grown a lot. But I believe that it’s a never-ending process. There is still a lot to learn. It’s like flying. No matter how high a bird flies, there’s always something beyond waiting for you.
Do you remember your first musical instrument? One can never forget the firsts! I still remember receiving a harmonica as a birthday gift and it was my first instrument. It’s still special to me.
What are your inspirations for writing and covering songs? My biggest inspirations for songwriting include an Indie artist Shantanu Pandit who goes by the artist name ‘Morning Mourning’ and his band ‘Run it’s the kid’. And I have always been fascinated by Damien rice as well. To marry the right words with the right rhythm isn’t as easy as it seems, and these are the two of the many names I look up to, to learn this art. Also, for covering songs, Sam Smith’s voice connects with me at a different level. So, I try to sing his songs to live the magic that he creates with his voice.
Are you a lyric person or a tune person? I think a balance between the two is absolutely essential. I try to manage both, but if I have to pick one, I will say that I am a tune person. I can listen to instrumentals for hours.
Tell us about your debut single. Aurora is my first ever original song and it will always be special to me. I have seen it grow from an idea in my mind to a song on the screen! It’s not just a lover’s quest to find his love. It’s a lot more than that. It’s about every bit of emotion that a person goes through in the stages of love, the dilemmas he has to tackle, the things he has to risk and so on. All in all, I’d say that I will call Aurora a journey to self-discovery.
What’s your opinion on Indie and Western music in India? I think the Indie and Western music culture has seen an enormous boost in India. Artists like Prateek Kuhad have taken the country by storm. An enormous number of promising artists are coming forward. I am also trying to make a mark in this Indie scene.
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Mandhir is amongst the few up and coming artists that are firmly gaining ground in the Indie music scene in India, helping the nation’s musical horizons expand. Don’t forget to check out Mandhir’s second original piece ‘Waterfall of words’ – it speaks about how you need to find the right words to express your love.
