Whether you are a ghazal lover or someone who only vibes to hip-hop, music is the only form of art that can bring huge communities together. Just like with literature, music lets you escape into a world of your own making and has the power to heal. So much so, the song Weightless by English ambient band Marconi Union is scientifically proven to induce a 65% reduction in anxiety and a 35% reduction in usual physiological resting rates.
On this World Music Day, OT got chatting with some of our favourite, and steadily growing in popularity, musicians mainly from the social media space, who shared their journeys and their goals going ahead. Read on for some excerpts from our interviews.
Melissa Srivastava
"As a child, when I sang at gatherings and events, a lot of people would come and tell my parents, 'Your daughter sings so well, she should do something in music,' and I guess feeling that appreciation, with the constant support of my parents, made me decide to pick music," said Melissa Srivastava. With a strong following of around 3,50,000 on Instagram, the 21-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist covers everything from old Bollywood melodies to soulful Sufi numbers and Western rock and pop.
Talking about her social media journey, she said, "I made an account on Instagram when I was 12 or 13 just to post my covers for my friends in different cities. Since I'm not tech-savvy, initially, I didn't realise my account was public. But then my followers started steadily increasing." After posting covers for the past eight years, a couple of her videos went viral during the lockdown, even catching the attention of Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana. Now in college, Melissa says she is doing what she loves, which is making music. When asked if an EP is in the works, she said, "I do have a couple of unreleased songs, and I'm planning to put out a single, which should hopefully be this year. But it's still too soon for an EP."
Alboe
"I started singing at eight and picked up percussion right after that," said Alboe, the Delhi-based classical singer and electronica producer. Talking about his earliest memories of music, he said, "As I learned more instruments and picked up new skills, I started listening to more complex music. As electronic music came about during my college days, I was intrigued by its power to make people dance. Around that time is when I decided to pursue it further."
He recently released his new EP Love Languages. "Love Languages is a compilation of six electronic dance songs in four different languages - English, Bengali, Hindi and Punjabi featuring singers from around India," he explains of his latest release. "Many emerging folk-electronic artists inspired me to experiment with new genres and dialects, which resulted in the creation of Love Languages." Besides music, his concern over improper waste disposal, which he often notices during his travels, has made him take a keen interest in waste management. "Outside of music, I provide biodegradable packaging solutions to replace plastic wherever needed."
kidvidel
"There's none I can think of, except when I was obsessed with the idea of becoming a Disney actor/singer for a concerningly long period of time," said 20-year-old Mumbai-based musician who goes by the artist name kidvidel, while talking about his earliest musical dreams. Though only a 'kid' in his career, with three original songs under his belt, all of his songs mix the genres of dream pop and contemporary electropop with strong vocals colouring his hazy lyrics. "The band R5 really got me into pop music, but I'm making different genres these days."
His latest release is a melancholic ballad, Juno, with a sweeping hook line. "Juno is a pretty song. I made Juno because I randomly thought up the hook melody one day and couldn't get it out of my head, which is how I write much of my music," he explained. "Juno is the first song I've released that expresses me as a person and an artist going forward. It's a sad ballad about my apathy after someone left my life. I want people to perceive it however they want to, though. That's why I kept the lyrics vague." About his plans for new music, he promises many exciting things are in the pipeline. "I'm working on a lot of new music with the Maharaja Collective, and we can't wait to show everyone what we're making these days."
Cover photo credit Shutterstock