MIND Magazine JUNE 2019 Issue #18

COVER

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Team Sukiran Singh, Editor-in-Chief Simarjot Wadhwa, Junior Editor Disha Shah, Features Editor, Co-ordinator Ankur Bhoria, Photographer Vaibhav Aher, Photography Assistant

Contributers Karan Sarnaik, Photographer Ruchir Vashishtha, Photographer Ranveer Dua, Photographer Debdeep Mukherjee, Photographer Bharat Gupta, Stylist Kayal Parakh, Stylist Shimoli Kapasi, Stylist Poonam Gupta, Stylist Juveria Khan, MUA Janak Thapa, MUA Shivika Tiwari, MUA Ambica Kukrety, MUA Hrida Deepak, HAIR Ankita Manwani, MUA

Thank you Unicustalent Inega Models TFM Models DNH Media

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CONTENTS

8 When Chai INDEX Met Toast

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The Melodious Incandescense

28 Ankur Tewari

34 Coachella Fairy

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Prakriti Kakar

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Millenial Musicians

64 Ananya Birla

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Cover Story

88 Parekh & Singh

94 THE SOLOIST

Summer of 19

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Editor’s note Music has no language, no bounds. We say that, but do we really believe that?

I was shooting a Fashion editorial once, when a nice Bollywood track plays out automatically on YouTube. The Stylist of the shoot (a known personality) makes a strange face and throws a sarcastic fit, ‘Who played that? (sneakily laughs)’ Well this incident doesn’t define what music is, but definitely defines the perception of music in different minds. Rich or poor, Young and Old, men and women like different styles and genres of music, which are plenty.

I remember, between the age of 15-18, all I listened to was 140 BPM techno and trance crap. It got my heart pumping and thumping, at the same time encouraged my grandparents to envision me being thrown out of the house due to the loud nature of the music’s style. I’m glad they didn’t. I wonder what their reaction would have been, if I was into death metal.

Now, I can’t stand rhythm-less, unreasonably loud music. I truly appreciate poetry of well written lyrics. Of course that’s in rarity with the newly re-discovered vulgarity in music, be it Munnis and Sheelas of India, or Anacondas of America. I deny to use my intelligence to try and understand tracks like ‘Gucci Gang’ and ‘Bum Bum Tam tam’.

90’s and early 2000’s music was a breath of fresh air for India. Be it Kumar Sanu-s, AR Rehman-s or Udit Narayan-s of Bollywood, or be it Lucky Ali-s, Silk route-s and Euphoria-s of Indie Music. The music had soul, which India had lost in a decade of ‘Khara hai and sarkai lio khatiya’ Well, lucky for us, as the music scene of India goes into a dump (with due respect to Badshah-s and Honey Singh-s), the indie Pop and rock scene has once again started to shine bright, like the good old days. This issue is a happy issue for us.

We got to talk to amazing indie artists, and of course created beauty shoots inspired by melody and the contemporary Music world.

We hope you like it.

Sukiran Singh Editor, M.IND Mag

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When Chai Met Toast THEY MAY BE KNOWN AS INDIE MUSICIANS AT THE MOMENT, BUT THEY ARE DEFINITELY CREATING A NEW DIRECTION WHERE INDIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY COULD (AND SHOULD) BE HEADING.

Interview by Sukiran Singh Q. To start with, your name (Chai Met Toast) definitely resonates with the simplicity of your music. What’s the origin story of that?

A. Well initially it was just a random pick like how post malone says, band name generator and what not. But then it all made sense, we had that name for a reason. It represents a bunch of Indian boys playing happy english folk, atleast thats what we feel.

Q. Why pop, when most instrument playing bands or Indies (as mainstream apparently is only Bollywood) in India focus on Rock or Metal?

A. We did not define it as pop, we think songwriting is open to ideas and some become popular and some has its own niche. We never thought we’d get categorised in pop, Pop being popular here, we made music because we love it.

We like to classify ourselves as neo-folk if we really need to define the music in terms of a genre.

Q. Which artists do you derive your inspiration from? And which ones you like to work with?

A. This is something we keep telling people, we were born in proper indian households where we initially started the journey into music with whatever our family or parents used to listen to, now it has a different hemisphere to it alto-

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altogether. Listening somedays range from yesudas, kishore kumar to young the giant, 1975, bears den, jungle and more.

Q. Your tracks extract a sense of Nostalgia. How do you manage that?

A. I think we write a song from fragments of life or memories we’ve had in our lives. Probably the reason people resonate the same feeling which they’ve felt before and we open up our songwriting ideas for people to perceive it in their own ways, even though we add a story to frame it.

Q. As many big YouTube based bands are now outsourcing lyrics, do you write your own lyrics? If yes, what inspirations and methods help you develop them.

A .We, till date wrote our own lyrics, things were always in our hands. We believe it connects well when we write what we have to say, sometimes getting help is needed. For example the new malayalam song which is set for a release in june is written by Engandiyoor chandrasekhar who wrote lyrics for nada nada from Avial.

Q. Somethings that makes your vocals and instrumentals interesting, are the multicultural vernaculars and essences of India. How was the style decided to be the signature style of music?

A. It was never intended to be a style, some songs we feel that it could be said out loud in many ways and different languages but still pass on the same feeling. Which for us makes sense and a lot more people understand the nature of the song from those lines.

Q. Making Interesting music videos or performing in Live shows? This question is from an artistic point of view?

A. Both to be honest, we get a kick from both. Putting out stories for people to watch and perceive a certain concept to enhancing the same feeling during a live show makes us feel ecstatic. Both in terms of an artist point of view.

Q. Your Music Videos are adorable, simplistic and yet very international.

Tell us about them. How are they created? What part you guys play in designing them?

A. Music videos are straight a story from the heart. Things that happen around us, things we forget to cherish, things we don’t look at when we are stuck in a bubble, things we miss out with a blink of an eye. We take them and create a loop around it for people to just re visit what they have seen or had and have a good time out of it. We have a whole hand in deciding what we need to do and we sit on it like our baby.

Q. I absolutely love ‘Khoj’, but this track and all others specially, never reached the successof ‘Firefly’, even when you have constantly delivered.

Why do you think that is?

A. We still think Khoj is outdoing firefly from what we see, the initial push firefly gave for us was insane, but khoj in a few months have been the most asked for song at our gigs. It all takes a gradual time to hit the spot, we are just going

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with the flow and being organic about it.

Q. Which track is your absolute favorite?

A. Hard to pick one, we write everything with our heart in it.

Q. What number is the Ideal audience size for you when performing live? (some artists want million, others not even one.)

A. We’d like to see millions smile and sing along all this one day. But whatever said and done even if it is 5 or 5000 we make sure they have a good time when we are on stage.

Q. Finally, we ask this to everyone. Do you think you are a modern Indian, and why?

A. We think we are the same old malayalee boys who have seen both side of being mordant and traditional at the same time and don’t exactly want to be tagged with any name. We are just indians who’s trying to make this world a happier place with our music. Simple and straight!

***

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'Let me go passing by Let me go come back in time Let me be who I am All through this time.

Let me go passing by Let me go come back in time Walk in the dark Barefoot in the night.'

- When Chai Met Toast (Khoj)

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Skirt & top - Appapop

The melodious incandescence

SUSHRI SHRE YA M ISHRAA Photographed by SUKIRAN SINGH Styling by SHIMOLI KAPASI MUA by JUVERIA KHAN Production by DISHA SHAH Photography Assistance by VAIBHAV AHER, SHRADHA CHOPRA F T.

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Dress - Zara Earrings - chic accessorizer Shoes - forever 21

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Dress - Zara Earrings and bracelet - chic accessorizer Shoes - forever 21

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Black top (inside) - Zara Bodysuit - h&m Earrings - chic Accessorizer Shoes - berleigh luxury

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Outfit - Appapop

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Ankur Tewari SINGER, LYRICIST AND MUSIC DIRECTOR (AND MAN OF MANY OTHER CAREERS AND AN EXCITING LIFE.)

Interview by Disha Shah Q. What got you to write songs?

I have been writing songs right since school, my parents had a lot of music that was in French and in English that I dint understand I wanted to sing along, I just knew the tag lines and the hook lines so I use to kinda make up other lyrics around it and started to write songs just so that I could sing some songs that I liked.

Q. How old were you when you wrote your first song and what was it about?

I can’t recollect when I was writing my first song because I must be really young, I was in school for sure probably standard 8th or 9th and I am hundred percent sure it must be about heart break.

Q.Out of all the professions that you have undertaken which one do you prefer the most?

Actually frankly I feel I do the same profession but in a different form. I feel like I am telling stories in different forms whether it’s through my songs or writing or poetry. I feel my profession is a profession of a story teller.

Q. How do you balance your solo projects, and projects with the Ghalat family?

Probably on one leg, I don’t know!

Q. I am just intrigued to know why do you have so many children songs?

The main reason for that is because I wrote a children’s album so all the children’s song are in children’s album as it should be. I felt for a long time that there were not many Children songs in Hindi and I felt I wanted to write them so my nieces and my nephews could enjoy kids songs that are not in a British accent.

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Q. We got to know about your struggles in one of your interviews. Do you think it’s justify that just to survive we have to leave aside our original aspirations? (This popped up in my mind when I heard about you leaving music to do other things) As I said before I never considered myself as a fulltime musician, for me. it’s a way of expression and I have always been finding various mediums to express my feelings and I only picked up jobs and projects in which I could express my feelings, a lot of times it was through music and sometimes it was not through music.

Q. The 18-song soundtrack from Gully Boy has been receiving a lot of praise. it is quite different from your signature acoustic melodies. What interested you to take up the project?

For Gully Boy project, I was hired to do the Music Supervision and that’s how it interested me. I had worked with the rappers when I working with Mtv Indies, and I found it an interesting learning process as well to work in a genre I usually don’t work in.

Q. We have heard that you’re one of the founders of Spoken fest? (It’s a platform for people to share their stories, poetry) how did that came to happen?

Spoken Fest is a part of comun, it’s a company that was co-founded by Gaurav Kapoor, Roshan Abas and I. We always wanted to express ourselves in performance art and we felt not enough was happening in the city. So we taught we should make a kind of place where we could express our self, in various kinds of performance art, whether it’s like spoken word, poetry even sing a song writer and we found a kind of an audience and when we had enough of an audience

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we taught we should do a festival and that’s how spoken fest came into being.

Q. What do you personally consider to be decisive moments in your work and/or career?

I am a foreign independent artist, each and every moment is a decisive moment, because every decision you take can snow ball into something huge.

One decision of meeting someone could make you meet some other people, one song that you record at the basement of your house, could probably under being your biggest song. So there have been many decisive moments, most of them being the songs that I ended up writing.

Q. ‘If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?’

I would definitely change the way artist are paid, I want them to be paid better in a more organised way. So they don’t spend most of their time chasing cheques or chasing clients, instead of creating stuff.

Q. What next for Ankur Tewari and Ghalat Family?

We are working on an EP and some some singles that we are going to release, interesting music is coming up so look forward to it.

QLastly, we ask everyone. Do you think you’re a modern Indian? if yes, Why? I definitely think I am a modern Indian living in a very strange time in India, be-

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because I feel I am trying to define myself in this current context of what’s happening around the world. I feel like I am open to kinda exploring newer things bigger things as any progressive person should. So I would feel that’s a sign of Modern Indian where you’re not stuck in the past, where you learn from the past. ***

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COACHELLA

FAIRY

S ER A H S I NGH (T F M 3 6 0 ) Photographed by SUKIRAN SINGH MUA and HAIR by JANAK THAPA Assisted by HARSIMAR BHASIN Photography assistance by ANKUR BHORIA, VIVEK VERMA Production by DISHA SHAH F T.

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Lunar Fairy

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Bedazzled Fairy

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Tribal Fairy

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Galactic Fairy

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Warrior Fairy

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Prakriti Kakar MODERN INDIAN SINGER

Interview by Disha Shah Q. How did it all start? What drew you to music industry?

I believe music is a biological part for me. My sister being one part and having a mom who’s a music teacher for 18 years back in Delhi and also my elder sister chasing her dreams to be a singer while I was growing up. There was so much music around me and at home that I always found myself drawn towards music.

Q. Which artist inspired you the most growing up? And if gotten a chance, would you like to collaborate with them?

Growing up it was of course the legends Lata Ji, Asha Ji, Alka Yagnik, Sunidhi, Shreya and the list really never ends...If ever given a chance, I’d love to collaborate with Rahman Sir for a song Q. Do you think there’s competition between you and your sister? If yes, how do you handle it?

When you’re born with a twin who is passionate and inclined towards the same things as you, there’s bound to be competition when that passion slowly translates into the same profession but we’ve always looked at it as healthy competition. We really bring out the best in each other by helping each other and learning from each other. We’ve learnt how essential competition is to improve your art over the years and are each other’s biggest cheer leaders!

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Q. As an artist and as a person how many people you would want in the crowd, when you are performing?

As an artist, you long for biggest and most receptive audiences because without them no show would be successful. We crave to sing for audiences that support and inspire us. There’s really no better feeling in the world than your audience singing out lyrics of a song you’ve sung! It makes us feel accomplished in some small ways!

Q. We got to know about your nomination for the best activist anthem category of Honesty Oscar 2014, could you let us know more about it.

This happened when I had the chance to sing for the incredible Shankar Ehsaan Loy! When you sing for such great composers, magical things like this are possible.

Q. How did the collaboration with T-series happen?

My debut film song happened to be on T-series and thereafter as a label it’s always been very supportive of me. I really admire their vision for music and now they’re producing some of the biggest films of the year.

Releasing my debut single with them while I was signed as their artist will always be memorable.

Q. What’s something you learned early on in your career that made you a better artist?

One thing I learned early on in my career was that you have to be ready to be disappointed and take disappointments head on! The sooner you learn this, the happier you’ll be. In a field like ours, we face some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows but in the end when your hard work and dedication pays off, you’ll not mind the lows and remember only the highs.

Q. Any Subject in particular, that you’ve always wanted to write a song/ sing about?

I’ve always wanted to write songs about falling in love with your own self. Our generation definitely can use some more self -love and less self-doubt. I really want to write a song for once not about falling in or out of love with someone else but a song that makes everyone fall in love with themselves and respect themselves more!

Q. We have heard that you were inclined to English music, Any future plans on that?

English music will always be a part of the plan because that’s what made me pursue music in the first place. I still sing a lot in English on my gigs and sometimes for my YouTube content. I definitely plan to do a lot more collaborations this year with some artists from the West!

Q. What are the new projects that you’re working on?

Working on a lot of independent songs and a lot of independent song writing these days. My next single which is something really close to my heart releases in the first week of June! Stay tuned!

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Q. Do you think you’re a Modern Indian? And why?

Absolutely. I would say I’m a modern Indian because I’m fiercely independent, work on my own terms, very rooted to my typical Indian upbringing but at the same time reasonable and rational about most things. I think I belong to a generation that’s really stubborn, don’t give up easily and are very focused to having a life we are proud of. ***

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MILLENIAL PHOT O G RAHE R- R U C HIR VASH ISH TH A S TYL ED AND I NTERVI EWED - POOJA GUPTA

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Chezin; Singer, Songwriter and Record Producer Did you know people say you sing like Bruno Mars, haha! Describe your sound.

Answer: Haha! Yeah I’ve heard this a few times. I think Bruno is the best singer is Pop music right now and his vocal ability is unmatched. I’ve certainly got a lot of work cut out to get to that level, but in terms of sound, he’s definitely an inspiration. However, for me it goes beyond Bruno.

I’m very influenced by Pop music of all eras - 70s, 80s, 90s as well as the Pop music of today. Justin Timberlake, for instance, is a major inspiration for me and kinda played a crucial role when I started singing in school. My music tends to be very heavy on Groove, I think because all the songs that I consider my favourites, have been Groove oriented hits! For me the Bassline is of utmost importance in a song, with a solid drum beat to go with it! That’s half the magic of a great song right there I feel!

And I do my best to tap into catchy vocal melodies to sing over that foundation.

MUSICIAN

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Tanya; Singer-Songwriter What inspires you to write music?

Do you have any early memories of when you were driven towards writing lyrics and singing?

Anything and everything inspires me to write music. I get to tell different stories through my music. I can transport myself into a different world through song writing. Of course there is the occasional writer’s block when nothing comes to your mind and that’s frustrating. I’ve been singing since I was 5 or 6 years old but I only wrote my first song in 2012. I’m sure I wrote some crap in my teens but my actual memory of the first song I wrote was in 2012.

And it was called “wild night”.

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Saby; Rapper How has Rap music shaped the music industry and do rappers like yourself, feel more expressive when rapping?

I think rap music or any other genre that has or have had the power to influence masses have shaped this industry otherwise it could have been worse. And its still an ongoing process, it’s like whenever any independent musician break some barrier this music industry gets affected. What I feel is that it has been always dominated by bollywood music where most of the labels lack the strategic process to market a music form as real as rap music. They still choose what would easily penetrate the audience and what is already working instead of what needs to be introduced. And obviously I feel expressive thats why I am doing it. It’s anti establishment, crude, and majorly defines what the reality is in our society.

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Shirish; Music Producer & Composer What’s the biggest problem you’ve had to overcome so far?

There is no one thing I could name. However being a producer primarily, my work revolves around collaborating with various artists and dealing with different people, the differences in their work ethics has been challenging at times.

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Honey; Drummer Would you say that you’re living a dual life in between balancing your job and music? If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?

Musician by the night and a corporate captive by the day is what I’d refer to myself.

The duality lives, in order to support my own music and my family. When things are not served to you, they are supposed to be earned. It could be a juggling act for some, however its just a spark of inspiration for me. It is a mixture of dedication, determination, planning and the will to do something to make sure your music doesn’t get pushed to the back burner when the corporate captivity is demanding.

Like Notorious BIG once quoted, “I’m living everyday like a hustle. Another drug to juggle. Another day, another struggle.”

Talking about the industry, The absence of any organised network for musicians playing in various parts of the country has led to a distorted independent music scene.

It’s hard to find a network or an established forum that can help muscians bring their music out in front of people and as a matter of fact, The independent music scene is overruled by the bollywood music which takes a tricky turn for the independent artists restricting them to limited ears and hence taking a longer time to evolve and establish even if its well-deserved.

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Sanjeeta; Singer-Songwriter What do you enjoy most about being a musician? What do you hate most?

And what advice would you give to fellow beginners?

What I love most is the freedom to express myself when pen touches paper, translate it into a song and when I get the mic, convey it to the audience. I love playing live, I enjoy how vulnerable and powerful it makes me feel all at the same time. And of course, the fact that I get to travel is the cherry on the pie!

I dislike the fact that it’s very easy to feel like what you’re doing is pointless and lose motivation. That’s where your intent becomes very important. If your intent isnt clear, it’s easy to slip down a downward spiral of anxiety, depression and substances.

I would ask my fellow musicians to not get carried away by compliments and to take constructive criticism seriously. Don’t get lost in a world of fake mutual admiration and people pleasing attitude. Recognize your real friends and keep them close. Realize why you want to make music in the first place and pay mind to the words because words stay on.

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Nash- DJ When it comes to Indian underground scene, Nash JR is the name to be reckoned with.

Be it Hip-Hop, Grime Uk Garage, Breakbeat, or even the most elusive IDM techno, Nash knows his way across the genres, weaving a sonic journey combining all the genres together.

Taking his sound a notch higher, Nash has been touring across the nation spreading his love for Bass music.

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Ft. (Left to right) @sjsaby @madoverdrums @nashjrofficial @sanjeeta11 @chezinofficial @daytimerocker @tanya_nambiar Oragne Jumpsuit, Olive layered joggers, crime scene joggers, patch cargo trousers, triangular distressed vest, black ninja sweatshirt, scuba drop shoulder hoodie- @fugazeeinc Skirt on Sanjeeta & Faux Fur jacket on Tanya- @nsgaia Space Cargo & Strappy Tunic- @shiarai_official

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Ananya Birla INTERNATIONAL POP STAR, BIRLA HAS CREATED MANY HIT SINGLES AT A GLOBAL PLATFORM. Photographed by KARAN SARNAIK Styling by BHARAT GUPTA Makeup by AMBICA KUKRETY HAIR by HRIDA DEEPAK Photography assistance by ANKUR BHORIA

Interview by SUKIRAN SINGH Q. Let’s start with the elephant in the room. A lot of people think what you have achieved is because of your family wealth and connections. I understand it’s great to have support, but to sustain you need a following. Tell us how it all happened, and clear the haze?

My father’s money didn’t write a platinum selling record or step into studio to sing – that has come from within me. It’s my experiences, whether happy or sad, that I pen down. My fans give me so much unconditional love and appreciation because they enjoy the songs and are emotionally vested within me. One does not choose where they are born, but of course being born into a family with a platform does have its advantages. Like you said, starting off maybe easier, but sustaining that comes with pure faith, hard work and talent, which can prove to be tougher as you are battling the stereotypes that come with a platform.

People can have their own opinions but at the end of the day, work speaks for itself. For me the most important thing is that I have really supportive parents and I am very grateful for that.

Q. Why Pop, as a genre?

Pop means ‘Popular’ and hence it is so flexible, it is not just reserved for easy upbeat melodies any more, it can include anything which is why it is a great

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Making of a Pop Star

outfit - madglam

Barbie Girl

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Dress - Oceanissswimwear Shirt - stylists own

Making of a Pop Star

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space to be in. But I’ve never been a big fan of labels. They are reductive and limiting. For me, it’s purely about making good music regardless of labels – whether that is experimenting with different genres and styles or collaborating with artists from other parts of the world.

My latest EP includes some hip-hop, a bit of electro, and some straight up ‘pop’. Although the tracks are all different, what connects them, and all my music, is that they are authentic and emotionally driven.

Q. And why English as a Medium? We all know it’s generally difficult to converse in a foreign language, you are building a career by singing in one.

For me songwriting is a very integral part of the process of being an artist. I thoroughly enjoy it. I write or co-write all my songs. Since I think in English, it’s just the natural way in which I like to sing and express myself. At the end of the day, music is a universal language and regardless of language it is so powerful. I would love to sing in different languages if the opportunity arises.

Q. Did you take technical training in music or vocals?

I picked up my first instrument, the santoor, when I was nine and was immediately obsessed. It helped to develop my ear.

I’ve had vocal training for a while. I have a wonderful coach who is always pushing me to improve, adapt my sound and maintain good vocal health. We have a number of lessons from breathing techniques, to running on a treadmill in order to enhance singing stamina to performance training.

Q. One of your singles have gone Platinum in the past, yet not many Indians know how well you are doing in International Circuits. Why is that and what would you want to do to change that?

Little by little, one travels far! People have already started recognizing my music – I am so grateful for the five platinum records! I am sure as I continue to make more music, more people will begin to listen and hopefully enjoy my music, whether within India or from other places in the world.

Q. Which track of yours is your favorite. I know they are all your babies, but even Daenerys prefers Drogon.

Ha ha! That is so tough. ‘Love Suicide’ from my latest EP was super emotional to work on because the feelings were really raw – it was all about the pain of toxic love – the can’t-live-with-or-without kind. It brought up a load of stuff that I had supressed for a while, I cried when I first heard the completed version of the track. It’s probably my favourite from this EP. The most fun has definitely been the track I am working on with Sean. We met when I was asked to open his show over here and got on immediately. The minute I was next in LA, we got into the studio together and had the best time - he is so funny and such a positive presence. I’d been a fan since he did ‘Beautiful Girls’ back in the day, so it was amazing to get to collaborate with him.

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Q. Which artist was the best experience to collaborate with? And whom would you like to work with?

Working on the EP with so many awesome creatives around the world was such a brilliant experience. I collaborated on ‘Blackout’ with Vector and WurlD who are two of Nigeria’s most promising hip hop artists, and with Angela Hunte who wrote one of my all-time favourite songs ‘Empire State of Mind’, DJ Buddha and Mood Melodies on the rest of the EP. Working with artists from different countries is a great reminder that music is the true universal language. Getting that extra perspective also really helps elevate a track to the next level.

Q. What other genres would you like to experiment in? If any.

I listened to a lot of hip hop and rap when I was growing up, and I’d always wanted to work on a song in that territory. I’d say ‘Blackout’ from my EP ‘Fingerprint’ has a 90s hip hop vibe When I came to work on ‘Blackout’ with Vector and WurlD, it all came together very smoothly. I worked hard on getting that bounce required for a song like that. The process has definitely given me the confidence to experiment more, both in hip hop and other genres too.

As I grow and develop as an artist, I want to continue embracing new sounds and flavours. As long as I believe in what I’m making.

Q. I noticed that your sense of style is very simple and elegant chic (so is your family’s), which portrays you to be very humble, approachable and down to earth. We all mere mortals have seen a fair share of fairly rich snobs; how do you manage to be the way I described you?

To be honest, I don’t really think about it, it’s just who I am. I have a lot to thank my parents for! But thank you, what you said means a lot! I spend quite a bit of time glammed up for shoots or events, so in day-to-day life I love to go for a much more laid-back style. Just jeans and a tee with a nice pair of sneakers.

I don’t really follow fashion religiously – though I know what I like, and I can appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into beautiful clothes.

Q. I asked you earlier about popularity in India, and now just about fashion.

Do you think over dressing, drama or loud mouthing is a key to faster success rate?

There’s a saying that there’s no such thing as bad publicity - but in my opinion that’s totally wrong. I don’t think there is a quick route to anything worthwhile in life, and I’d much rather spend my time trying to make a positive impact than grabbing attention with PR stunts. This is just my personal opinion, however I would respect others’ approaches or opinions that may differ from mine.

I’m so grateful for all the recognition I’ve been getting. Whenever a fan tells me that they connected with my music and that it helped them through something or made them feel less alone - that is why I do this. In the past, when I was going through a dark time, I turned to music for solace. That some people turn to my music these days is incredibly special. It’s all about the music.

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Making of a Pop Star

Somebody that I used to Know

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Q. Apart from music, you’ve done some interesting ventures. One is Svatantra Microfin (Microfinance for n). How did that come to be and how does it work?

When I was 17, I set up Svatantra, which is a company that supports female entrepreneurs in rural areas and helps them to grow their businesses through microloans. I wanted to create a platform which encourages women to fulfil their potential and achieve independence. There is so much research that demonstrates how when women work, not only do their lives improve but so do the lives of their families and communities. So far, we’ve worked with over 600,000 women which is pretty amazing.

Q. Your support of women’s rights is visible in your new video ‘Unstoppable’. Some people compare it with ‘Girls’ by Maroon 5. (I guess the video and the nature of the content.) What would you like to say about that, and also, how did the inspiration strike?

It is flattering to be put in the same bracket as Maroon 5. There’s definitely a bit of a zeitgeist at the moment – women’s activism is getting the recognition it deserves, especially in the wake of #MeToo. The song celebrates women and the video features thirteen inspirational, trailblazing women who have overcome barriers and achieved amazing things; listening to some of their stories while we were working on the concept was a massively humbling and inspiring experience.

We still live in an unequal society, we still have to fight against prejudice and stereotypes and news headlines show more infringements on our rights every day. ‘Unstoppable’ is a celebration of women, but it should also serve as a reminder for women to feel that their gender is a source of strength. I originally wrote it for my mum because her strength inspires me everyday.

Q. Curo Carte is another venture of yours. How did that come to be?

I love art in its purest form. When people make something beautiful with their hands it just fascinates me, there is another kind of luxury in hand made. At CuroCarte we curate and design hand-made objects made by artisans from around the globe, some of whom are struggling to keep their craft alive. At a time when everything is machine-made, I wanted to honour slow craft and the ancient traditions of making.

Q. Tell us about your next projects and if you are planning live shows in India soon?

Just a little while back, we did a round of secret gigs just for a limited number of fans, which was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to tour! The next few months I’m going to be working on more music, more collaborations and more shows here and around the world, which I’ll announce very soon. I am so excited! Next up is a track with Sean Kingston in July – so stay tuned for that! I think it’s a big one for me.

Q. Finally, we ask this to everyone we Interview. Do you think you are a Modern Indian and why?

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I don’t know how a Modern Indian would be defined. I adore the richness of my cultural heritage, but my world-view is firmly global and my eye is on the future.

India has a great future and I can’t wait to see it all unfold. I hope I am doing my bit to contribute. ***

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THE SOLOIST

PR AT E E K B A I D ( T F M 3 6 0 ) Photographed by RANVEER DUA MUA by ANKITA MANWANI Styling by POONAM GUPTA Production by DISHA SHAH Styling Interns VIDUSHI & LAVEENA F T.

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COVER STORY Suit -RohitDoshilabel Shirt -SsHomme Watch - GC INDIA Shoes -Tres Mode

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Jacket- Paresh lamba Trousers, shirt & tie -ss HOMME Watch -GC INDIA Shoes- tres mode

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Suit -NMStudio Shirt -SsHomme Watch -GC INDIA Shoes -Adidas

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Parekh and Singh THE NEW AGE MUSICIANS, BRINGING INDIA TO THE INTERNATIONAL MAP.

INTERVIEW by SUKIRAN SINGH

Q. To start with, we heard the news of your shows being cancelled. There was buzz about health. The fans were quite sad about it. Can we know what happened?

A. There is a note on our social media channels which summarises and explains the tour cancellation. You can read it by going to @parekhandsingh on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Q. We know for a fact that music is a healer. But can music industry be a trigger factor in stress generation?

A. Anything is possible.

Q. Asked many artists, and would like to know the same from you. What’s the ideal size of audience for you? (some artists want a crowd of million and others want none.) And Why? A. We truly appreciate each person who has listened to our music, watched our videos, come to our shows, shared our content, and supported us in our journey thus far.

Q. Your music and the famously Wes Anderson inspired visuals do depict the deepness and dark undertones you’d like to express. How did the inspiration come up to be and why?

A. We love interacting with the art of others and we love making art ourselves.

Inspiration is a feeling of energy and interest which we try to channel into our work.

Q. I am very much fascinated by the clothing style you use in the videos?

What is the symbolism behind that?

A. The clothes are both a uniform and a costume. They put us in a specific frame of mind, and of course give us a distinctive visual identity.

Q. Going back to the past, how did you two actually come together?

A. We came together through an organic process of friendship, learning and exploration - which continues to this day.

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Q. Why Indie pop, as a Genre?

A. We’re not trying to be part of a genre; we just make the music we enjoy making.

Q. We know you produce your own music. Do you write lyrics for the vocals too? How do you generate ideas for them?

A. Nischay writes all the lyrics. The ideas come in various ways and he makes a note of them as soon as he can. Sometimes they come fully formed and sometimes they are sketches which he will refine over time.

Q. Would you ever want to work in other genres? Specially the commercial ones like Bollywood?

A. Certainly! We’re open to all sorts of opportunities.

Q. A lot of musicians who have gone through issues have stopped producing music, I hope you don’t. But If not this, then what else you’d be doing?

A. Anything that is creatively fulfilling, intellectually stimulating, adds value to our lives and the lives of others.

Q. Which track of yours is closest to you?

A. It varies.

Q. What would say to new artists trying their luck in Indie music world.

A. Work hard, prioritize your health and keep it light.

Q Do you guys think you can call yourself Modern Indians? And Why? A. We rarely think about any labels beyond “human being”.

***

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KAR O L BUSS ( UNICUSTAL ENT ) Photographed by ANKUR BHORIA MUA by SHIVIKA TIWARI Styling by KAYAL PARAKH F T.

Jumpsuit : Juju pret Earrings : kripaa earrings Jacket : Savleen Lamba Shoes : fleur fusion Rings : Bblingg by meghana

TREND: SHADES OF BEIGE

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TREND: CYCLING SHORTS

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TREND: TIE & DYE

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