Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I’m a Tamil Canadian artist from Toronto. I’ve been singing since I was 3. The stage has always been my happy place and I think that’s what spearheaded my drive to start making it for myself, with the first song being Completely Incomplete.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: I was trained in Carnatic music for about 15 years, and did vocal lessons for western music for about 8 years.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
A: Oh god too many to count. I think vocally at age 8-15, I’ve definitely had more influence from artists that belt. This includes Bruno Mars, Demi Lovato, The Weeknd, JoJo to name a few. Musically I love to look at smaller artists, including my friends OAJEEH, Shae, Mrii & LAYOR.
Q: You have just released your new album, ‘NONE OF THIS WAS EASY’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Definitely! Buckle in for a paragraph, it’s definitely a story haha. I was in a really different place when I started writing this album. I actually was writing an EP called “The Heartbreak Train”, exploring the genres & themes I introduced in my first project Dark Euphoria. But alas, times changed and 2020 brought on a new struggle for both the world and I. To summarize it, I fell into a lot of mental health issues & the wicked thing was that I was forced to spend time in my room instead of coping with my friends. Those thoughts, tears & anger is what you hear in these songs. After a year and a half hiatus from even recording, I released “I GOTTA GO”, which really shifted my focus onto writing an r&b/pop driven record.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even another album from you in the near future?
A: I’m always writing. I left out a lot of external issues & good moments to really focus on the mental health aspect of it. So, I definitely have a lot to write about still. It’s funny because I actually wrote & recorded demos for about 4 songs the day before this album released. If I was to do another one right now, it would be in a complete genre, maybe rock or another type of pop. I think for the moment however, I want to focus on getting this album the attention it deserves.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: My sound has changed drastically over time, kind of with my personal journey. At first, I was very pop driven, mainly with ballads & the “formulaic” songs (from songs I studied as a kid to my mid teens). Overtime, I think the one thing that’s stayed the same is my ability to go there with a note & not be afraid to hit or sway away from one.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: As a small artist, you always would love more. More recognition, more praise, even more criticism to do better. But, this music is more for me & was released for me. I felt these songs served a greater purpose & made me feel good knowing it could help someone through a tough time. So they definitely fulfil me.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: Typically, I have an idea for what themes I want a song/project to relay. For this project, it was mental health awareness, especially coming from a culture where it’s a pretty opaque thing to talk about. From there, I scroll through the literal 1000’s of poems & lyrics I wrote in my spare time. I have a reference track, a melody in my head or a track my producer(s) had in my mind for me and build a track from there. With a structure, I’m able to then build on whatever I wrote beforehand. It’s so cathartic this way because it helps me fulfill my past selves words with my present selves feelings (also there’s definitely a taste of minor self validation *wink*).
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: My life? Definitely just the end of 2020 and 2021 as a whole. It was a lot at once & I really had to fight the fight to be in a semi okay place today. Musically, it’s definitely that year and a half I took off to focus on myself. It was not fun because singing is my comfort place. It was all part of a bigger and better plan for sure.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: Oh definitely when START OVER came into my life. I knew the minute I heard it, it would change my perspective on music. It had enough power to shift my album on the second half. It was the first song that hit 1000 streams for me & the first song I performed live. It’s definitely my favourite on the album (I love all of them of course). Another notable moment is definitely hearing the finished album for the first time. It helped me start to process all the good, bad and ugly.