Priyanka Gurung caught up with the singer to talk about all these things plus her rather impressive playlist.
You have been affiliated to Women in Concert for years now. Why do you think it is important?
I’m a little concerned with the lack of conviction among promising but yet to be discovered Nepali female singers around. There are many talents here but I feel like they are not pushing themselves enough. As a result, an overwhelming majority of music in our country are male made so I have always felt the need to encourage young female musicians. I was one of them. I know the difficulties you face because I was there once. But now that I’m in a place where I can give a platform to somebody else, so why not?
I still remember my struggles in Mumbai and Delhi. I had to constantly push myself to make demo tapes and send it to people but most girls today don’t do that. I don’t see a lot of drive in many of them and it is important to have the drive in order to be relevant in society.
So have you seen Woman in Concert make any tangible impact on the contestants?
Well, this time around we not only have a show but it is actually a competition and the winners will get a chance to record their albums, as well as our full support. We plan to mentor them closely this year. Besides it isn’t only about singing, it’s also about making music.
To a large extent, a singer is somebody who showcases somebody else’s creation. She may be great at it but there is room to do so much more. So these days I’m encouraging many singers to participate in song writing process as well. Perhaps later they could even expand their horizon to music direction, production and more. Music is something many people listen to and when girls don’t even write their own songs, I think it becomes a problem.
Has this been your experience as well?
Yes, I remember the first time I was singing somebody else’s song. I was being told to sing each line a certain way. This was a valid request but I didn’t like being controlled in that way. It’s not a pleasant experience to be creatively stifled like that. So from there on, I haven’t sung anybody else’s composition. The experience of having a free reign, singing your own songs, letting people know who you are is a wonderful thing. It’s one of the reasons I’m currently trying my hand at and learning to be a music director as well.
You are engaged in so many facets of music making, but which one do you think is the most challenging?
Writing lyrics is always tricky. I don’t like writing anything. I make sure the words to my song have a meaning and it resonates with the music I have created. However, there have been many instances where I have been stuck. Thankfully, I have good collaborators around – from my band to the most amazing poet in Nepal, Viplav Pratik, who is a friend and always ready to help.
The most important part though, I believe, is the production. It’s basically the presentation of the single because you may have a beautiful song but if the production goes wrong, it gets lost. The song won’t come through so I’m extra careful with that.
Lastly, you are working on your fourth studio album, what can we look forward to in it?
I have always thought it is important to move on creatively. People talk about bands and singers having a certain sound but I’m very wary about that. The way I see it, this basically means you are making the same music over and over again. I want to create as many different sounds as possible. We have the capability to do so. So hopefully the new project will bring forth new inspirations and vibes.
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