Astha Tamang-Maskey is a Toronto-based Nepali indie alternative pop singer/songwriter and a rising sound engineer. With 2 studio albums released, she is currently working on her third full-length Nepali album, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’, which is scheduled to release in 2020. The title track of the upcoming record released on July 27.

MyCity features Maskey for this week’s Instant Inquiry. Here are the results:

What is music for you?
Spirituality. Music has always been a way for me to feel closer to the divine.

What do you feel from your vocals?
I feel like the messages I am trying to convey are positivity and unconditional love.

If you could be any musician for a day, who would he/she be? Why?
Alicia keys. I love everything about her; her message, her spirit and her outlook on life.

What do you do when you are alone at home?
I spend a lot of time in my garden. If not, I’m in my kitchen cooking or baking. I just finished baking my latest batch of vegan gluten-free banana bread.

What’s your favorite jam?
Blueberry (jokes). I’m currently listening to “Afno Sansar” by Yugal Gurung.

 If you could hang out with any musician, who would it be? Why?
Alicia Keys, please! Same reasons as above. I feel that at our core we share the same values in life.

Any songs you wish you had written?
"River” by Leon Bridges. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I get goosebumps every time I listen to it.

Which international band do you want to be a part of?
H.E.R -- She’s a solo artist, but her band is absolutely kickass!

Dream concert to attend?
So many! But I’m dying to catch Daniel Caesar and H.E.R live someday. I hope it will happen soon for me.

Dream venue to play?
I caught a concert at the Sydney Opera House during my Ma Ek Sapana Australia tour in 2014. It would be a dream to play there someday. The acoustics there are phenomenal.

What do you enjoy most about being a musician?
I love songwriting. It is a very spiritual experience where I get to connect with my truest self.

What do you hate the most?
I hate that music has now somewhat become a popularity battle for likes, views or attention. I wish people didn’t judge a piece of music by looking at how many views/listens it has. I think that really hurts creators, especially new artists trying to break into the music scene.

A lesson you learned as a musician?
Humility and perseverance. Staying true to who you are.

What do you want to change about the industry?
I would encourage the Nepali music industry to become more supportive of the local artists. I would love to create more of a support structure for emerging talent. I want to see growth in not just the creative side of music, but also in the business side which includes branding, proper artist management, marketing and promotions, rights management, royalty collection and so on. 

Any messages you want to give to the people who want to rock?
Be yourself! Be humble and be kind. If your true passion is in music, you will find a way to continue making music. I can’t promise you that it’s an easy road, but I will assure you that it will be very fulfilling.