When you made it to the top 4, what was running on your mind? Did you think you will be the winner considering you had tough competition?
When I made it to the top 4 I didn ' t really think much about winning. To be honest, throughout the show, I really didn ' t think about the victory. To me victory is always like an opinion, different people have different kinds. But what made me happy was the fact that I wanted to be there till the last day and perform and try making people love rock n roll, which was happening!! And I couldn ' t be happier.
About the competition. I never was competing. I was performing. That ' s all I wanted to do. I knew that I am a part of a competition, but the competition wanted performers, someone who can speak to a crowd without saying a word, someone who could make people move just by singing a line while he / she looked into their eyes. This was my perception, this was what I was trying to build myself up as and tried to show the people and judges that this is me. Fortunately, it worked out well. People saw, they loved, they connected and now that the show is over. It ' s still there.
I ' m here in Bangalore right now, and the kind of love and warmth and hospitality I ' m receiving here is amazing! I wish I could just explain it in words.
So it wasn ' t really a competition to me. I never took it as one. I didn ' t think about victory. Maybe that ' s why it was easier for everyone to connect with me.
Honestly didn ' t expect the win, not because I didn ' t believe in myself, but because I kind of kept forgetting about it as I got so involved with just performing.
What according to you makes your voice stand out?
Everyone has a really special voice, we all sound different, and that is the beauty of voice.
For me, I guess what makes my voice stand out is firstly the acceptance that I have for however I sound, I don ' t have to sound like anyone, no artist who is loved and remembered sounds like anyone, and it ' s because they sound like themselves.
It ' s pretty much something I realised in my initial stage. I always adore and respect my voice, the way it is. I don ' t try to make it sound like something I would like to hear or like someone else. Also, I guess the very fact that I keep a bit of me and let it be natural helped. Something more that I guess made it standout is, used textures that are natural to me. I love using textures, sometimes, the raspy rough one, sometimes mellow, sometimes, bold and heavy, you know... It’ s always about the song and the expression. So maybe that. Basically, I understand my voice and respect it. That ' s pretty much what I think helped me.
Tell us about your practice routine while you were marching towards the winning spot
My practice routine. Now this might sound a little odd. But I do more of listening. It ' s good to practice, like doing warm ups and all of that. But it ' s very important to keep listening to the song, because that ' s where you discover every single important stuff done to the song, maybe like a word that is stressed, or softly whispered. It is down for a reason, read the whole line and see what it speaks of.
Also, if you ask me about practice in general, I do it 24 * 7, it shouldn ' t be just for an hour, I ' m always humming or moving around making weird noises, it really helps, it has to be 24 * 7, a routine, a part of your body. That ' s when nothing really affects. It ' s 24 * 7 for me, I practice my breathing warm ups when I go out for a walk, sing while I ' m sleeping or sitting or even walking, helps me increase a lot of stamina and control. It ' s always been that way for me and most of the people I look up to.
You look up to Vishal Dadlani as an idol, did you incorporate any of his style in your way of singing?
I look up to Vishal Dadlani, Girish Pradhan, Abhishek Gurung and have learnt a lot from each of them. I ' ve taken a bit of everything I have from each, not copied, but taken notes, of how, when, and what to do with a song. A style, is a trademark, it ' s a sign of originality of a singer, so I never tried doing that. But yes, whatever I have seen them doing, whatever I have noticed they do with their voice and their body on stage. It helped me. There is a lot. How to control, how to make it all happen, how to handle the stage in the worst situations, it all comes with experience, and they have it. I didn ' t really incorporate Vishal ' s style to anything cause of two reasons,
1. You cannot do what he does. It ' s magical!!
2. The judges were there to see what I could do and not who I could be like.
What was your biggest take-away from this season of The Stage?
My biggest takeaway from the stage this season has been more than just singing, it ' s been about believing in what I do. Loving what I do honestly, how I have always loved it. One thing that surprised me the most that will stay with me forever is the very fact that people loved what I loved and t hey loved me for what I do and not for anything else. They had one chance to support me and they did not disappoint me at all. The stage has opened a lot of gates for every artist who ' s been here. It ' s hard to think of all the amazing times we ' ve had there. Now that the show is over. I guess every day and every song, every practice session is the takeaway. Everything, every moment there is something which I can never replace. To me, it ' s every moment there that I ' ve spent is what I am going to have with me forever and will treasure it.
Your immediate plans
My immediate plans are pretty much about music itself. I ' m looking forward to shows, college fests, festivals, that ' s how I could go out play for more people, both originals, and covers. Would be great to work in the studio as well to know more about the soundscape and everything around it and how things work. Also, the album that I plan to release by 2018 is something that is in my priority list. Would love to do that.
So touring, gigging, recording and trying out something very new and different. These are my plan of action for the moment. In fact, a lot of colleges are getting in touch for events, a lot of festival organisers are getting in touch.
I guess it ' ll be awesome to play for people, record and have my stuff saved in their phones.
In short. Will be amazing to let people know that I ' m going to be giving them everything they expect!
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