Singer-composer Gowri Bhat on her latest track and the current Indie music scene

In the past few years, a myriad of young and independent artists have raised the bar of Indie music in the country.

Viacom18’s latest launch KaanPhod is an artist-first label which is set to introduce new talents; the song ‘Chalo Na’ composed and sung by Gowri Bhat, is the latest addition to KaanPhod’s series Mic Test.

The Bangalore-based artist is a newcomer in the field of Indie music, but has plans to make it big in the business.

You have a new song ‘Chalo Na’ which is out. Take us through the process behind this track?

This song is in collaboration with Viacom18’s KaanPhod and it was a very different yet exciting experience for me.

The song is in Hindi and I am not a native Hindi speaker; the lyrics were provided by Viacom18. I composed the song and recorded it. When I read the lyrics, I felt its vibe to be very Indie, something very mellow, and those are the emotions that I have tried to bring out in the song. 

The team gave me complete creative control over the way I wished to present the lyrics that were given to me. As an artist, this creative freedom is very important.

It’s also the first song that I have ever shot a video for. Being in front of your phone camera, and acting in front of so many people are very different things. I had never acted before this, but it was more fun than stress-inducing.

How did you begin your journey in music?

I did 14 years of training in Carnatic music while I was growing up. I think I inherited the musical gene from my grandmother; she is not a professional singer but she sings very well. She was the one who took me to music classes as a kid. Even on days when I wanted to quit, she did not take no for an answer!

When the lockdown hit, I didn’t have much to do at home. So, I decided to put out music on my Instagram. One of those videos really picked up and went viral. It was a 30-second real on the popular Hindi song ‘Bade Aache Lagte Hai’ That’s the reel that made people reach out to me.

How do you perceive the current indie music scene in the country?

This is an excellent time to be an Indie artist. A lot of upcoming Hindi movies and series have music by Indie artists. The audience is far more accepting of Indie music now. In India, the gig scene is really picking up after COVID-19 which is helping out a lot.

However, it is still a struggle for Indie artists to get their music out to the masses; it will continue to remain this way until you make it big through your work or you have a label to represent you. 

How important is knowing and understanding the language you are making music in?

The language does not matter to me as much as the music. I usually ask people the meaning of the song that I am singing to get the emotions right. I would love to be able to also write in Hindi, as I am more inclined toward Indian music and Hindi is where it is at the moment.

Lately, I have also thought about making music in my language of Kannada. There is a difference between spoken and written or formal Kannada. I would have to sit with my grandmother to work on the nuances of the language.

You also participated in India Film Project’s 50-hour music challenge. What were some of your learnings from that experience?

It was an intense experience. We came up with the idea and made it from start to finish in about 3 to 4 days. That period helped me in getting over my creative blocks. I realised that if I push myself enough, I can create art even if it is not naturally coming to me at that moment.

What are your plans for the future?

In the near future, I plan to release some of the unreleased music that I have been sitting on. I’m in the process of fine tuning or composing those songs. I am also in talks with a producer who can help me produce my music.