A slice of digital heaven in the analog
While some considered his music as a slice of heaven, an unassuming Indian took to (digital) space to not just sing to the world, but also be heard.
He made music that you could sway to, music that you could sit and listen to all by yourself and even relate to.
His fiery passion oozed from every note of the music he made and from the lyrics he sang.
Meet Gary Lawyer, one of the first Indian Western singers that the country produced who has now gone the digital way.
In a country which plays host to thousands of music releases per year, Lawyer still commands a sense of respect and belonging here; an attribute which was probably what instigated his decision to venture into the digital world.
“This was probably the only avenue I had not yet explored.
It was a conscious decision to do so and it feels great to release my songs digitally for the first time ever and to be able to reach thousands of people via Internet.
It’s a new experience for me and I look forward to a long term association with ArtistAloud.
com,” said the artist about his digital release on the digital platform.
A select few and popular tracks that were also featured in the album, Nights on Fire—The Best of Gary Lawyer were released by the artiste.
Nights on Fire, Island Of Dreams, Other Side Of Dawn, Indian Summer Live, We Could, She’s All Mine, Riding and Just For Tonight were only some of the songs that went online.
Speaking about his music and his love for it, Lawyer expressed dolefully that in ‘a country like ours, Western musicians are not given enough support and recognition’.
“One of the main reasons I haven’t produced any albums of late is because I don’t see a point in doing so.
Everything today is about Bollywood.
What is the point of working on an album if there is no support to spread its music across?” q u e s t i o n e d Lawyer.He further asserted that due to the lack of external support, there is hardly a platform to release a new album.
“Even on radio and television, they would play the songs only once or twice a day.
Is a frequency like that enough”, he lamented.
Back in the day, my song, Nights on Fire was played 12 times a day for two to three months., he added.
Will the television play songs that often now?” he asked.
Desolated with the treatment, Lawyer said that the lack of proper infrastructure is another reason for the deterioration of Western music.
“Bangalore is probably the only city in the country that is well equipped to support and encourage Western music and artiste.
It is, in fact the music capital of the country,” he added.
“A Freddy Mercury would have remained a Farrokh Bulsara had he not moved out of India.
Unfortunately, we are so busy popularising Western musicians that somewhere down the line we have forgotten about our own home bred and local talent,” he said.
Though Lawyer began his career in New York, he said that after a while he was homesick and wanted to come back to India.
“I had two options in front of me—stay there and become a serious musician or come back home.
I chose the latter,” he revealed.
Based out of Mumbai, Lawyer said that he has no plans for the future and believes in letting destiny take its course.
“I believe that everything in life is preplanned.
When something has to happen, it will,” he affirmed