Music can often be termed a carefully-placed jigsaw puzzle where the right note from the right musician can stir your emotions. With the recently-released song Mungaru Maleyalli, a romantic song set against the picturesque backdrop of Tirthahalli, singer-composer Sid Sriram’s music is not just to heard but to be felt too. Wearing multiple hats with ease, Carnatic musician, composer, songwriter, playback singer and performer, Sriram’s versatility has moved many people, transcending time and genre.
Growing up abroad with roots in South India, with a unique blend of Indian and Western influences, Sriram’s journey has been shaped by legends from both worlds. His inspirations have been MS Subbulakshmi, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, SD Burman, AR Rahman, Zakir Hussain, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Lauryn Hill, MIA... the list goes on.
When it comes to his creative process, defying all the conventional ways, spontaneity is his key. “My composing process is primarily based on improvising and channelling divine energy. Sometimes I’ll start at the piano with chords, other times, singing melodies that occur to me in a voice note, other times I’ll make some drums on logic and freestyle over it. Then, after the initial flow, I add lyrics.” Yet, most of his ideas are born out of the mundanity of daily life. In the fast-paced world, Sriram finds boredom to be significant. “I feel that boredom is essential to my creative process. Emptying my brain, taking away technology and the constant barrage of information, and allowing myself to become a vessel,” says the singer who is known for songs such as Maruvaarthai and Samajavaragamana.
He further adds how his creative process differs depending on his diverse roles. “When singing as a playback artiste, my creative goal is to bring a composer’s vision to life. In the context of my solo original work, I’m bringing to life my own creative universes.”
With a strong foundation, Sriram’s entry into the world of Carnatic music started at an early age, eventually influencing his other genre pursuits. “Carnatic music has been my foundation and creative fountainhead for as far back as I can remember,” says the 34-year-old, who started learning from his mother when he was three. “My deep training in this form has allowed me an unshakable framework that I use to approach all my creative pursuits,” he adds. Ask him about his favourite genre and he says, “I’m a shapeshifter who finds the most joy in being able to move fluidly between different sonic spaces”.
Acing many roles as a musician, he holds composing and performing closer to his heart than anything else. “My favourite part of being an artiste is performing, being on stage feels like home more than anywhere else,” Sriram says.