Music has always been the most honest mode of self-expression for Gurugram-based indie pop artist Nikhil Swaroop. The artist shares that after a conversation with a friend—who was going through personal difficulties similar to his own at the time—he realised how the women around him face many challenges in their day-to-day lives and still manage to hold it all together.
For his latest track Khilte Rang, Nikhil delved further into the lives of the women he cares about, only to learn about the enormous strength required for them to consistently appear happy while being engaged in so many daily battles. He was moved to write this song as a letter to his future daughter, who he believes will also find inspiration from the experiences of these remarkable women on her tough days. In this edition of Soundscape, we speak to Nikhil about his journey as an artist, his latest track, and more.
Excerpts…
What inspired you to take up a career in music? Also, are there any artists you look up to?
I used to write about my personal experiences and during the process, the melody would just come to me. That is when I realised that I really want to make music. Lockdown was a very stressful period for people across the world. The solitude and a lack of human contact brought me closer to my music. That is when I found the courage to launch my first track Sitaron Ka Saaya (2020), and I haven’t looked back since. There are artists like Taylor Swift, Coldplay, and John Mayer, who I enjoy listening to and they have inspired my approach to music as well. Moreover, I listen to many songs from different genres as inspiration comes from everywhere, but I like to do my own thing when it comes to music.
Your songs are mostly about self-expression and personal experiences. Was it scary to create art from something so personal and put it out there in front of people?
Yes, initially it was quite frightening. There were a million questions in my head including ‘what will my family say?’, ‘how will my friends react?’, and more.
However, when I released my first track, I got a heartwarming response from many people all around, as they could connect with my music and had similar experiences or were going through similar problems.
Music is all about putting a piece of you out there and sharing your own story, even if it is not from a perspective of commercialising it. If it [the music you create] inspires or turns out to be relatable for someone somewhere, there is no joy greater than this experience for an artist.
What are you working on next? Can we expect a gig anytime soon?
Currently, I am working on a few English pop ballad songs as I have always enjoyed listening to such songs. Those songs will be ready for release sometime next year. Then, I would love to explore the opportunity to travel and perform at gigs.