INTERVIEW | Meet 19-year-old from Delhi fostering self-expression through music

For Ashmeet Singh, being chosen by his teacher to be a part of his school’s music choir in Grade 1, was simply a matter of chance.
Ashmeet Singh
Ashmeet Singh

For Ashmeet Singh, being chosen by his teacher to be a part of his school’s music choir in Grade 1, was simply a matter of chance. Until then, the Rohini resident had no aspirations to foray into music.

However, over the years, engaging with and being an active part of the choir gave him a purpose. Music became the preferred mode of self-expression for the 19-year-old.

“Music, for me, is a medium through which I portray my feelings and describe my own self,” he shares.

After releasing his first single in April last year, the singer has now come up with a nine-track album titled Safarnama.

In this interview, we speak to Singh about the process of working on the album and why he aspires to be an independent musician. Excerpts…

Tell us about working on the album?

The idea of working on an album first came to me when I attended a friend’s album launch party. I was just there and there was this energy that I cannot describe in words, but I felt like ‘I want to create something soon’, and I just wrote the date, January 11—the release date of Safarnama—in my notes application, and told my friends that I will release my album on this date. We worked on it for six to seven months.

I remember the metro rides to the studio for recording, travelling around the city to find the inspiration to write the rest of the songs, etc. It was a roller coaster ride, but I am glad we have come through.

The album has tracks that deal with love, distance, and heartbreak. Why the name Safarnama?

The word ‘safarnama’ translates to a travelogue. I just portrayed my life journey by using words and music. There is a very famous quote by [Indian poet] Gulzar sahab: ‘Dard halka hai, saans bhari hai; kal ka har vaqia tumhara tha, aaj ki dastan hamari hai.’

All those stories, the experiences I have lived, the adventures in my life, and the memories I have collected, summed up to make this travelogue.

While the lyrics are predominantly Hindi, there are hints of Urdu (Khyaal-e-ishq) as well as Punjabi (Halaat). What inspires you to write?

It is all experiential. The things you felt, the stories you lived, the thoughts your mind consumed—be it sad or happy or traumatising. For me, writing poetry or songs is the perfect example of finding your cosmos in the chaos.

I just pick up my guitar or the keyboard, think of the things that make me who I am, and write what comes naturally. I started writing as a therapeutic experience and then used it to enhance what I already do—singing.

Independent artists are the best people to find motivation from because they actually know the music they are making.

Are there any independent artists who have inspired you in your career?

Independent artists know how to portray their art because their work, their art, is the most significant to them. They are here to do what they want to do, to portray their work and talent.

This is in stark difference to industry artists. I plan on working as an independent musician myself. I don’t want to make something that I cannot connect with.

In terms of my inspirations, I really look up to a lot of my friends who are trying to create music that resonates with them. I also really follow singer Osho Jain, he has inspired me a lot.

Also, American singer-songwriter Jeremy Zucker—he has been one of the biggest influences.

‘Safarnama’ by Ashmeet Singh is streaming on all leading platforms

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The New Indian Express
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