Zeeshan Akhtar entered the world of music in 2010 as a drummer with Rock band Kaivalyaa. Three years later, he floated Zeeshan Akhtar Collective. Since then, he has been recording music and performing live as a singer-songwriter and guitarist. The success of his latest single, Live for a Day, (released on June 21, World Music Day), has motivated him to release his five earlier songs across all global digital platforms.
“I didn’t plan to release Live for a Day amid the ongoing crisis, but now I feel it couldn’t have come at a better time. The pandemic has added stress, fear and anxiety to our lives and the track revolves around accepting life as it comes,” he says. Born and brought up in Kolkata, Akhtar holds a Masters in Media Sciences from West Bengal University of Technology, and works with an MNC, moonlighting as a musician after office hours.
Making of a musician
Growing up in the 1990s, Akhtar was exposed to Backstreet Boys, Blue and Ricky Martin early in life ( he was in Class 5), courtesy a cousin who introduced him to Hybrid Theory, a Linkin Park album. Blown over by the sheer energy and power of music, he began exploring other rock bands. His first exposure to a live performance was at an inter-school competition in 2007, where he represented his alma mater (Apeejay School) as a drummer and ended up winning the competition. “But my first serious project started after I joined college as the drummer of a progressive Indian rock band, Kaivalyaa,” he says.
Kaivalyaa won many rock band competitions across India such as Hornbill Music Festival (Nagaland), Spring Fest (IIT Kharagpur) and Carpre Diem (IIM Calcutta), etc. “In 2011, we finished as runners-up of the TV show, MTV Rock On Season 2,” he informs. In October 2013, Akhtar cut his first four track EP, All We Need is Love. Its success gave him the confidence to foray into the music industry as a singer-songwriter/guitarist. “Since then I have been performing live, either solo (acoustic) or with Zeeshan Akhtar Collective where I have collaborated with some of the most talented musicians from the country and abroad,” he says.
Collaboration vs solo work
Akhtar says that while he loves collaborating with other musicians for live shows or jam sessions, he prefers creating his songs as an independent producer because it gives him total control over the final outcome. “Unlike many, when I start conceptualising a song or musical piece, I see it from a bird’s eye point of view and ideate on every aspect starting from the lyrics, the vocals, overall sound, instruments to play, etc.”
The highs from performing live and recording music
Playing live and recording at a studio, both aspects excite Akhtar as a musician. “Playing live has its own highs – the crowd, bright lights, high decibels. Though recording music is a test of patience. It allows time and space to relax, improvise and explore endless possibilities of creating original music. You can listen and analyse what you have sung or played, identify the loopholes and rectify.”
Rapid Fire Inspired by?
Many artistes/bands like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Nile Rodgers, Derek Trucks and John Mayer.
Other interests/hobbies?
Football, astronomy and history, travelling, playing games on my PS4 and participating in online gaming competitions.
Coming next from your stable?
A Hindi/ Urdu composition with my former band mate Pathikrit Mazumder (from Kaivalyaa).
Lockdown means?
Learning cooking and cleaning the house, making more music, and adapting to work from home culture.