'I Don't Want People To Know Me Only For One Kind Of Music': Kanishk Seth

'I Don't Want People To Know Me Only For One Kind Of Music': Kanishk Seth

Rangisari fame singer, songwriter and composer Kanishk Seth on creating independent music, composing for films and nepotism.

Shreya SurUpdated: Saturday, August 12, 2023, 06:03 PM IST
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Kanishk Seth |

When Rangisari was first released independently in 2022, it took the internet by storm and made young musician Kanishk Seth a popular name as an independent artist. The hit number was sung by Kanishk and his mother, the Iktara fame singer Kavita Seth. The song was later used in Kiara Advani and Varun Dhawan starrer Jug Jugg Jiyo.

Kanishk is popular for creating fusion music, especially blending Indian classical with electronic. Kanishk was only 14 when he started working on his first music album, which he says took him about four years. And at the age of 18, when his first album, Trance with Khusrow was released, it got nominated for best music alongside A R Rahman. It was then, that Kanishk realised his calling for mixing different music. Interestingly, Kanishk often collaborates with his singer mother, and the duo never fails to delight everyone with their unbeatable musical camaraderie.

After Saacha Sahib and Rangisari, the two recently released Mere Sanam Ke Khwaab, which has already reached over 27K views within a week of its release. We caught up with Kanishk to talk more about his latest offering, his musical journey so far, composing independently and for films, and his bond with his singer mother. Excerpts:

Tell us about your journey so far. How did music happen to you?

I started learning music when I was five-year-old. I started with Hindustani classical and later learned violin as well. I was twelve when I started learning sound production and sound engineering. I started pretty early. I have been blessed to come from a musical background, and because my mother (Kavita Seth) is a singer, our house always had a musical environment.

How much being a son of an accomplished singer influenced your upbringing and career choices?

More than my mother, my father was very passionate about our careers — my mother's, mine, and my brother's. When we were young, we learned a lot of things, including photography, music, and even theatre. So, I could have gone in any field. But I found my passion in music. Even though my mother is a singer, they kept the home very liberal—you choose your own field! So there wasn't any pressure as such, even after mom got her success, we all knew she was a singer who sang Bollywood songs, but her true identity is that of a Sufi singer who loves composing songs and creating music albums.

Did you expect Rangisari to be a massive hit? Do tell us about your collaboration with Karan Johar's Jug Jugg Jeeyo.

Rangisari has had a very interesting journey. The song was supposed to be used for Dhadak (2017). Shashank Khaitan, the director of the film, heard the song and wanted to use it for his film, though that didn't happen. But, everyone loved the song. So we decided to release it independently, along with an animated video. We released the song during the COVID-19 pandemic and promoted it on our own. Later, people started noticing the video. We broke many milestones with that song. In 2021, it just boomed on Instagram, and the song had a new life again. At the same time, we were in talks with Dharma about the music for another film. But suddenly, they decided to go ahead with Rangisaari for Jug Jugg Jeeyo. We made some minor tweaks to the song while keeping its originality intact.

Does that success create pressure on you as a musician?

Both Yes and No! I don't want people to know me only for one kind of music. It is very important for me to break the monotony so that people get to know that this musician is an independent artist, and electronic music is his influence, but he can do other genres as well. We are working on a lot of different genres at the moment including film songs, ghazal with jazz fusion, and lots of Indie music.

How was the experience of collaborating with your mom? Is she very strict?

I obviously love her a lot, and she has taught me everything. I have observed her and imbibed so many of her qualities, but when we are working together, I am very strict! She hates me for that (laughs)! I am the recording engineer and producer; if I want a song a particular way, I really push her to an extent. As I have been recording her for over a decade now, I know she can do much better, and I just need to push her out of her comfort zone. Though the process of collaboration is very equal, where she composes a song and I record.

How do you see the growth of independent music?

Independent music is on the rise right now. Thanks to technology, it is now so much easier to release a song independently. People honestly don't care now whether the song is a film song or an indie song, all they care about is whether it is good or not. Even music labels have changed their approach towards independent artists. Independent artists are also exploring opportunities, as they can also scale up the production value and reach. It is a very interesting space to be in.

How is it different from composing music independently vs for a movie or web series?

Movies are very different, and you compose music as per the story of the film and what the director and producer want. It's basically custom music for some situations. And you are working for someone else! While in independent music, you don't think about the audience at first; initially, it is always about how close the song is to your heart and whether it is scaling up from your last release. You don't think about what the audience is looking for, you make the decisions yourself.

Does being the son of a successful musician come with pressure since there's a lot of debate over nepotism?

To be honest, it is a very redundant topic. Today, if you do some good work, you will get recognition, and people will remember you. But if you are not doing any great work, people might recognise you, but you won't be remembered or given any importance. Even though my mother is a popular singer, she always keeps a low profile, and we all try our best to release music for our audience and work even harder if the previous album isn't loved much by the people. I just want to make music that will inspire others and surprise them with every album.

Do you call your musical journey easy so far? What are your individual takeaways?

I Absolutely faced challenges! When independent music wasn't that popular in India, I tried to reach out to popular music labels to release my music. I was really disheartened by the rejections and thought, 'Why doesn't anyone want my music?' I was determined to release my music independently back then, as I knew my time would come. Things changed after I started releasing my music independently. The same music companies ask me for the same songs they heard way back. One thing I have realised so far is that music labels have a perceived notion of what people like rather than what they like. And they make decisions based on that, as they have to think from a financial perspective as well. Nobody wants to make a scene, everybody just wants to make more out of the existing scene.

What is your take on the remix?

Rangisaari is the best example of a contemporary rendition of late classical singer Shobha Gurtu's popular thumri. People have been singing this beautiful thumri for ages. We just gave it a new spin, which people loved. It is very important that when you record a new rendition or a remix, do not spoil the essence of the song, as people have emotional attachments and sentiments to it. You have to make sure that the soul of the entire song is intact.

What are you working on next?

Mom and I are releasing another classic song this September. It has been popularised by Prabha Atreji. I cannot talk much about it, but we have given it a beautiful contemporary spin.

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