aaamusic | On 21, Feb 2021

Who are you and where are you from?

I’m Trisha J, an Indie-pop artist based in Pune, India. Mumbai might be the New York of India, but Pune is emerging to be no less. The city is refreshing and the indie scene is popping. It’s also referred to as the “Oxford of East”. If you’re ever in town, hit me up. I’ll play a few tunes for you. 

What inspired you to get into music?

Growing up, I’ve always been a part of school choirs, competitions and musical events. There are also certain perks of coming from a musical family, you get to share the joy of creating music with people who understand and appreciate it. Although, I’d admit a turning point for me was watching School of Rock. No one makes you feel like you could “stick it to the man” the way Jack Black does. I listen to a lot of 80s music, classic rock, jazz, punk (you name it) and always wondered if there could be a way for me to incorporate lyrics as honest as those into the pop genre. Turned that thought into a mantra and here we are! My influences range from Freddie Mercury’s impressive vocal range and strong stage presence, to Aretha Franklin’s powerful vocals to ABBA’s catchy music. Jacob Collier and Jon Bellion really inspire me when it comes to the production bit. 

What have you done?  

I have two (very honest) singles out for the world to hear. ‘Clueless’, a song written for all those who find themselves unaware of the events happening in their circles because they’ve been so preoccupied with their own lives and ‘No Money’, a song about all my monetary misadventures. 

What are you like live?

Haven’t had the opportunity to go on a tour or support someone yet, but if you find yourself at a college event or open mic in Pune, it’s an acoustic set with some peppy covers and stripped down versions of my originals for you. ‘Feel it Still’ is always a favourite to play. 

What makes you different? 

It’s difficult to answer that without coming off pretentious. It’s true, everybody’s awesome. So how do I make myself be 1% extra awesome enough to get noticed? I don’t. I let myself be weird, I let myself be a nerd, I let myself be honest to my music and most importantly, to myself. The sooner you drive your energy into what makes your music “you” as opposed to what makes your music different than others, the easier you can tackle the challenges coming from the rapidly changing industry. 

Physical vs Downloading vs Streaming…How do you listen to music?

I stream and download a lot of my music since I can’t really afford purchasing vinyls that I like, given that they’re international purchases for me. All digital platforms are progressing exceptionally well, larger audiences can be established and I think it’s a great way to connect with people around the world. Also, the fastest way to discover new music! I have found YouTube to be a much stronger platform compared to Spotify and Apple, but maybe in the years to come, I’ll learn to market myself well on all those platforms. Occasionally, it gets hard to do it all alone but it’s better than not doing it at all. Now that we’re at a stage where anyone can find a distributor and release music on all digital platforms by themselves, I feel like physical sales are holding less and less importance which is saddening, since a lot of us found the best music on a CD. The situation has its pros and cons but hopefully we might find a balance between them all. 

What have you been listening to?

The Brummies recently put out a new album called ‘Automatic World’. Absolute favourite. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Saint Motel, Hozier and PJ Harvey. Occasionally I’ll spice it up with sea shanties, The Longest Johns have my heart. I don’t really have a definite taste. Throw in some Sum 41 and Dorothy in there, my playlist is complete. 

What are your aspirations for the future?  

I’m currently in the writing process for my next single, trying to experiment with different chord progressions and moods, trying to be as brutally honest as I can whilst still incorporating slight metaphors for emphasis. I don’t have a name for it yet, but if I could give the track a personality, 

I’d say it’s going to be confident. Maybe put out more tracks after that, an EP, do a promo gig? All plans made and prayers offered. We’ll see how it goes. Stay tuned!

Questions answered by: Trisha J…