In this interview spotlight, I chat with AB Mike about the latest music, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I’m from New Delhi and I’ve been creating music since the age of 15, however didn’t release any of it to the public as it was mostly for myself. I usually make Hip-hop music as that has been my major influence since my childhood although I really like performing and making rock and pop-rock music as well.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Music has always been a hobby for me but it’s one of those hobbies that I like to produce and put out at a professional level. What keeps me going is the fact that music has been one of the routes for me to express myself and my feelings which I normally can’t otherwise that’s one of the reasons why I don’t have any fixed schedule in terms of releasing my music. When I feel it, it just comes naturally.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
The major thing that sets this release apart from my other tracks is that this track is completely opposite to what I’ve been putting out. My earlier music used to be very aggressive and full of anger and intense emotions. this time I wanted to go for a very chill and relaxed vibe and make uplifting music.
In India, hip hop has always been dominated by dissing, aggressive feelings of anger, or just showing off. and much more so to bring in a new change for the Hip Hop scene we fused lo-fi, pop zone into our song, making it very different from what is prevalent these days.
I wanted to portray all of these intense emotions in an uplifting manner, which is quite unlike the characteristic of this genre ( Hip-Hop) that I have been following, for now, my whole life. I wanted to create a track that not only resonates with people but also soothes the emotions of people who might be feeling the same
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
It has to be our music reaching to right people and at the right time. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle to figure out and the most difficult thing is that there is no one answer that fits all.
In my opinion, technology that simplifies the music-making and releasing process needs to be simplified in order to be efficient. I never thought I’d have a home recording setup but I do due to this digital age of music. Also, using the various simple and effective didigtal tools provided by songdew has helped a lot in making this entire release process very soomth and easy.
What was the last song you listened to?
Killer – Eminem Ft. Jack Harlow
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Viyl all the way, the quality is just unmatched plus they can be used as a unique decorative art piece 😉
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Spotify all the way, been using it ever since it came out and there is just no going back.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Instagram, this is where you’ll get to know me and music on a deeper level.
Anything else before we sign off?
Huge thanks to you and Songdew for this opportunity as this means a lot in the musical journey for any upcoming artist.
