In this interview spotlight, I chat with Nepal native and 6th generation musician ASM (Abhishek S. Mishra) about his music, technology, challenges 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.)
Kathmandu, Nepal is my home and it has naturally influenced a lot of what I create musically. I was immediately drawn to the 70s Rock sound that is still the staple in the pub music scene here. My meeting with this music, looking back, seems destined. I picked it up and found this unbelievable freedom screaming my lungs out covering Led Zeppelin, Queen and others in my incubation years. Great place for music is Kathmandu!
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I have 6 Generations of music in my family history dating back to the 1300s with our ancestors honored musicians in Mughal courts of India. So it is in my blood, quite literally however it was not something I saw a future in. I thought taking the normal route of getting a degree and going on to becoming an Engineer was what my fate held. But plans change, I never went to college, instead worked to support my family. I gave away my guitar and amplifier thinking that was it, music was in the past.
Yet I was still drawn to it and was buying CDs regularly and listening to new music. I remember we used to have these 16 hr a day power cuts(you read that right 16 fucking hours a day!) and you had no smartphones or laptops and really nothing to entertain yourself with. So I picked up the guitar again just to pass the time and slowly I started getting that itch again.
What motivates me to keep going is that same freedom I felt when I rekindled my joy of playing an instrument, it was a release of emotion, an escape from the real and a world of my own where I saw everything, a bit clearer. Understood myself, a little better.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
The latest release is called MONSTER HE BECOMES and is really an ode to power and fury. This song was something that whenever we played live, we would get a reaction from the crowd. It was the people’s love and support for this song that made us make a music video as we showcased in said music video, Asia’s only Fire Shiva Tandav Dancer to be the main character. The moment I saw him dance, I knew this was the visual that would do justice to the song and lyrics.
What we set out to achieve was to convey the energy of the song to the audience, they gave it back tenfold and I couldn’t be happier.
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)?
There are many challenges but it is not with oversaturation or the digital music age. The cream always rises to the top whether it’s 2019 or 1919. The problems are within you; the likes, the shares, the views, this race to go viral and comparisons with other forms of music. The challenge is to the be the best you can be and not care about the result.
The challenge is to tell yourself that your music will outlive you, so make it yours.
Also, technology is great. You reach people you never could have, learn about their culture, lives and exchange your music and so much more. Its a boon and a responsibility that we should look to navigate through in the decades to come.
What was the last song you listened to?
I listened to DNA by Kendrick Lamar this morning. Fuckin’ A.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I’ll always have a soft spot for CDs and Cassettes but mp3s are good by me too.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Don’t get shit here in Kathmandu haha. No spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud is as good as dead here and just not a follower of Bandcamp.
It’s all Youtube sadly.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Fantastic, so on Insta I’m @classicasm, on FB you can get my music on my page ” ASM “. And best find me on youtube youtube.com/bloombylittle
Anything else before we sign off?
Thank you man. I don’t know if anyone will ever believe in me, but I believe in me. I believe I can stand on the same stage with the greats and hold my own. It’s not arrogance, I bow my head to everyone who has ever decided to put their art out there to be judged, critiqued and downright mocked at times but I know that I have what it takes to stand in front of 20,000 people and give them a show they won’t forget for a while.
