Music UnLtd. (pronounced ‘UnLimited’) is an award-winning Indie band formed in 2014 by frontman Milin, with a repertoire of original Indie songs on all major platforms worldwide.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Music UnLtd. about the music, adapting during worldwide quarantines, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
Hi Joshua, pleased to meet you! I’m from India. My music can be broadly categorized as Indie/Rock/SoftRock – sometimes flirting with Reggae and Psychedelic Rock.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
I have been interested in music since my childhood when I took private lessons in Indian music. In the meantime I was exposed to Western Music thru the limited number of vinyls & cassettes that were available here. Having caught the rock bug, I took up the guitar while in college where I formed a band called ‘Virgo’ – because most of the band members were Virgos (!!!!!) All this time it was just a hobby, but then it was time to choose my direction after graduating from college. Initially I went with the conventional flow and enrolled for an MBA, but changed my mind immediately and cancelled my registrations as my heart was not in it at all. All this while I was subscribed to The Guitar Player Magazine – in which I kept seeing the ads for the Guitar Institute of Technology, Musicians Institute, Hollywood, CA, USA. I decided to take the plunge, applied for admission, sent them an audition on a cassette tape that they posted to me, and was accepted.
Before leaving I did a short course in Music Theory at the Delhi School of Music which was affiliated to the Trinity College of Music, and then left India to join MI in Los Angeles.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
I compose what comes naturally to me, and don’t have any set theme or style that I try to stick to. I believe that unless music flows naturally from inside you, it will sound contrived. What has definitely evolved is my ability to compose instinctively without forcing anything out. Also, I don’t release songs in the order that they were composed – but instead decide on which song to release next. As the attention span of listeners has decreased considerably due to the many distractions out there today, I have now decided to release singles and then compile them into an album or EP once a certain number has been released.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented times? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
It has been a difficult period for everyone. The biggest challenge has been the mental stress of not being physically connected to people. I managed to keep practising and recording in my basic home studio setup – although at a much slower pace than usual due to the stress.
What was the last song you listened to?
‘Eternity’ by Robbie Williams – it’s an amazing ballad.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
Vinyls and CDs – I plan to get a vinyl player at some point. Vinyls are too expensive here right now. But the satisfaction of owning a physical product with the cover art/lyrics et all, is very important for me. I have now resigned myself to marketing my music in digital format, but am secretly hoping that the physical format makes a comeback!
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
On Instagram & Facebook. We’re also on Twitter & LinkedIn – but not as active.
I really appreciate your time. Anything else before we sign off?
My latest release “SEE” though a soft rock song, has surprisingly been covered by bloggers/reviewers from a very wide spectrum of genres – from ‘Headbangers News’ by Jessica Marinho in Brazil, to a Punk Rock community (Thoughts, Words, Actions), to a TikTok influencer (‘Brand New Tracks’ by Bowe) with 4 million followers. I am currently sharing all these on Instagram @musicunltd & on Facebook @MusicUnLtdTheBand.
