‘Aspiring singers don’t wait for an opportunity, they create one,’ says vocalist & music producer Anurag Nischal

A singer, music-producer, and songwriter, Anurag Nischal is passionate about music. The promising  artiste says, “After I started my musical journey, there was no looking back. I am so much into music that sometimes I spend the entire night singing and listening to music from different genres.” With more than 25K followers on Instagram, the Apeejay alumnus is an upcoming sensation in the music industry. Recently, the Jalandhar-based boy has launched his new music video ‘Laal Pari’ that is receiving an overwhelming response from the audience on YouTube and other digital streaming platforms worldwide. In an interview, Anurag talks about his professional journey and how he is a true Apeejayite.  

Please tell us about your new music video release 

My new music video is a trending and popular form of music known as Lofi Hip-Hop. This trend of music is latest in India with a lot of people experimenting on it. This is a very relaxing kind of music and I think everyone is going to love this one. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGAMxDF5y4w

Have you always been inclined towards music? How did Apeejay help you in your musical journey?

Yes, I have been immensely inclined towards music since my childhood. I used to go for my music lessons after school and gradually I realised that singing and writing music comes very naturally to me. I discovered my love for music when I was very young. In fact, when I was in class 10 I had formed my own band.

The time I spent at Apeejay was the best time of my life. I am a true Apeejaite for I have completed my entire education from Apeejay. I completed my LKG and UKG from Mahavir Marg. From class 1 to 5, I studied in Model Town and then moved back to Mahavir Marg to complete my 10+2. After which, I went to Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA) for my graduation and then did my MBA from the Apeejay Institute of Management & Engineering Technical Campus (AIMETC). No doubt, Apeejay gave me the initial exposure to the world of music as a kid. There used to be so many co-curricular activities in school and college and I had started participating in these activities when I was in my LKG. And all my teachers always motivated me to participate. There was no annual function where I was sitting in the audience; I was always on stage. I used to have a great time performing music and dance.

How did music become a profession for you? 

It’s true that I was very keen on learning music and my father always encouraged me. However, honestly,I had never thought that I would become a singer. But like I said, when I used to go for my music classes, I figured out that I love music. I grew so much interest that it never felt like a struggle to learn new forms of music or instruments. Playing musical instruments such as the guitar and the piano was easy for me. In class 10, I had formed my own band. Subsequently, when I went to ACFA for my graduation, the teachers encouraged me further and that’s when I decided to walk on this path. 

I started going to Chandigarh for my classical vocal training. And when I completed my MBA programme from AIMETC, I went to Mumbai to learn music production at the Mumbai Music Institute. Since then, I have been working as a singer and music composer-producer both in Mumbai and Punjab. 

When did you release your first song? How did it feel?   

I started composing my first video song in 2013 and it was released in 2016. The song was called Teriyan Meriyan. However, I won’t say it was a big hit but the song has garnered good views. Since then, I have launched four more music videos including Ik Pal De Layi, Sun O Meri Jaana, Tota Maina and the new one Laal Pari. I feel really happy that people are appreciating my work so much but I have a long way to go. I am positive and looking forward to achieving great goals in the music industry.

Do you write, compose, and sing all your music video creation? How challenging is it to manage all at the same time?  

I do write, compose and sing but not all the songs. Sometimes, I get an idea of how to make a song and I share it with my lyricist. Sometimes my lyricist gives me a song that is 80 per cent composed, and I do the rest. To be honest, making a song is not challenging but creating a good song that everyone would appreciate is difficult. It may not be a 100 per cent success all the time – and you need to keep in mind that there will be appreciation as well as criticism. However, I feel all of these add to your learning curve. A song music video creation goes through several stages – you need to work on the audio, video, music presentation, and finally, the promotion. When all of these stages are completed successfully, the song is then a hit! And I am learning the art of managing all of it.

Please tells us about your process of music composition

There is no rule book for music composition. All artistes have their own way of music composition. I have my own style too. I do not compose music thinking that I will have to compose it. It comes naturally. Every song that I compose tells a unique story and subsequently, the composition of the songs (stanza by stanza) flows in naturally. 

Any singing inspiration? 

There is no particular person whom I consider as my ultimate inspiration. I like different qualities of different people. For example, I like the voice of Mr Arijit Singh and Mr Atif Aslam. But I like the way Sonu Nigam Sir sings. I learn from every artiste.

What’s up next for you? 

A music video album to be released soon.

Your final advice to aspiring singers

Sing as much as possible and show your talent to the world. Today, with technology and everything moving to digital, you can just sing and share your video and the world can see and listen to it. Aspiring singers don’t wait for an opportunity, they create one. Don’t hesitate to dive in.