Singer Akshath Acharya, whose song Nadaaniyan grabbed the limelight, has just dropped his latest single, Rozaana. Talking about the song, Akshath tells Indulge, “I think with Rozaana, there was a sort of domino effect. I first came up with this guitar riff, and the homeliness and warmth of the riff inspired the meaning of the song. Once I had a basic idea of what the song would be about—the emotion of missing somebody—I dove deeper into who that person was. I realised that I wanted a song that could act like a warm hug for me or be the pillow that I cuddle with. And that’s how Rozaana came about.”
When asked if he expected his work in Nadaaniyan to become such a huge hit, Akshath admits, “No, you never really know going into these things what’s going to work and what’s not. I’m really glad and grateful that it turned out the way it did, and people seem to love it as much as they do.”
Ask him if he would consider Nadaaniyan a milestone in his career, and Akshath says, “I would call all my songs milestones because each song has a profound impact on me, beyond just the song itself. It’s a beautiful experience, and the feeling on the day of releasing any song is always really special. That said, Naadaaniyan has had an impact larger than most of my other releases, so, yes, it has definitely been a special release for me.”
As for his inspirations in music, Akshath shares, “I don’t think there’s a constant source of inspiration. Sometimes it’s my life, sometimes it’s something I’m thinking about, sometimes it’s a storyline I’ve seen play out in someone else’s life—maybe my friends, a movie, or a TV show. A lot of times, though, it comes from the music itself. I’ll like a particular sound, chord progression, beat, or production, and that will inspire the meaning and lyrics. ”
Talking about his songwriting process, he explains, “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to making a song. Everything has its own journey, its own path. There’s no set method—I think that’s the beauty of being involved in every aspect of the song-making process, from lyrics to composition to production and performance. I can start anywhere, depending on how I feel that day, and just hope it works out.”
And finally, ask him about his dream collaborations, and he draws a long list: “Anyone from John Mayer to AR Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, Arijit Singh, and Pink Floyd. It’s a vast and varied list.”
sangeetha.p@newindianexpress.com
X-@psangeetha2112