Moving between India, Spain, the UK and the US, Mila Sidhu has grown up absorbing different cultures and musical influences. Now, she is bringing those experiences into her own sound, blending alt-pop and alt-R&B with soulful vocals and Indian influences. Her latest single — One Night — marks a more intentional step towards incorporating her Indian roots into her music, while collaborations with Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Midian Mathers continue to shape her evolving artistic identity. Mila speaks to us about finding her sound, bringing Indian influences into pop and what’s next for her music.
Your latest single One Night shows a brighter and more playful side of your music. What inspired it?
I wouldn’t say One Night just shows a brighter and more playful side of my music. I’m half Indian and I’ve reached a point where I really want to incorporate that part of myself into my music. The song was inspired by a fun night out. I was in the studio with my producer and we were just vibing. I remember saying, ‘let us make something that sounds Indian,’ and we started building the track from there. Jac (Jacques Hatch) was in the session too and helped bring the song to life. It feels like I’m bringing my culture into the music more intentionally while figuring out my sound.
You’ve grown up across India, Spain, the UK and the US. How have these different places shaped your music?
Growing up in so many different places has definitely shaped the way I make music. I’ve had to leave friends behind and constantly adapt to new environments but I’ve also experienced different cultures and people. I’ve never wanted to put myself into one specific box or genre. My music reflects how I grew up, constantly moving, absorbing different influences and discovering new parts of myself.
How do you bring Indian influences into your pop music?
It’s been a really interesting learning process. Even though I’m half Indian, I was much more exposed to western music growing up, so I didn’t have a deep understanding of Indian music or its instrumentation. On my most recent trip to India, I wanted to change that. I worked with some amazing producers and artistes who introduced me to that side of music in a deeper way. With One Night, it started with the drums, but I’ve been able to explore those influences further in my upcoming music. I’m still learning and I love that.
How would you describe the sound you are creating for yourself?
It’s really hard for me to put the sound I’m creating into words because I haven’t found another artiste doing this exact mix in the way I want. At its core, it lives somewhere between pop and alt-R& B, with soulful vocals and atmospheric elements. Now I’m bringing in more of my cultural influences and experimenting with sounds I haven’t explored before. I’m still discovering exactly what that sounds like and that’s part of what excites me. I want it to feel distinctly like me.
You’ve also been working with Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Midian Mathers. What have you learnt from working with her?
Working with Midian has been amazing. I love her to pieces and she’s really become a mentor to me. She’s someone I can run things past, whether it’s music, an idea or figuring out the direction I want to take something. She’s helped me shape my sound and changed the way I approach studio sessions. I’ve learned a lot from watching how she works and having someone with her experience in my corner who I trust creatively.
Your earlier releases such as Blue, Hell and DND show different sides of your music. What have they taught you?
My previous releases have been me making whatever sounded and felt good to me at that point in my life. I’ve never wanted to force myself into one particular sound. Music is a learning process and your sound naturally develops as you do. Blue, Hell and DND were all different parts of that process, giving me the opportunity to experiment, learn what feels authentic and find my lane.
What’s next for you?
I’ll definitely be dropping at least one more single before the end of the year and then we’re looking at a nice little EP around January, but that part is still to be determined. There’s a lot of new music coming either way and I’m excited for people to hear where the sound goes next.
Streaming online.
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