Think Indie — based in Chennai — came to us first. They wanted to build a support system for artistes as music from the South was growing and to create a real pathway for these artistes. It was also exciting for us to develop something for a new region while weaving it into the national scene. The decision was simple: Indian music isn’t coming only from metros like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi anymore. It’s increasingly coming from regional spaces and resonating with audiences across languages and geographies. Look at the recent surge in fandom around artistes like Bhumika, Aksomaniac and Pal Dabba. There’s incredible music coming out of these regions, but almost no support system for the artistes making it. So, we decided to build a programme for them first.

It’s hard to pin these down precisely, but here’s what we’ve observed. First, limited live venues and audiences mean many artistes develop purely as ‘studio’ musicians, building a craft for online listenership rather than a live setting. Many have strong streaming numbers but have never played a show with a full band. This pushes them towards music built for virality or a ‘film’ style that is often overproduced and at odds with their real craft. They’re incredibly talented, but that’s what the scene demands and no one is pushing them to think differently. Because of both, they rarely get out to meet peers, which limits collaboration and, in turn, growth. Fewer pathways to perform also mean lower earning potential, which further limits their trajectory. That said, the talent coming out of these regions is real and it deserves serious investment in infrastructure to help these artistes be discovered, developed and grow.

For years, I was the person behind the music. As a producer, DJ and creative force moving through Kerala’s music scene, I helped shape moments that audiences connected with while remaining largely invisible myself. But somewhere along the way, I realised I had spent more time building other people’s stories than my own. Now, I’m trying to rewrite that very narrative.

To put myself among other new artistes and learn.

My journey with music has been a bit of a full-circle one. I grew up learning Indian classical music, but for a long time, music wasn’t my career. I spent several years working at Microsoft before eventually deciding to take the leap and pursue it professionally. Since then, I’ve been building my own sound as an independent artiste, bringing together Indian classical music with indie, electronic and pop influences and writing across English, Hindi and Tamil. I joined AMI South because I felt I was at a point where I wanted to grow beyond simply making and releasing music. As independent artistes, we spend so much time thinking about the creative side, but building a sustainable career also means understanding the industry, finding your audience, building the right team and learning how to position your music without losing what makes it uniquely yours. AMI South felt like an incredible opportunity to learn all of that while being surrounded by other artistes who were navigating similar journeys.

I was most excited about learning how to bridge the gap between being an artiste and building a long-term career around that art. I wanted to understand how to take the music I’m already making and help it travel further. I wanted to understand how to find the right audiences, build a community around my music, approach releases more strategically and create more opportunities for live performance and collaboration. I was also really excited about the community aspect of AMI South. Being in a room with artistes from such different musical backgrounds, exchanging ideas, collaborating and learning from mentors who understand the industry was incredibly energising. I think sometimes the biggest thing a programme like this gives you is perspective. It makes you think bigger about what might actually be possible for your music.

I was interested to see how other artistes approach songwriting and how their process differs from mine.

I think it exposed me to new ways of working and helped broaden my skills.

I am a singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and composer from Kochi, Kerala. I make hiphop, euphoric raag trap, R&B, synth club, afro, reggae and metal — blending these genres with Indian classical music and other regional soundscapes. I am also an entertainment lawyer. My music journey started at a very young age. I was attracted to old-school ’90s hip-hop culture and listened to loads of West Coast and East Coast music. I also learned classical music for eight years. Initially, it was covers and bopping along with the music, but being a full-time artiste, being on stage, performing and getting into characters with their music always fascinated me. Then I started writing my own music and, after creating a rough sketch in about 30 minutes, I understood that I was really good at this. That’s where my actual journey of discovering who I am and what my purpose is, began. My culture and community never promoted women who did the things I did, so criticism was one thing I received from the very start. I wanted to do whatever felt right, no matter what anyone said. I kept going, broke a lot of stereotypes and changed perspectives about female hiphop in our community. I also opened doors for many women like me who struggled but had the passion to do something different. For over seven years, I have been creating indie music, navigating a journey filled with challenges, hardships and hustle. I think I am slowly reaching my goal. I can confidently say that I’m securing a much more comfortable seat on the plane! I am a very straightforward person and so is my music. I have always rebelled through my music and it’s always in the most raw form possible. Taking my regional music globally with a Veno Miss touch is one of my dreams, among many others.

I didn’t have the slightest clue about what an artiste development programme was. My mind was blown by the offline sessions themselves. I got a chance to meet mentors, distributors, playlist pitchers and people working in content creation and marketing. The tips and hacks on making an artiste’s life easier and more productive, while also pushing us out of our comfort zones, were exactly what I needed. I now have a better understanding of the where, what and how of things that I need to plan things in order to approach this music journey more effectively. Getting selected itself was a big plus for me. I will use the knowledge from the programme to bring out the best possible version of myself as an artiste.

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