The accidental musician: Kamlesh Purohit talks about his new single and more 

For Kamlesh Purohit, becoming a singer was never fixed but the calling was always there. In 2013, the singer secretly enrolled himself in the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai when he arrived in the city to pursue engineering. From then on there was no looking back. Coming from a small town in Rajasthan, the singer-songwriter hails from a family of classical and folk musicians, which allowed him to sing at local shows since he was six years old. As his latest track, Kasoor, was released on September 9, we chat with him about his art, his calling and his journey so far. 

Tell us something about your latest single?

There was a phase four years back, I came up with one line, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is interesting. Then later, I just built up the whole thing. I was very sceptical on sharing this track as it was very personal to me. In the end, I thought that whatever these feelings are (I should) just put it out.

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What skills did you pick up while studying at the KM Music Conservatory?

The institute was a huge turning point of my life. When I got into the music college, I was also pursuing engineering. I didn't reveal about the music college to my parents. I had to struggle to pay the fee. I trained in Western classical and Hindustani classical at the institute. 

Did the experience of singing at shows in your childhood give you an edge over other singers?

It helped me to build my ears.  My environment while growing up was full of music. So, I would be trying one song and then moving on to a folk song or something. This helped me to shape my initial knowledge of music. The performances also gave me a little confidence to try different things in different spaces and everything.

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What are your views on the current music industry in India?

I think this is the golden era for the Indian music industry. The industry had always been driven by film music but now the independent thing is growing. Musicians can easily put out their music out and can speak their hearts out. 

Are you planning any upcoming collaboration or a new track?

I have some songs, which are going to be out soon and I have certain collaborations in line too. I'm also working on a full-length album which should roughly be out in January.

What are your interests apart from creating music?
The major chunk of my time goes to the creation process of my tracks but I also love travelling a lot. I feel like a new place gives me a novel perspective on things. Whenever I feel like I have writer’s block, I try to think about a new place or something.