Maqta captures his signature storytelling in his latest drop, Woh Geet
Since its inception in 2020, Maqta has steadily built a strong and organic following. Maqta beautifully blends Hindi–Urdu lyricism with a contemporary sonic sensibility. Rooted in poetry and emotional depth, Maqta’s music draws from retro Bollywood melodies, Hindustani and Western classical influences, as well as literature and personal experiences, creating a sound that feels both intimate and timeless.
His latest release, Woh Geet, further captures his signature storytelling and evocative sound, making it a great moment to connect with him for a conversation or feature. Excerpts:
How did the idea/concept strike you for the song?
During the process of writing my second EP, Kahin Tu Azad Toh Nahin, I finished three songs within a month. However, I wanted a fourth track to complete what I felt was the overarching theme of the project, the idea that we all may be as free as we want to be, but don’t always perceive it in our everyday lives.
Across the first three songs, I had explored themes of love and self-reflection, ideas that can help us understand just how free we truly are. Still, I felt something was missing. I remember sitting on my balcony at one point, trying to think my way out of this creative block, when my mother joined me and asked if I had finally found something to write about. I said no, and she suggested I write a song about trying to write a song, essentially, to explore the very quandary I was in. It was an ingenious way to overcome the block, but it also became an important extension of the EP’s theme. Creative expression, after all, is another way in which we—and I, in particular, experience a sense of freedom.
What went into creating the song?
I set myself the task of writing about the process of writing. Woh Geet has ‘the song’ as its protagonist. It’s about my attempt to find this elusive song in everything I do every day, in the things I see, the books I read, the spaces I occupy, and the thoughts that pass through my mind,all in service of ‘the song’. I wanted a simple, sprightly, hummable melody, which I luckily discovered buried somewhere in the archives of voice notes on my phone. The entire song was written on an acoustic guitar. I produced it at home with minimal elements, letting the lyrics take centre stage against a distinctly retro canvas. To extend this world visually, I collaborated with Moes Art to create a video for Woh Geet, bringing the song’s mood and idea to life in a distinctive, artistic way.
Who have your influences been? What has influenced this particular song?
I grew up in a household that encouraged listening to all kinds of music. I spent my weekends with my parents listening to RD and SD Burman, OP Nayyar, Laxmikant Pyarelal and a whole gamut of other retro Bollywood artistes. As a child, my mother would always sing a lullaby to put me to sleep and her favourites includes ghazals by Mehdi Hasan and Begum Akhtar. She also shared a lot of classical music with me which I used to find rather tedious as a child but it has certainly left its mark on my mind.
My brother and I began listening to a lot of English pop, rock and classical music in school. We were also very fascinated by cinematic scores from our favourite films. So, in sum, I was very lucky to be completely surrounded by music and people who appreciated it deeply.
How do things look like for indie musicians now?
The world today is changing faster than it did just under a decade ago. The music industry is a very different place today, seemingly largely virtual. There is a lot of music, yes, but lesser scope and fewer spaces to build real connections with flesh and blood listeners. At least as long as we all rely heavily on devices to communicate. At the end of the day, what we do as musicians is tap into and nurture feelings for our listeners, feelings that stay with them and bring them back to us. This is best done in person.
When I realised that performance spaces were shrinking I started hosting small scale house-concerts for my own music, which luckily took off thanks to the immense support of my audience and many hosts who were open to the idea of having performances in their private homes/studios. This allowed me to build real connections with real people in a steady way.
I feel this is exactly what independent musicians need today, to leverage their humanity and their vulnerability in person. You can never understand someone off of a 10-second reel.
Upcoming projects.
Woh Geet has released online. I have also finished writing a full-length album which will now be prepared for mixing and mastering, followed by the release and new shows. Along with the house concerts I intend to do bigger shows this year with a full-band and travel to as many different cities and towns to introduce myself and my music to new audiences.
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