Singer-songwriter Anuv Jain is in a frame of mind to celebrate — which is the reason he is bringing a bouquet of songs for his fans with his forthcoming 10-city Guldasta Tour which takes him to cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, Guwahati, Kolkata, Pune and his hometown Ludhiana, among others, culminating in a grand finale in Mumbai. The independent artist known for his acoustic melodies and songs such as Baarishein, Alag Aasmaan and Gul gets candid about his evolution as an artist and his future plans. Edited excerpts from a conversation:
You are about to embark on a 10-city tour with Guldasta. What was your experience previously with the Dastakein tour, does Guldasta promises to be bigger than that?
Dastakein was the first India tour I ever did and it went really well. It was one of the most beautiful things I have been a part of and there are just so many memories. The Bangalore show was especially one to remember, as it started drizzling towards the end of the show while I was singing ‘Baarishein’ and it felt so surreal in that moment. There was the Delhi show that was completely filled with people with all of them singing my songs back. So, I’ve had a lot of beautiful memories and experiences from my last tour.
Guldasta is surely going to be way bigger and better. The fact that the entirety of the number of people who showed up for my Dastakein tour across cities is showing up only for the Delhi show this year, is enough to tell you the scale at which this tour is being planned. There is definitely more music along with fantastic visuals — the SFX, VFX and everything is going to be way better this year. The kind of atmosphere and experience that we’re trying to create with Guldasta is just greater than what I’ve ever done before. I’m so excited for it.
From your single Baarishein in 2018 to Antariksh in 2023, how do you analyse your own growth as an artist?
I think I’ve grown so much in these last few years. I think I’ve become a much better songwriter now. I’ve taken up more complicated themes and more complicated stories and I’ve been able to fit it into this economy of words, which is a song. I also feel like I’ve become better as a performing artist — I used to get really nervous initially, but now I am much more confident whenever I’m on stage and I enjoy it a lot more than I ever have before. I’m also just a lot more open to experimenting with genres. From Baarishein to Antariksh, there is a huge difference between the genres and the way it has been pulled off. So, overall I think I have become a much more polished artist and better at managing my day-to-day.
What are your earliest memories of making music? Where did the lyrics come from and where do they continue to come from?
My earliest memories of making music is from back when I was in 10th grade. I used to play the guitar but I had just started writing then and I used to write these really emotional English songs. Eventually, my guitar teacher suggested that I should try writing in Hindi and that’s when I made that switch. I’m so glad I got that suggestion because I realised I was pretty good at it. The lyrics come from all my personal experiences and the stories that I’ve seen unfold in front of me. I take inspiration from my experiences and turn them into a song.
As a singer-songwriter, you have an immense connection with the youth. Where does the relatability come from; you think?
I think the relatability comes from the fact that I am a very simple guy in terms of the real-life situations that I have experienced in my life. I think those have kind of helped me to be a very simple and general guy that just anyone can relate to easily. I also feel like I’ve been very honest with myself and my audience, so they see and know me for who I am. I also get nervous, and feel anxious, and when they see me go through things like this, they are able to resonate with me just as a next-door guy and this is not done on purpose, it’s just the way I am.
Social media has helped a lot in your popularity as a musician. There are reels upon reels using your music. How much importance do you give to social media when it comes to your music? Do you think good music transcends reels and social media?
I believe that every marketing tool is extremely important to promote your music. Right now, social media is obviously the No. 1 medium. It has been like that for a while and we have all as artists leveraged it to make an audience which goes to listen to our music. So, reels are definitely important but I don’t think that they are the end all. They are just a part of the marketing campaign. Sometimes really good songs don’t trend on reels, but that doesn’t make them less of a good song. I think good music will always transcend all social media tools and be the number one priority for a song to excel itself.
You have released a number of singles, any plans for an EP/album?
I would love to release an EP. But currently, there are a lot of singles that I have in the release pipeline. I also tend to work on my music a bit slow as it takes time for me to pen down the lyrics of my songs as they barely have any lyrical repetitions with no hook as such. So, it’s a bit time consuming to make these, but hopefully, when I have some more time when I’m done with shows and have a longer break, then maybe I can conceptualise an EP and figure out everything better.
You travel a lot for your live shows; is travel an inspiration?
Honestly, travelling has not been an inspiration. It’s the people and emotions that I feel with them. That’s what inspires me more than just travelling.
Who are the top three artists on your playlist as of now?
The top artists in my playlist currently are — MARO, a Portuguese singer-songwriter, Lizzy McAlpine and Novo Amor.
Tickets for the Guldasta India Tour 2023 are available on Paytm Insider.
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