Rahul Jain is one of the youngest and most popular singers around today. Apart from giving his voice to some very popular songs in the independent music space apart from scoring for a bunch of notable TV shows, the young musician from Indore also composes most of his songs. In this interview, he talks about his new single ‘Aawazein’, the tracks he created and released during the lockdown, why he prefers to record songs during the night, how the lockdown affected him and more.
You are all set to come up with a new single titled ‘Aawazein’.
Yes, it is a heartbreak song. There are elements of R&B and hip-hop in the song. There is no personal story behind the video but those who see it will be able to relate to the emotions in it. I worked on the tune first and once, I cracked it, we worked on the lyrics. The song has some beautiful lyrics by Vandana Khandelwal and Jaydeep.
One of the songs you released during the lockdown was ‘2 Rs Ki Pepsee’. The song evoked a nice sense of nostalgia. Did you shoot this song before lockdown?
No, we shot the song during the lockdown. It was quite challenging but we followed the guidelines sincerely. When the final output is good, you feel happy and I am glad that is what happened with the song. We wanted to take the listeners down memory lane and revisit the times when things were much simpler.
You also released a track called ‘Meri Maa’ which was a tribute to how Sonu Sood helped migrant workers during the lockdown.
Yes, we released the track closer to Mother’s Day. Sonu Sood sir helped a lot of people reach their families. It was a tribute to him and all those mothers who were waiting for their children to come home. I played the song to him and he really liked it. He was gracious enough to be a part of the song. He recorded a voiceover and gave his blessings for the track.
Why do you record songs only during the night?
Actually, I try to create music all the time. But, it is more peaceful to record songs during the night. You need to be stress-free to do creative work. During the day, a lot of things happen which distract you and there are certain important things which you need to attend to as well. Thus, I prefer to do most of my recordings during the night.
What are the kind of difficulties you faced as an artiste during the lockdown?
I was not able to go to a studio. I was working from my studio setup at home. Even though the lockdown has been partially lifted now, a lot of artistes are still not able to record properly as there have been cases in which people in studios or other working areas have been affected by the virus. They are scared to step out. As an artiste, I feel the need to make music all the time. I recorded a lot of songs during the lockdown which you will hear soon. Some of them have released and some you will hear soon.
These days, digital platforms have enabled a lot of young artistes to reach out to the audience. You have a very popular YouTube channel on which you upload a lot of your work.
Yes, my YouTube channel has grown slowly. Digital platforms have definitely helped artistes like me who do not come from a background and are initially, figuring out a way to reach out to the audience. Earlier some of my cover songs became very popular. Then, the original tracks I released digitally were received very well.
You were the winner of the reality show ‘MTV Aloft Star’. Do you think reality shows help in propelling an artiste’s career forward?
Reality shows give you a bit of fame but when they get over, getting work is very difficult. These shows definitely help in grooming you as an artiste. You become a better performer and your communication skills, too, improve.
Your brother was a singer. What is the kind of training you have had in music?
My brother learnt music for some time but he did not pursue it professionally. My dad was in a government job but he loved listening to music. I have not had any extensive training in music but I have done short courses at different points of time. I am largely a self-taught artist. I have learnt everything by listening to music. Thankfully, I have heard very good music and my family is responsible for the same. Music has inspired me since childhood and I hope to keep creating music which inspires people.
The songs you did for TV shows became very popular.
I never thought those songs would become so popular. The first show I worked on was ‘Tu Aashiqui’ which was produced by Mahesh Bhatt. I was asked to create one song but I ended up creating twelve. All those songs became very popular. Two songs from ‘Bepanah’ became huge. I became a popular name with the TV audience because of these songs.
You wrote, sung and composed the song ‘Teri Yaad’ from the film ‘Fever’ (2016). Though you started out with films, you have not done much work in that space.
Yes, I have been busy with tours and shows. My last released film song was for the film ‘Jhootha Kahin Ka’ (2019). I know that there has been a gap in between but I have worked on a couple of films recently. I am waiting for them to come out. I am also doing the music for a couple of web shows.