After starting his career as an independent artist, singer and composer Akull made his foray into films. He has worked on movies like ‘Malang’ and ‘Cash’ and hopes to keep working both in the independent and film music space. His latest single ‘Yaad Na Aaye’, which released just three weeks back, has already garnered 18 million views on YouTube.
‘Tera Hua’, your song from the Amol Parashar starrer ‘Cash’ has garnered millions of views on YouTube. The song has a lilting melody to it and is well-produced. How did this song become a part of the film?
I had made Mukesh Bhatt ji listen to the song. He really liked it and decided to use it in ‘Cash’. The song was finalized almost three years ago when the film was in the pre-production stage. The film was slated to release in March or April of 2020. Because of the pandemic, they had to wait for a while to release the film. I am happy about the fact that Sony Music India promoted the song very well and it reached out to a large number of people.
How was the experience of working with Arijit Singh on this song?
Everybody loves him and if you are a composer, he would most likely feature on the top of your wish list. I have very fond memories of meeting him for the first time and then, recording his voice for the song. We recorded the song at his studio. He is one of the finest musicians we have and I feel privileged to have got the opportunity to work with him.
Prior to this, you had worked on a bunch of other popular Bollywood tracks too. In 2020, you had produced the title track of ‘Malang’.
Yes! Mr. Mohit Suri had mentored me on my song ‘Laal Bindi’. It was my first non-film single. I used to keep sharing a lot of my music with him. One day, he made me listen to the title track of ‘Malang’. It was not properly produced till then. The song was beautiful and had a piano piece running through it. He wanted it to sound like a club number and asked me to produce it. I had great fun producing that track.
What is the kind of musical training you have received?
I don’t have much formal training. I have learnt a lot by myself. Back in the day, I went for a few piano lessons and learnt Hindustani classical music for a couple of months. I learnt a lot of things from the internet. I am largely a self-taught singer and musician.
You have done a lot of work in the non-film space. Do you find that more liberating than working on films?
When you make independent music, there is nobody telling how things should be done. You get a lot of freedom there. While making a song for a film, you have to follow the vision of the director and move in a particular direction. I enjoy doing both equally.
How did your professional name come about?
My real name is Akull Tandon. As an artist, I identify myself as AkullOnTheBeat on most platforms. While making ‘Laal Bindi’, this name popped up in my mind. I think, in a lot of ways, it defines who I am.
What are you doing next?
I keep working towards making new music every day. I will be releasing a lot of non-film music in the near future. Some film songs will also come out this year.