In a candid conversation with Pooja Kashyap of GrooveNexus, Rish opens up about the inspirations behind his heartfelt lyrics, his collaborations with Bollywood legends, Sachin-Jigar, Emiway Bantai & Lisa Mishra and his aspirations to reshape the Hindi pop landscape. With a unique sound that captures love, unlove, and everything in between, Rishi is carving his path and redefining the essence of Hindi music today.
Pooja Kashyap: With a classically trained background and experience in an English alt/rock band, how do these two distinct musical worlds influence your sound today? Do you ever feel like you’re negotiating between these worlds?
Rish: Love this question! At the end of the day, we are a product of our environment as much the environment is a product of us. We can’t hear the same song all our lives! I can’t sing the same song all my life. With age and times, taste evolves. And we slowly turn into a culmination of everything we’ve loved. So the classical and the rock influences with time engrain deeper into my music and blend in more effortlessly, which makes it even more deep-rooted than it ever was before!
Pooja Kashyap: Your Bollywood track Ro Lehn De with Sachin-Jigar added to your growing portfolio of film music. Can you share any memorable moments from working on that project?
Rish: Sachin-Jigar are a truly iconic duo, single handedly shaping culture and delivering the biggest hits in the country; getting a thumbs up for them alone makes me feel validated, let alone lending my voice for them. In an interview they said this: “We thought we have to try this voice out. He’s got a very glowy, R&B kind of voice but also the soul of an Indian boy. Once he sang the song [Ro Lehn De’], we never looked back,” and my heart was full. They saw the RnB thing I am going for and I couldn’t feel more validated!
Pooja Kashyap: You’ve collaborated with a diverse range of artists from Emiway Bantai to Lisa Mishra and Sachin-Jigar. How do these collaborations push you creatively and help you evolve as an artist? And how do you make space for your unique voice while blending with their distinct styles? Is there a particular formula or is it purely instinctual?
Rish: The best part about every collaboration has been that none of it has been forced. I love and honour every single artist that has wanted to work with me, because they resonated with what I represent. and it feels amazing to know the people I’ve looked up to have found me in their sonic world to work with me. Every one being so diverse in genre makes me an amazing thread between all kinds of music, and that is fascinating.
Pooja Kashyap: Your music captures emotions of love and unlove through a unique blend of Indian melodies and new-age sound. How do you channel such intense emotions into your songwriting and composition?
Rish: Music allows you to say things you can’t talk about. I’ve always seen music as a place I would love to be at, but where I am not. The more relaxed my life is, the more intense my music is. It’s kinda funny!
Pooja Kashyap: Starting off with QARAN’s Hope You Don’t Mind and then making your Bollywood debut with Thank You for Coming, how has your journey from 2021 to now shaped your artistic identity?
Rish: I’m glad you noticed my Bollywood debut was with QARAN, the same artist I started off with. Meeting Q was one of my pivotal moments as it changed my entire perspective on Hindi/Punjabi music. In 2019, I was actively releasing English music (which I’ve taken down now), and I felt very isolated from the sound going on in the Indian space. What I realised after meeting Q is, that he is authentic to his influences which were way more western than mine, and yet his music was on the charts. My favourite thing to do was to go into the studio and sing his scratches for him: Haanji was a product of one of those sessions; and there wouldn’t be a debut if it wasn’t for him!
Pooja Kashyap: What has been the most challenging part of bridging the gap between Indian-rooted melodies and new-age sonic styles?
Rish: Overcoming challenges is what makes great music. If there’s no tension there’s no release; it’s a self-inflicted challenge and I would to push myself to work towards it every day!
Pooja Kashyap: With your sound being so versatile, what genres or styles of music would you like to explore more in the future, and why?
Rish: Like we were talking previously, my RnB influence is the thread that weaves together all versatility. What shocks me is that, somehow there’s no Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, straight up HINDI pop-artists in the country bringing in this genre. Whereas in the Punjabi space, I see so so so so so much evolution and inspiration when it comes to the sound I am referring to. I want to bring that into the HINDI language.
Pooja Kashyap: Bollywood music has its own cultural significance. How do you balance working on commercial film tracks and staying true to your independent, emotion-driven Hindi pop sound? 9. You’ve been working consistently on both independent projects and Bollywood tracks. Do you approach these differently, or is your creative process the same regardless of the platform? Do you think these two worlds will eventually merge, or will they continue to exist in separate spaces? Where do you see your music fitting in this larger narrative?
Rish: loving the questions! While creating, it would be a hindrance in creativity if I think where this song will end up. It needs to be made in its most honest form, regardless where it goes. The only differentiation in my head would be is “Will this be understood by my niche group of mates, or will it be understood by an age group that will include my friends AND parents?” Apart from this, it’s overthinking and that’s never good for making music! The aim is to reach people, regardless of its medium!
Pooja Kashyap: Looking ahead, what kind of impact do you hope to leave on the Hindi pop music landscape and the Indian music industry at large? Looking back at your musical evolution, what’s one piece of advice you would give your younger self when you were just starting out in music?
Rish: ‘All my emotion to all my people’ The only thing I wanna tell my young self and any artist is, people will understand the more you understand yourself, don’t be afraid to express that. They’ll get it. As vain as it looks, art is selfless. Art lives longer than the artists who make it. And eventually that art becomes a roadmap for the artists to follow. That’s the life on an artist, and we choose it, Glady!
