Bria, the budding Indian singer, is known for her ability to sing high-range notes and whistle notes, which sets her apart from her contemporaries. Bria, aka Sanidhya Shetty, is eager to learn new things in music. She is a soprano singer/songwriter/composer from Mumbai, currently studying music performance and production in the UK. She has written, sung, and composed two originals: Fall Again and Beyond The Grave.
In an exclusive interview with Pooja Kashyap of GrooveNexus, Bria talks about her music-learning experience. She goes deep into locking the soprano chords with extreme affection for it. She also opens up about how she tackles her fear of failure.
Pooja Kashyap: What inspired you to start making music? What does your name “Bria” mean?
Bria: I have been singing in choirs and school events since I was ten years old but had never really looked into composing and practicing music until two years back. I started listening to pop songs and many pop artists with their soprano range, jaw-dropping vibratos, and how music is beautifully composed, written, and produced. It struck me how vast a spectrum music is and how much it can be tweaked and made into beautiful pieces. Also, when I started my originals, one of my producer friends told me to have a stage name that could make me stand out from the crowd, and that is where Bria came. That meant loud and fierce, which resonated with my career since I want to be a performer and a producer.
Pooja: Are there any musicians who inspire you? What qualities do you admire about them?
Bria: Since I am a soprano, I usually admire artists like Ariana Grande, Rihanna, and Demi Lovato, who have a higher vocal range, e.g., if I talk about Ariana, she is light-soprano, has a noteworthy upper register, also a cherry on the cake with her ability to make whistle tones also she is the singer after Mariah Carey who can span four octaves, and I strive to reach her ultimate vocal range, her songs are challenging enough that push my vocal cords to that level Second. If I talk about Demi Lovato, what I find most intriguing about her is that she is an alto and a light lyric soprano, which means she can belt higher notes, e.g., ‘Heart Attack,’ also her unique feature is the ‘Rasp’ in her vocals.
Pooja: Who is your ideal musician to collaborate with & why?
Bria: My ideal musician is Demi Lovato, as she always reaches out about her struggles, overdoses, loneliness, and depression in her life through her songs. I relate to most of it because there was a phase in my life where I struggled with everything. The commendable part was her writing her songs when she was going through it, and I also did the same, and it turned out to be my first original on all musical platforms called “Fall Again.”
Also, I like how she has progressed in her range over the years. Many people hate her for her voice, but I am fascinated by her belts and ranges.
Pooja: What’s the best advice you have been given for music?
Bria: Rejections and failures will always be more than success and acceptance until we become something big, and that is one of the best pieces of advice I have gotten from many music artists, parents, and teachers. Currently, as I am performing in a different country in front of totally different people, I have had so many rejections and feel like I don’t belong there, but I believe in doing it alone. Do it scared, do it tired and broke.
Pooja: Since you are also into dancing, what would you choose if you choose between dance and music?
Bria: No doubt I would choose music over anything. I have a Bachelor’s degree in IT engineering, and I have entirely left that and chosen music over that by coming to a different country. To do the honors degree in music that many people won’t even have the courage to do. So, I have nothing in front of the music.
Pooja: What would you be doing now if it’s not music/dance? Or do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music/dance?
Bria: If not for music/dance, I probably would have gone ahead with my engineering. I also like to write since I write better, so I would have gone with a web content writer or a web developer because the only thing I wanted in my engineering days was HTML and CSS.
Pooja: Have you ever felt performance anxiety? How do you deal with it?
Bria: I still feel performance anxiety because I mostly used to do songs over social media when no one was there. Even back in India, I used to perform, my hands used to be sweaty, and my heart rate would go up a lot, and even here in the UK, I did experience that the whole of last year, but then practice is the only way to deal with I say. Going to lots and lots of open mics and gigs is the only way to deal with it.
Pooja: One of the best experiences of your performance so far that you would like to share?
Bria: The best performance of mine was when I performed in college to Shreya Ghoshal’s ‘Sunn Raha Hai Na Tu.’ The crowd was cheering for me when I was signing, and I also bagged a second prize that day for that song. All the teachers and people from other colleges congratulated me.
Pooja: What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next 5 to 10 years? Are there any projects you are currently working on?
Bria: I want to become a Producer, Music content writer, DJ, and Vocalist, at least having a decent job in the field of music. There are no projects I’m working on; just learning new skills.
Pooja: You have done a collab with Swattrex, aka Swatej, for “Beyond The Grave” how did you come to know about him & how was it working with him?
Bria: Since Swatej knows Rhyo (Nishchay), Jash, and Sam (2threadz), and I have worked with them, he may have seen my first original through them. Since then, I have known Swatej but have not met him because we live in different states. However, I have followed his work since 2020, which is always mind-blowing and on the next level. His producing beats are very intriguing, and it was great working with him. We planned to do more projects together, but unfortunately, I had to move to the UK, so my music stopped then. But having said that, I would always love to get more projects from him.
Pooja: Have you ever heard about GrooveNexus before? Do you plan to have any collab with GN in the future?
Bria: Yes, I heard about GrooveNexus as soon as I started working with Swatej, and I love how they promote young artists and give them a chance to showcase their skills. Also, I would love to work with GrooveNexus and with you all if there is any position to fill that suits me.