Hrishi is Anything but Lonely Thanks to Social Media Success
When you come across new talent you have to share it and with the help of social media, emerging Indian American singer-songwriter Hrishi has been able to release his latest single thanks to it. Following several viral moments over the past month, which have totaled more than 10 million views and have helped him grow to well over 100,000+ followers across Instagram and TikTok thanks to his Carnatic remixes of current songs, his new Carnatic remix, “Loneliness,” featuring his traditional Carnatic riffs. Got a little time to talk with Hrishi about his evolution in social media presence, how he’s using prevalent melodies to garner attention for his original music and how Britney Spears influenced his latest remix.
It’s been brought to our attention that you’ve been going viral thanks to Carnatic pop remixes. For those who aren’t familiar, what is a Carnatic pop remix and why do you think it’s become your niche for virality?
Hrishi: It’s been a huge blessing that so many people have reacted so kindly to my remixes. If I had to define a “Carnatic” pop remix, I’d say it’s a piece of music that tries to infuse modern Top 40 music with elements of South Indian Classical “Carnatic” music. In my remixes I use “swaras” or solfege syllables to create melodic improvisations that I try to blend into the aesthetic of any given pop song. The traditional Carnatic “feel” is quite different, but for me it’s been about maintaining as much authenticity as I can to both the Carnatic melodies I sing, as well as the vibes of the pop instrumentals and lyrics that I’m pairing them with.
I think it’s become a niche for me because it’s an intersection of different cultures that don’t collide too often. My Carnatic pop remixes are a result of growing up in America, constantly assimilating mainstream Western culture and music, while also having super traditional South Indian parents that always encouraged me to learn and stay in touch with our cultural art. A lot of people don’t have the opportunity to study multiple types of music in depth, and I’ve been blessed to be able to and make something of my own.
When you hear the number ten million and then have it associated with your work… did you think that would be a reality? How has it been putting out new content since going viral? Do you think it’s easier or has the pressure to outdo your last release made it difficult for you, mentally?
Hrishi: It’s really surreal — one of those things you always dream will happen as an artist, but to see it actually come to life is still pretty unreal. I think I’ve been really lucky that the viral moment has been more of an ongoing process, rather than a “one-hit wonder” type of story. People seem to be reacting to a lot of the different remixes I’ve made, and I think a big part of it is because the records themselves carry so much weight and emotion within them. Carnatic music as a form has been painstakingly developed over a millennia, so when I bring some of that aesthetic into pop music and people react, there’s almost this feeling that the credit isn’t mine to take. I just happen to be in a unique intersection of time and culture, and I’m lucky that this moment has been associated with my artistry.
You bring a very creative touch to your releases whether it’s a lyric video or your social content. What would you say is your inspiration for reeling in new eyes with each new piece of content you create?
Hrishi: I appreciate that! Super interesting question…it’s hard for me to pick a single inspiration, but when I look to my biggest influences such as Jon Bellion, Coldplay, Illayaraja, Rahman, etc., something that they all share in common is intentionality. Every artistic decision has a specific goal and effect that it achieves within the overall story. Studying them has really pushed me to try to be detail-oriented within my creativity. I think it’s about finding that delicate balance between effortlessness/inspiration, while also striving to be very thought-out, and never cutting corners due to laziness or lack of time. At the end of the day, as artists we’re curating an escape from a listener/viewer’s world, so there has to be a cohesive story and a captivating world we’re pulling them into.
Recently you had your biggest interview to date with BBC Asian Network. Looking back on where you began until now, how would you lend advice to new artists trying to elevate to the next level in their careers?
Hrishi: The BBC interview was one of those moments where I had to re-read the initial email request over and over again to convince myself it was real. I’ve been making records for a little bit now and really working on my songwriting and artistry skills, and it’s a necessary but slow-moving process. Interestingly for me, it feels like all of the attention and virality began to stir right when I started feeling like I was coming into my own as an artist, even though the remixes are a totally separate type of content than my original songs. I couldn’t be happier for the timing, though, because I feel more ready than I ever have.
With that context, my biggest piece of advice to aspiring artists would be to really focus and hone in on your songwriting and your point of view as an artist. Those foundational things are less flashy than social media numbers sometimes, but ultimately the music industry runs on incredible songs, and unique, authentic creators.
“Loneliness” your most recent song is inspired by Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time.” What elements of the original hit record made it a must to recreate this from your point of view? What are your thoughts on hearing this for the first time? How did this song come together?
Hrishi: “Loneliness” was one of those special moments in the studio — a very carefree, follow the flow and think later type of approach. I brought in one of my favorite instrumentals of all time, “Pretty Little Fears” by 6lack, and started by freestyling some Carnatic swara ideas in the studio with my co-writer, Al Sherrod Lambert (aka POINTS). POINTS caught a vibe and started humming the chorus of “…Baby One More Time.” Funnily enough, I didn’t even know the record at the time, because I mostly grew up listening to Tamil film music at home. But something about those lines and melodies felt right in the moment, so I laid them down and then we wrote the verses after. Hearing the first bounce back from my engineer Jose Balaguer was crazy — I remember playing it on repeat like 40 times because he had arranged all my Carnatic background vocals in a way that I’d never heard Carnatic music presented before. Later on, my producer Matthew Boda and I re-invented the production and went 80’s inspired, and that was a second moment of discovery with the record, because it took on a completely different flavor from the initial somber instrumental.
Being trained in classical Indian music for over a decade to now creating a more dynamic version of that with a Pop infused twist, how do you view your future in music and what may stem from its success overall?
Hrishi: My biggest goal with my music is to create more avenues for representation for people that look like me. Growing up, it was always hard to imagine myself as a pop singer, because there were very few successful Indian artists singing mainstream English songs. I think the current era we live in is so exciting because people are so open to learning about different cultures and new palettes of experience. As I continue to find success, I hope to inspire young brown kids that they aren’t limited in any way by their skin color, and that their heritage is something to be proud of in whatever they do.
Making an impact is the name of the game and with your content being shared by Indian entertainers such as Guru Randhawa, Parineeti Chopra, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Armaan Malik, how do you feel you will make your footprint amongst the masses and what is next on your journey overall?
Hrishi: It’s been so amazing to be supported whole-heartedly by these legendary figures in Indian entertainment. I’ve always believed in the foundations of my artist project, but these last couple months have made me envision my journey at a scale that I hadn’t before. It’s a huge blessing for my work to be amplified by such huge voices, and I take it as a sign to work 10x harder than I ever have before. There’s a lot of discovery to still happen on the journey of finding where the Carnatic and pop worlds collide, but I am so excited to delve deeper into it, as well as share my own original pop/Carnatic music with new audiences around the world.
Hear Hrishi’s latest Carnatic remix “Loneliness” available now.
