Upasana Kaura
Independent music artist, Raaj Soni’s journey is a testament of the enduring power of passion. Once a lead guitarist for multiple music bands, he put his music on hold to complete his education and then his job as a senior UI/UX designer in a Bengaluru-based firm. Music never left him, though!. Raaj continued to sing at open mics and, wrote songs in his free time. Some years later, he set up a home studio and began creating his own music. And, that marked the beginning of his journey as an independent music artist.
He recently released his eighth song To Kya Hua, a heartfelt exploration of the process of ‘moving on after love & loss’. In a way, the song captures the essence of his journey, from being in the state of constant denial to accepting what has happened and moving on. The song serves as a poignant reminder of the universal stages of love and its eventual conclusion. He says, “I believe, It is totally fine if you are not okay after losing the love of your life. Important is to stand up again and move forward in life because in the end, It’s you who can support you. People who did you wrong, Karma will take care of it. You don’t have to worry about that.” Excerpts from an interview:
Tell us more about To Kya Hua. Tell us about its making and how it has been received.
To Kya Hua is about the final acceptance that whatever happened, happened. Now is the time to say goodbye to your grieving/depressed/sad/angry self and come back to a stronger-than-ever version of yourself after a really bad breakup. It was a tough time but ultimately, the beauty of the world captures your mind.
To Kya Hua is a phrase that I continuously repeated in my head while being in that dark phase to calm myself down. That phrase got stuck in my mind and I just opened my phone and started writing some lines and continued writing. It took me a month’s time to complete the song (from writing to mixing and mastering). It has been received pretty well. A lot of people sent me texts after listening to this song saying “It made us go back in time”. Since it’s getting recognition day by day.
How and when did you decide to turn into a singer. Who inspired you
My elder brother (Roshan) started learning the guitar back in 2005 and I was perhaps 9 or 10 years old at that time. It caught my attention. I just wanted to play the guitar like they do in the movies. My elder brother, like any elder brother in the world, started teasing me but he also saw potential in me. So he taught me what he learned in the guitar class and it continued for a while. I started singing on my own and I still remember my first song Bulla Ki Jaana – Rabbi Shergill hit track. I loved singing it. From the day I picked up the guitar, I never stopped playing. My father wanted me to leave all that and just focus on my studies but that is what parents do. They just want the best for their children. Rest, everyone was just okay with it.
When did you release your first song? How was it received by people? How many total songs have you released so far?
I released my first song in 2021 with a friend of mine. It is called Dilli Ki Sardi and it did wonders for me. People from the industry heard it and they loved it. It was received with love:
How has been your journey so far?
A roller coaster ride – lot of ups and downs because of situations, people, and sometimes myself. But each and every second spent in this journey has taught me more than music. It taught me life, spirituality and myself and most importantly, It taught me to express myself better.
Tell us about your experience with music bands. When and how were these formed? Why did you quit those?
I formed my first band back in 2010 called Parhit but had to quit because of my studies. Then I formed a band called Fitoor when I went to college in 2013 but had to quit it because of some personal reasons. I formed another band called The Frongs in the same year along with my elder brother and few of his friends but sadly, this too came to an end. Finally, me and my brother made another band called Qasbah in 2014 with a singer/songwriter from the industry and we continued for three years. In that time we performed a lot and released songs and also made a song for Indian Navy called Ahoy Hello Namastey and performed the same at the International Fleet Review in Vizag in 2016 along with Akshay Kumar and Kangna Ranaut. This association also came to an end and after that I never joined a band rather I started focusing on indie music and learning the Production (Record/Mixing/Mastering).
What do you like most – singing, song-writing or making music.
I love the whole process from noting down a thought for a song to finally Mixing and Mastering it. I would say I enjoy the journey but specifically, I like making music.
What are you currently busy with?
Writing new songs, and reading a script for a Web Series.
What’s your take on Indie music?
It’s getting better and better day by day. I love seeing people coming up with different kinds of vibes everyday with new songs but what I feel disappointed about is they are not getting the chance that they deserve. Social media has taken over and it makes me feel sad sometimes that people who are doing absolutely nothing are getting a good amount of audience but these indie artists can only hope that one day their song will go viral on Instagram and people will like it.
Do you have plans to enter Bollywood?
Yes, I would love to enter Bollywood but it’s not my end goal.
Where do you see yourself, say, 10 years down the line?
I would be doing songs for movies, doing concerts and living the life of my dreams with a beautiful life partner and few close friends.
What are your other interests?
I like traveling and talking to different people of different cultures. I like designing as in Digital Product Designing and that is what I do.
Tell us a day in your life – how many hours a day are you busy with your music, in your studio? Where is your studio located?
Well I am a Product Designer by day and an Artist by night. Usually, I do music at night, say from 11pm to 2am or sometimes 3am. On weekends, I start from the morning and stretch it to maybe 5 or 6 hours. Totally depends on the mood and vibes. I have a home studio here in New Delhi but I will be shifting to Noida soon.
How does Delhi respond to Indie music?
This city is crazy for Indie music. People love listening to artists like Anuv Jain and Prateek Kuhad and probably Me.
Any other thing you want to say…
I just want to say “No matter what, You gotta keep going”. Nothing is permanent and perfect. Karma is real. The Law of Attraction is real. Spread Love.
