Ananya – Circles

By starrymag | October 16, 2018

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) My sound has continued to evolve since I released my first track. I would say the genre is pop, but I take inspiration from a wide variety of places. Right now, I am incorporating more of an Indian vibe into the upcoming music which has been really fun to do. Last month I was in the studio in Atlanta and listening to a lot of hip-hip, so that might also seep into the EP too!

Bollywood kind of rules the music scene in India, but I was always keen to open it up to a more international sound. I was actually the first artist to go platinum with an English single, which proves that taking risks and going against the tide can sometimes pay off!

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I was inspired by my mom to take up the Santoor when I was nine. It’s an Indian instrument that is sort of like a guitar, but you play it sitting down in your lap. By age thirteen I longed to play along with my favorite musicians like Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Coldplay so I taught myself the guitar with YouTube tutorials.

Growing up I really connected with the raw emotion of artists like Kurt Cobain, Eminem, Ed Sheeran and Adele. They’re all really different but linked because they are such engaging performers and their lyrics are full of vulnerability, honesty and emotion. I think audiences appreciate authenticity above all else, it is the key ingredient to good music and something I try to bring to all my songs.

Although my music doesn’t sound like theirs, they have all been massive inspirations for me. They also know what it’s like to spending hours, days, years on music before having the confidence and the opportunity to put it out there.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Circles.”

 

A) I wrote the song as a thank you to my best friend, who I have known since my first year of school and has been with me through all life’s highs and lows. I wanted to show how powerful friendship is and how it can overcome age or distance or time. I don’t think friendships get the credit or airtime they deserve considering how much they mean to us and influence us.

I wrote the song with Tom Mann. He is a brilliant musician who has written with Liam Payne and Pretty Much. He, like others that I’ve collaborated with from Jim Beanz to Mood Melodies, helped me turn the personal feelings that inspired the song into something lots of people can identify with.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) All my songs are personal to me and are generally based on own experiences or those of people I’m close to. I think my fans appreciate the authenticity and because I talk about themes that are universally relatable – love, loss, friendship – they can apply it to whatever they’re experiencing at that moment. These are things we all go through, so people can hopefully connect with my songs whoever they are or wherever they are from in the world.

For example, my last single before “Circles,” “Hold On,” was written about the experiences of people that I know, who have felt that their relationship was being pulled apart by social pressures. It was about those people who were managing to hold on to love in spite of challenges and disapproval. Whether you are from Michigan or Mumbai – that’s something many of us have experienced.

I think it’s ironic that in the age of connectivity, of social media and the internet when we’re all exchanging information all the time, our generation are still experiencing feelings of isolation and loneliness, perhaps more than ever before. I think people are turning to music and musicians to find that connection. Just as I have always done during the scary and stressful, and even the most wonderful moments of my life, music has been my companion.

Nothing in the world makes me happier than when I get a message from a fan who says that they related to something in my music and that it made something that they are going through a little bit easier.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) I wanted to re-create touching and intimate moments from stories of friendship, which I have been told by people around the world. The process was quite emotional, as people really opened up about something really personal and valuable to them. A lot like music, friendship is something which touches people the world over, from every walk of life.

It was fantastic to get the chance to collaborate with the director Aya Tanimura on this. I think it’s really important for female creatives to support and uplift each other.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

 

A) It depends on the single. Mostly my songs come through when I’m just jamming in the studio – usually melody or series of chords just ‘sticks’ and then I start working the lyrics in to it. “Circles” flowed really easily because it came straight from the heart: I walked in to the studio that day knowing exactly what I wanted to do, what I wanted to say and how I wanted it to feel.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

 

A) I love what I do so much and don’t take a second for granted!I am constantly in the studio and very hands-on with every aspect of it.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Ananya performance?

 

A) When I’m about to perform on stage I can get quite nervous, but once I am up there, there is no better feeling in the world. I’m usually quite a shy person, but being on stage brings out this whole different persona!

Live performances are the best way to connect with an audience and that is what music is all about. My love for the music industry really flourished when I was doing open-mic nights and performing in which ever tiny, grungy venue would take me in London, whilst I was at university in England. Even if it was just twenty people in the audience, I would gladly go out and do my thing.

 

Q) Will there be a full EP or album coming in the near future?

 

A) I released an acoustic version of “Circles” recently, which was very exciting as I’ve been experimenting with a new sound and different influences.

I’ve just been in the studio in LA and I can’t wait for everyone to hear what I’ve been working on. Hopefully, there will be another single in November and then I’m planning to release my EP at the beginning of 2019. There will be a good mix on there.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

 

A) I will always have a soft spot for the small, low-key venues that I played around London before I came back to India and was signed by Universal. There was something wonderful about working with anonymity. I think those years where I was grafting away, performing on whatever stage I could, were some of the most valuable of my life. They taught me how much I love music. If you can be totally in your element when there are only fifteen people present, and the venue is decidedly un-glamorous, then you know it’s love!

Last year I performed on the same stage as Coldplay at Global Citizen in Mumbai and that was incredibly significant because I really believe in the work of Global Citizen and the message that they spread. It was amazing to be a part of their global movement.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I love Sia’s voice. Her songs are fearless, powerful and hit you right in your heart. She’s one of the best out there. I’m also loving Alessia Cara at the moment. She started off doing acoustic covers (like me!) and has grown really quickly in to an amazing popstar. Her songs are really relatable, and she comes across as very down-to-earth. I think performing with her would be a blast.

Some of my other favorites are Eminem and Drake.

 

Q) You are a big advocate for mental health awareness. What inspired you to get involved in creating your MPower initiative?

 

I battled against anxiety and panic attacks whilst I was at university in the UK and found it difficult to reach out for help. I felt isolated and was nervous that people would undermine my abilities if I admitted that I was struggling.

When I returned to Mumbai, I eventually got the support I needed. However, it became very clear to me that it was not so easy for other people with mental health issues because of the stigma and the lack of education and assistance available.

The stigma around mental health is a global problem, but it is particularly relevant in India. There mental health is a topic that is rarely discussed and when it is it is often trivialized. Depression and suicide rates are on the rise and people are scared to reach out for help because they don’t want to be judged.

My mom and I felt a huge responsibility to do something about the problem, so we co-founded MPower. Our treatment center in Mumbai offers interventions, assessment, treatment and training which is making a dent in the massive lack of options for support in India (there are only 3500 psychiatrists for the 1.5 billion people who live there, and someone attempts suicide every three seconds). Last year, we put on a concert in Mumbai which over 20,000 people came to, to raise awareness around mental health and smash the stigma that surrounds it here in India.

 

Q) What do are some things you’d like people to understand or to clarify about the stigma surrounding mental health awareness?

 

A) You can’t see a mental issue like you could see a bruise or a broken bone, so people may find it harder to grasp, understand and even believe. I think because people are not educated about the reality of mental health, they can be more likely to project their worst fears on to it. When we don’t know the truth about something, we often presume the worst. Or, because people don’t understand it, they make an association between low morals or character weakness; you’re either a bad person or just need to toughen-up. Of course, neither of those things is remotely true. Yet many of us still walk around with those unconscious biases in our head and we react accordingly when the subject of mental health comes up, from a place of fear or confusion.

Our ultimate goal is to create a society free of stigma, where people with mental health issues (and those who support and care for them) can live fulfilled lives. Ideally, we see a future in which everyone receives the help they need, without facing any shame or discrimination along the way. We had four key goals in mind starting-out: creating awareness, preventing discrimination, fostering education, and providing much–needed care services.

I think it’s really important that people like me who have a public platform, use it. We should use our position in the most positive way – on social media, in interviews, everywhere. We need to set an example and lead the way.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) It allows you to talk to your fans directly and build a relationship with them, which is really important to me. On social media you can show your real, true self, rather than an edited version or someone else choosing to portray you in a certain way. It also allows me to speak out about issues that are important to me and that need to be talked openly about, such as mental health.

I’m really into Instagram stories because it makes it easy for me to post updates on what I’m up to, sharing silly things I’m laughing at and even announcing big news about music releases.

I ran a social media contest earlier this year for the release of my single “Meant To Be.” I asked my followers and fans to share things that they felt were ‘meant to be’ in their lives, and I was totally amazed by how beautiful and honest their responses were. People shared such personal, touching stories with me and I realized at that point how special my relationship with my fans is.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you for supporting me, and stay tuned to my social media for exciting news coming soon!

 

 

 

Watch The Video For “Circles:”