Singer-songwriter Aditya Rikhari. Pooto: Aditya Thakur
Singer-songwriter Aditya Rikhari has been known for songs like “Faasle” and “Samjho Na,” so his newer material is sometimes met with “Waisa kuch banao na? (Make something like those songs?)”
The artist – who recently put out the Punjabi song “Kol Aa” plus the Devdas-inspired “Paaro” and songs like “Humdum” and “Subha Shaam” – says there’s no set formula to songwriting that he can repeat. “If we knew how to make that kind of song… we didn’t know while making it that we are doing this and that. We just do it because it feels good and sounds good and written well,” he says over a call.
He has a way to deal with those kind of comments. Rikhari says, “I just say, ‘Yes I’m working on it’ and that the next one will be like that. Then the song comes out and people are like, ‘It wasn’t like that.’ Then I say, ‘No no, the next one is like that.’ It’s easy to say ‘Haanji Haanji’ (sure thing) and move ahead. No one can understand unless they’re an artist themselves. My songs just have to sound good, that’s all that matters.”
To his credit, Rikhari may not be following a pattern, but he’s trying to make songs that have a cohesiveness so that they fit into an album together. “I want that signature sound that comes in to each song of mine, even if it’s experimental, so that people can hear it, whether consciously and subconsciously.” With four out of 10 songs out so far, Rikhari says every time a new song is created, he feels like releasing it before any previous projects. “That’s how ‘Paaro’ was released,” he says with a laugh. In a more serious tone, the artist adds, “Almost all the songs are ready, just giving them a final finishing touch. It’s just about asking, ‘Which song should we do next?’”
Rikhari’s latest songs and the album is being released via IndieA Records, owned by Universal Music India. It was only after a couple of years of putting out music independently and via his management company CollabX Entertainment between 2020 and 2022 that Rikhari inked deals with the likes of Universal Music. He says about being part of the music industry ecosystem, “The feeling is great, but I don’t have any prior feelings like this to compare them with. Every next experience is a first for me. It’s been mostly good for me rather than bad,” he says. Rikhari adds, “Koi nazar mat lagana (nobody jinx this for me).”
It’s a similar feeling when it comes to performing live and touring around the country. Originally a bedroom music producer, Rikhari says that as he began to gain views, he focused on improving quality as listeners perhaps became more discerning fans. Then, the idea of performing live with a band came up. “All I had performed in before then were school shows, cultural functions and everything was new to me,” he adds. After his 10-city tour in 2023 which comprised indoor and outdoor shows, Rikhari says it surpassed his expectations. “I had never performed in front of so many people. I hadn’t experienced 800 people or so buying tickets just to see me. That was incomparable as a feeling. I hadn’t seen something like that,” he adds.
With shows now a regular part of Rikhari’s commitments, he’s managing his album too. After “Kol Aa,” the artist hints at his next song being a collaboration involving Hindi R&B/pop artist The Rish. The album plans to come out in a piecemeal fashion but Rikhari uses a more exciting metaphor. “Ladi lagane padegi – ek ke baad ek (We’ll line them up like firecrackers, one after the other).”
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