Today, we are speaking with Indian performer Yajur. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music?
My name’s Yajur. I’m 16 years old. I’m a singer-songwriter from India. I’m currently living in Singapore finishing high school. I’ve been involved with music since the age of 3. The decision to do this as a career happened in September 2016.
You are releasing a new record shortly. What was the writing/creative and recording process like?
I’ve been working on this second record since January which is even the first record was brought out. I always wanted the second one to be the one which sets my benchmark as an artist. As a songwriter, I try to write a song a day and sometimes even more. Therefore, when it came to making the record, I had a big list to choose from so I chose the best 7. The writing in this EP reflects songs for everyone. You miss a relationship, there’s a song for that. You’re falling in love; there’s a song for that. If you miss your best friend, there’s a song for that. If you’ve lost a loved one, there’s a song for that as well. My vision for this record was basically to have songs I’d want to listen to as a fan of music. Which is why every song in this record has a completely different aspect to it.
Tell us a bit more about your new single.
My new single is called ‘KAWAII’. KAWAII is Japanese for cute. The person I wrote this for was not Japanese which makes it a little ironic. This song reflects the time in a relationship where things aren’t the best and you end up reflecting on how amazing the good times used to be and how things always do change. Sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse. In my case personally they turned out much better. The person today is one of my closest friends and she’ll always be there when I need her to be.
How supportive is the local music scene in furthering your career (e.g. radio stations, magazine, venues)?
In India, the music followed the most is completely different from the music I made which is why radio stations, or magazines would not want to support my music. But in Singapore, the scene is much better. People here appreciate my music on a much bigger level compared to India. The support has been incredible. But my target audience at this stage of my career is definitely Europe and mainly London. I want my music to be heard in London and hopefully other places in Europe as well.
What does your recording set up look like (what do you use to record, what are your favorite tools)?
For recording, I prefer going to the studio. I have a sound engineer I have been working since I started with the first single back in 2016. I feel more hands-on plus I want to do what I feel I can do the best of my ability i.e. make the music. Doing all the mixing and recording, I like to depend on someone who knows what they’re doing.
Which artists are the greatest influences for you and your music? Is there a dream lineup of performers that you would like to perform with if given the chance?
Jamie Lawson’s going on tour this coming year. I would be honored to be a support act on his tour and learn from him. His hit single ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ was what I used as reference to make my song Freckles for my record. He’s an inspiration and it would definitely be an honor to work with him. There’s not a day when I do not listen to his self-titled album or his latest record ‘Happy Accidents’
Which sort of social media website have you had the best successes with? What about these online services are different from the traditional face to face meeting and performances that musicians utilize?
Instagram has been a great tool for me to able to share my music. I feel the main difference between online services and traditional face to face meetings is the fact that the connect between an artist and his audience so much more intimate when it’s face to face. When my audience can see me perform, they connect to me as an artist much more than an Instagram post. This is something you need as a young artist just starting out which is why I am eager to get out there and perform as much as can so that I can present myself as a singer-songwriter to the best of my ability.
What does 2018 hold for you?
2018 hopefully holds a release for a successful second record in January and hopefully a tour following that as a support act. Moreover, I would love to be able to seek exposure as an artist into the industry in whichever possible. And lastly, I hope to be able to learn and grow as an artist in 2018.
Thank you so much for your time. Finally, do you have any additional thoughts about life and the universe for our readers?
Your magazine is a great platform for young artists like me to be able to connect with an audience and I sincerely want to thank the readers for reading this. Additionally, it has been an amazing journey and I hope to be able to learn and perform for anyone at anytime of any day!
Thank you so much J