‘Singles are in top tune & form’

Manmeet Singh tells SHALINI SAKSENA how independent music is doing brilliantly today

What brings you to Delhi?

We had a concert here. Then we got a call from our old associate (Dimple Ghosh) who told us about a restaurant Ciclo Bar and Cafe where they were doing a clash of bands, where not just the food is great, but they combine food, fitness and music. We are always looking out for new talent since most of our songs are with new singers. We  like to flirt with new voices. Delhi has a lot to offer in terms of talent. The city has some good bands doing well and we wanted to explore fresh faces.

Do such initiatives really throw up sustainable talent?

We spotted a new face from Karnal — a rapper. We asked him to come to Mumbai. We found a place for him to put up and recorded four of his songs with us. He is now doing great work for Bollywood, something he would have never done if he had continued to be where he was. Take the example of Kanika Kapoor, a mother of three. We loved her voice and asked her to come and sing for us. Success teaches you sustainability and ways to maintain it.

Where does independent music stand before Bollywood?

If you had asked me this question two years back, I would have said, nowhere. But today, out of 10 top songs, four would be singles like Suit Suit Karda (Arjun & Guru Randhawa), Mercy (Badshah) and Tin Peg (Sharry Mann) among others which are rocking the nation. This is the best time for independent music. We have to thank Yo-Yo Honey Singh for this. Through YouTube, he showed others the way. And it is going to be even bigger in the coming years since it is huge all over the world.

Is that the reason why many singles find their way into Hindi films?

Take the example of the song High Heels. We were asked to recreate the song. It had 30 million-odd views. When a song makes its way into a movie, it has a wider reach. Bollywood is not just about India, there are people outside the country who see movies. Even the producers promote it on a larger canvas. And when it has Kareena Kapoor Khan, the listenership becomes huge. When we first sang Main Tera Boyfriend from Raabta, it was a success but when it found its way into the film it was playing from Dubai to Thailand with 150 million on YouTube. When we recreate a song, we only take the hook and create a new song.

What is your favourite song?

This is difficult to answer. When it comes to independent music, it is Suit Suit Karda. Nothing comes to mind when it comes to Bollywood songs though. It was not a great year for the industry in terms of music.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Don’t be shocked when I tell you that I don’t listen to music. Everybody has music on their phones. The only time that I listen to music (instrumental) or English romantic songs is when I am doing yoga or exercising. Then also, music is not on my phone.

Is there a singer who has made an impression on you?

Guru Randhawa is a man to watch out for. He has a long way to go. Nikita Gandhi is another singer who has great potential.

Any particular genre that you love?

Romantic. Anything that is soulful. But once you give a hit number in a particular genre, people go crazy. Party songs are nice, but they can be enjoyed only for a while. A romantic song stays with you. It has melody and lingers on and makes you feel good. We try to ensure that our songs have a combination of melody and beat so that people can enjoy the song and dance on it as well.

What new songs are pipeline?

We recently released Yaari Ve for which Lauren Gottlieb flew down from New York. We also have one with Kanika which is a Rajasthani song. We do have a few Bollywood projects but we can’t talk about them since we are contract-bound.