There’s nothing musicians — real musicians, that is — love more than hitting the road. And so it is with Dubai’s very own Gayathri. One year after she launched her debut album, the 29-year-old singer, who toured India last year, is taking her music further afield to the US.
But before that, she’s giving fans and supporters in the UAE a concert to remember on June 11. Soundbites caught up with her before she set off to talk about life as a musician in the UAE, her collaboration with Joss Stone and where she wants to be next, musically.
Q: Tell us a little bit about that the second leg of your tour.
A: [My debut album] The Unknown was released online last March. Being an independent artist, I don’t have the luxury of large budgets for promotion and marketing of an album. So, I decided to take things slow and build a constant momentum through concerts, tours and collaborations. Dubai being my hometown and hugely instrumental in how this album got made [through the first crowdfunding campaign of the sort in the region], I knew that I wanted the show in Dubai to be one-of-a-kind and memorable, honouring those who put their faith in me. I’ve always wanted to create a multi-disciplinary show, building the world sonically as well as visually, live. So with some amazing partners like Vox Cinemas and Access All Areas, I have been able to bring that vision to life, technically. With a wonderful roster of musicians and visual artists, we’ve been working towards creating an entire show that marries the music with visual and costume design.
Q: Tell us a little bit about touring in India?
A: Performing in India was an absolute joy because people connect with the Indian influences in my music almost immediately and take to it. It makes playing songs they’ve never heard before easier as they’re able to reference it back to something they’re familiar with. India also has many different kinds of venues and a burgeoning indie energy that is infectious. Playing in legendary clubs like the Blue Frog and the Sula Festival earlier this year, I know first-hand that there is an appreciation for up-and-coming artists that is highly encouraging.
Q: Has it been difficult being an independent artist based in the UAE?
A: Dubai in many ways has given me confidence, serving as the right setting to make some glorious mistakes to learn from. There are definitely challenges within the system, like not having enough funds for music-related projects, different kinds of venues that serve various genres of music, there’s an egregiously low to zero support from radio for local artists, strict licensing laws, the stigma attached to local musicians, which is that if you’re local, you’re not very good and you should probably play for free. That being said, those challenges have pushed me personally to find solutions, because complaining about them is [a] futile exercise. There are many brands and initiatives that passionately support local artists and their stories, so I tend to gravitate in that direction.
Having grown up in this city, I have a deep attachment to it. It holds the key to some of my favourite memories, people and places, so even if it has a smaller scene, it is one that comes with a wonderful sense of community, creative drive and desire to make something original. I have had the fortune of meeting some incredible people who have supported me and really put their faith in me, so that stands above everything for me.
Q: What was that project with Joss Stone all about? Tell us more.
A: Joss kicked off a World Tour in April 2014, during which she plans on touring every country in the world, meet artists from those places, collaborate with them, showcase their music, understand their influences and culture, whilst exploring the universality of music and its ability to bring people together. Along with being an incredible idea, Joss truly goes about this tour with genuine passion for fellow musicians and what they have to say, keeping the focus on the artists she meets and learning their story. Our collaboration, the first of many I hope, is part of this tour and our entire jam session was filmed by her crew and released online and via BBC. She learnt and performed a song of mine with me and vice versa and it was truly a jamming of the minds and voices. I had the opportunity to take her and her crew to one of my favourite spots in the city out in the middle of nowhere and really felt like it was just a bunch of friends hanging out. I also got to share this experience with a few other musicians from my hometown who I’ve been lucky enough to call my friends — the amazing Hamdan Al Abri and Niki Mukhi.
Q: Why did you choose to go to the US to tour?
A: Ever since I made the decision to take on music seriously, the States has always been the place I’ve wanted to tour to, perform in and establish myself. Each one of my influences, my idols have all either broken out in the States or have really become rooted in the scene there. I’ve gotten a great response from venues based in States who took to the music and it’s highly encouraging. With an incredibly mature music scene and culture, I believe that it would be beautifully challenging to experience it and build listenership there, being that there is a lot to learn in terms of making your way up towards bigger shows, more support and breaking out. It’s just the kind of challenge I’m jonesing for.
Q: When people ask you to define your music, what do you say?
A: I say that I’d rather they define it for themselves. Music is such a personal thing and a song could mean totally different things for different people and defining it for people anchors it down with all these notions. I’d rather it be free and open to interpretation. If there is anything I can say to those who haven’t heard it, it would be that it is music that is worth a listen.
Q: What next after the US tour?
A: I’ve begun writing for the second album and working towards going back into the studio to record it by the end of the year. But after the US tour, I definitely want to stop to smell the roses, take stock and plan the next album/project and dive into it with a renewed creative drive, bringing all the new influences into the mix.
