He is arguably the most successful Indie Artist. Meet Raghu Dixit, the iconic singer songwriter one of the most celebrated Indie artist who has forayed into mainstream while keeping his indie roots intact. We caught up with the man, the legend Raghu Dixit for a quick chat.

IRMP3:  Hey Raghu, Thank You for taking time for this interview, How has the UK tour been?

RD: As a great investment and a stepping stone for great things to come! We start from scratch here in the UK and in the rest of the world and are building a career up from there. The tour itself comes with a whole load of memories, some great people who helped us out when we needed it most, some really nice shows at some fantastic festivals here and mainly, the travel itself, we’ve seen more of the UK while on tour than we ever would otherwise, so that way, its a brilliant way to see the world!

IRMP3:  Tell us about the first time you picked up the guitar, how has been the journey so far? Do you look back and say ‘Boy! That was fun?

RD: I started my musical career very late, at least compared to the young kids I see doing music these days. And I started at the absolute beginning, I learnt to play the guitar, my instrument of choice, only when I was 19 and then wrote my own songs because it was easier than trying to learn songs by all the bands I was listening to those days!

I come from a traditional Indian family and yes, my parents were definitely not thrilled at my musical inclination but if you look at it from their point of view, all they want is for you to be successful and they are trying to push you towards things they know. Now my Mum absolutely loves it that I am a musician!

IRMP3:  It is urban legend that you were playing your last gig at Zenzi in 2007 and it so happens that Vishal and Shekar noticed you and rest it history, what’s the story here?

RD: It is true! That gig in Zenzi was a culmination of a LOT of struggles over the years and it was my miracle in Mumbai. That’s it! That’s the story.

IRMP3: Your self-titled debut album was a massive hit; looking back did you believe that something that wasn’t Bollywoodish enough would survive?

RD: I would not release anything but the songs I wrote over the years as my debut album, and I had full faith in my music. I guess the labels were just looking for something familiar that they could market and make a product out of, so when I came along with my music, it threw things a little out of balance. But looking back, I am glad I stuck it out and I don’t think there are many things about this journey I would want to change.

IRMP3: What is the inspiration to the lyrical content of your music? Your songs are about social awareness, unconditional love, frustration, and hope against odds, where does it stem from?

RD: I use inspiration from various sources, my most recent quest has been to spread the culture of my land through poetry that has been written over the ages, and also, by more contemporary poets in Karnataka and make them something that people relate to today. But having said that, it is not the only kind of songs we are writing.

I have never wanted to be restricted language, genre, or themes when I make music, and I try to include everything that really inspires or moves me. I haven’t really tried to stick to any of these or come up with a formula for the music, it just flows out of me and I’m glad and thankful that it does! In fact, on the next album, don’t be surprised to find songs in Tamil, an ode to the paternal side of my family!

IRMP3:  Tell us more about your band (Members/management), what makes The Raghu Dixit Project such a closely knit unit?

RD: My band is a fantastic bunch of people that I love working with, and that has always been the criteria for me to have them play with me. Over the years, a lot of musicians have passed through the band and each of them add their own flavour to my music. This makes things interesting for me as well because to a large extent, when we go up on stage, we improvise most of the show. Right from the set list to what happens in each song, so the shows themselves are an adventure for us, and that translates to the audience as well!

If I had to venture a guess about why the band is a close knit unit, I think it is because each member sees potential in what we are doing and has enough freedom to express himself / herself creatively through the band.

IRMP3: Second album is in works? Can you tell us something about it?

RD: All good things take time! And the second one I promise will not just be good! It will be much better than that! It takes time to mature songs and the best way to do it is to play them live as much as possible before getting into the studios. Audiences across demographics should like a majority of the songs and then you know the album will work when it’s out. The second album will be much better recorded and will definitely focus on capturing the live energy of the band, which was probably missing in the first one. The songs will not just be in Hindi and Kannada but also in Tamil, Punjabi and maybe Bengali.

IRMP3:  From a struggling Folk rock artist to become one of the mavericks of Indian Indie, you have seen it all, what do you think is the future of Indian Indie, do you see more artists quitting day jobs to become full time musicians? Or you would advice caution?

RD: I don’t think I’ve seen it all, not even close! I have seen quite a bit though, but I think this is just the beginning. Indian indie music is at the cusp of something big and I feel that we are at or atleast close to the tipping point from where things could get really interesting.

While I would love to say, yes, quit your job and get into music full time and everything will work out, like everything else or rather, more than any traditional job, music is a big struggle, and if you are planning to foray into it, then please make sure you have the resolve and the dedication to see it through. There will be tough times and it is not even close to as rosy as the movies make it seem like, so be ready for the grind, and remember if you do it right, you will be doing the one thing you love most as your career!

IRMP3: Raghu, thanks for your valuable time, any message to your fans?

RD: Thank you for everything that you guys do to make sure we can continue doing what we do! Find us online, offline, wherever, and please tell us what you think of the band and the music or just say ‘hello!’ Also, our next album is out very soon, so keep an eye out for it and please go buy it when it is out! I know its easier to pirate it and get it for free, but we’ll make sure its worth buying

Photo Courtesy: Shiv Ahuja.
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