Kamakshi Khanna

For being the first Indian indie musician going the Jacob Collier way!

“Icompletely stole Jacob Collier’s idea for this Reels. I thought it was great that he had put out a set of harmonies and you could sing over him,” says Delhi musician Kamakshi Khanna, 28, whose Reels remix of her first original Hindi composition, Qareeb, went viral recently.

Collaboration celebration

Collaborating seemed the best way to celebrate the song hitting 100k streams on Spotify, so she provided the backing vocals via harmonies, all a cappella, and left it for the person trying the Reels remix to sing the main lines. She even went first as an example. “I’m bored of making music alone. You can be inspired by others and this remix option allows that!”

Was there any self-doubt? “A part of me thought ‘why would people sing your song?’ Then 100 people were trying it out! I didn’t know so many people even knew the song,” she says. Her Reels remix has people not just singing, but playing instruments. Plus, celebs like Benny Dayal sang as well.

“I know Benny had done the Jacob Collier challenge. He’s a connoisseur of challenges on Instagram!” says Kamakshi.

Kamakshi provided the backing vocals via harmonies, and left it for the person trying the Reels remix to sing the main lyrics

Her sister Akshiena, an incredible singer herself, also tried it out.

Before Kamakshi released Qareeb, her following was 12k and today, it’s

25k. “It’s quite crazy what we’ve been able to achieve,” she says, crediting her manager, Deepika Seth. Though social media is only a workspace for Kamakshi.

WFH

“I’M BORED OF MAKING MUSIC ALONE. YOU CAN BE INSPIRED BY OTHERS. REMIX REELS ALLOWS THAT VIA INSTAGRAM” —KAMAKSHI KHANNA

Her The Green Room Sessions on Youtube have added to her popularity. Here she releases raw, stripped down versions of the songs she’s writing. She recently did one with the Friends OST by The Rembrandts, which also went viral. What’s next? She has collaborated with producersongwriter OAFF,

Urdu poet and singersongwriter Sameer

Rahat, and drummer Karun Kannampilly, for her next release, a Hindi song titled Duur. All while sitting at their respective homes! karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter and Instagram Who should be the next HT Brunch Social Media Star Of The Week? Nominate using the hashtag #Brunchsocialmediastarotw or email htbrunch@hindustantimes.com

SUNDAY IN A SENTENCE { FREDDY BIRDY } SOCIAL MEDIA STAR

(Left) Shardul and Tanuja tying a mangalsutra around each other’s neck, at their wedding last December