NUSH LEWIS
Tell us about your song writing process.
I am a very moody writer. That's actually something I'm trying to break. I now force myself to sit with something even though I may not necessarily feel it. My process is pretty simple and straightforward. I write down a progression and loop it. I then sing various melody lines over it till I get one that fits better. Lyrics come in as and when it pleases.
Tell us about your initial years when you first started out as a musician.
I decided to get into music professionally in 2009 when I graduated from college. It was one of those "if I don't do this now, I'm never going to do it" and that's a regret I wasn't ready to live with. I did my one year of performance program at the KM Music Conservatory majoring in the harp in Chennai and then moved to Mumbai. Mumbai is an absolute crazy city to live in but the beauty of it is that no one feels out of place. What I loved was the fact that like me there were many other young singer songwriters who had the same drive and thirst to write and produce music. I, of course, walked into this scene knowing absolutely no one. So while I wrote my music I attended a bunch of gigs and creepily stood in the corner and watched. This is where I made contacts and slowly people got to know who I am. Twitter was how I booked my first ever collaboration and my first ever gig. That was our only social media back then so I made the most of it.
You are also a harpist. How did you decide to pick that up? What inspired you?
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would end up playing the harp. When I joined the KM Conservatory in 2009 as a vocal major was where I actually saw the harp being played. Our music theory teacher Alison Maggart was a harpist and she had performed the harp for a school function. That was the first time I ever saw the harp being played. As much as it was the music and the magnificence of the instrument that is overwhelming, what actually drew me to the instrument was curiosity. It has so many strings and on top of that it has pedals that move in three layers. That's what got me to go and ask for classes. With no intention of taking it further than two classes. But that's when I found myself going back for more. I ended up practicing the harp more than my vocals and the rest is history. I changed majors with the help of my teacher and things have been different ever since.
For a person who has never listened to the EP ‘Bridges’, how would you describe it?
"Bridges" is a body work that represents an artist's personal growth moving against all odds and self discovery. It has been about two years in the making in terms of writing and rewriting. Sonically, it was driven by the piano as opposed to the last EP. The storytelling in the songs opened up a more harmonic spectrum because of it. The usage of live drums and bass has also played a big role in the making of the EP. 'Travel' tells a story of unachievable love, 'Lament' is a grandmother's journey through life, 'Untuned' leaping into freedom and embracing it, 'Threads' is about the lies we surround ourselves with and 'Distance' is about an alternate universe we would like to escape to. Of the five songs, two are collaborations with producers. 'Threads' is a collaboration with Italian producer, Luca Petracca. And 'Distance' is a collaboration with ambient artist, Riatsu.