Brewing his perfect notes

even as he comes out with a new album after a long break of eight years.

It's just a sweet coincidence that I find myself watching KK's music video, Aasman Ke from his new album Hamsafar, released by Sony BMG, just hours before I'm supposed to interview him. And when I'm on my way, Om Shanti Om's hit number, "Aankhon Mein Teri", also sung by KK in case you didn't know, pops up from the cab's shabby stereo system.

"I've had a good run with films," says the singer, seated in the business centre of The Park, New Delhi. It's an unlikely place for interviewing a singer though one would think that a rich, green expanse, heritage monuments and the Jantar Mantar that you can see from the hotel's top floor would make for a great backdrop and an ideal point to integrate the thoughts of the musician.

Maybe it's a pointer to how music and our music industry has undergone a big change "" shifting gears from being a creative exercise to becoming viable business, fit to be spoken of in business centres alone.

"It's a reason why I no longer understand the concept of showcasing music in talent hunt shows," he says, grinning at how, some time ago, he too was a part of Sony's not-so-successful Fame Gurukul, a reality show. "I believed in the concept then," KK shrugs his shoulders but stresses that he did it primarily a) for Sony b) to be with Javed Akhtar and Shankar Mahadevan, his co-judges and friends. 
 

KK'S HITS

Tadap Tadap 

(Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) 

Yaaron 

(Rockford)

Tu Ashiqi Hai 

(Jhankaar Beats)

Aawarapan 

(Jism)

Alvida 

(Life in a Metro)

Today, there are many such shows and it's that aspect of "selling music" that makes him uncomfortable. But the voices of so many singers have been heard first on these platforms, I remind him. Weren't the likes of Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghosal, for instance, contestants in frilly frocks on these shows before they found success in the film industry? "Yes, but even since then music shows on television have changed. Now it's all about competition and channel ratings, which is not a great thing in my opinion."

But is the changing face of music in India a reason why KK has released his new album after a hiatus of eight years? After all, Hindi non-film music has nose-dived as compared to film music.

"I do believe that a song selects the singer. In that sense, I realised the film industry's music was beginning to change to suit the changing times. Some of my songs ("Alvida", from Metro, for instance) are in the rock genre (with a distinct Deep Purple flavour) and it's a great kick to know that people want to listen to these."

With his diary packed, it was a conscious decision to take a break from his everyday routine of recording songs with music directors. "I treat music like coffee, it gets better if you let it brew. I stopped taking calls for a while, contemplated the feel of the new album. Luckily, I jam a lot with my band members while we're touring and soon we had a number of songs which we thought could fit in well as an entire album," he says.

But obviously, times have changed since Pal, KK's best-selling album which came out eight years ago, and fans are wondering whether his new fare will have the impact of the previous one.

"I don't know. I've been getting good feedback for Humsafar, but somewhere even I know that piracy has killed the joy of waiting for an album's release and, finally, listening to it on the music system."

It's something which is stressing the singer out to some extent. "Some of my friends in the US called me and said that they loved the music video of Aasman ke. When I asked them where they saw it, they obviously said the dreaded word 'YouTube'. It really sickened me."

He'd like the album to reach out to audiences but says that it was the process of putting it together that was extraordinary.

"My 13-year-old son Nakul's sung in the album for the very first time and I can't even tell you how it feels," he grins, talking about his wife, Jyothi, and nine-year-old daughter Tamaara ("it means lotus"), both inclined towards good music. And it's to them where KK's waiting to return. Music, after all, grows in his abode.

"I CAN'T WORK UNDER PRESSURE"

How do you select your film songs?

Good lyrics. I try to feel every word in my heart. I become a character based on these lyrics. The tune, obviously, has to be melodious. I can't work under pressure or stress, so I postpone recordings if I feel any negativity in the air. Most of my songs get recorded within a couple of hours, so it's never a big problem. "Aankhon mein teri" from Om Shanti Om, for instance, took three hours to record.

How do you respond to newer artistes?

Music's all about giving space to accommodate real talent. I do feel we need many more artistes, especially female singers.

How do you view the non-film album category in today's times?

I've been very busy singing in films because it (the industry) has included my kind of music. Film music today enfolds almost all genres of music today; so you'll hear classical, rock, pop and other flavours in Indian films, something which was restricted to non-film music alone. Ironically, that could be a reason why a "newer" sound needs to emerge in the non-film category today.