“I want to create music for films” – Lekhak

‘S.A.D-Seeking Answers Daily’ is the name of the debut EP of Lekhak. There is a reason why the singer-songwriter opted for this particular name. Lekhak comes from a family of music lovers. However, he is the first individual from his family to pursue music professionally. Lekhak began his journey as an independent artist and continues to be one. However, he is now also signed up with T-Series, one of the biggest music labels in the country.

In this interview, Lekhak talks about his debut EP, his journey in music, collaborating with other artists, upcoming projects, and more.

‘S.A.D-Seeking Answers Daily’, your debut EP, is about a young man dealing with Seasonal Affecting Disorder. Why did you decide to use this as the theme of your EP?

I read about it recently. It caught my attention and I started doing research on it. It is a kind of disorder which leads to you feeling low or sad over a period of time. When it reaches its peak, it becomes quite serious and you might need to consult a professional then. I thought one should talk, discuss, and create more awareness around it. There are seven phases in love. I have probably experienced the last four phases very deeply. Through this EP, I talk about those four phases.

When did this EP happen?

I had not planned to make an EP. Once these four songs got made, things fell into place organically. I felt the songs were connected to each other and could be released cumulatively as an EP. Sadness is an emotion, which I feel, can be interpreted in different ways. While SAD stands for Seasonal Affecting Disorder, I thought it could also mean Seeking Answers Daily. The EP talks about the disorder and also justifies the title.

You have collaborated with artists like Rishi Roy on the EP.

I collaborated with Rishi on the track ‘Same’. He is an amazing vocalist. I have known him for quite a while. One day, I met him. We were at the studio and thought of working on something together. I had already written ‘Same’. I made Rishi listen to it. He really liked it and we worked on it further. There is a simplicity in Rishi’s voice which I love. It was great collaborating with him. The team at T-Series also liked the song. Eventually, we decided to make it a part of the EP.

Is there any artist whom you wish to collaborate with in the near future?

I would love to collaborate with every artist whose work I admire and have been inspired by. I really look forward to collaborations. A lot of collaborations are coming up. When two different perspectives come together for a song, things get better.

Why did you opt for Lekhak as your stage name?

There is no amazing story behind my name (laughs). As a child, we would see sentences like “iss lekhak ne yeh likha” on our Hindi textbooks. I used to write shaayari (poetry) when I was in school. I was greatly interested in storytelling. I used to cook up stories in my head and try to present in the form of words. I thought of several fancy names. Then, ‘Lekhak’ is a name I got stuck with as I used to come across every day.

How did music come into your life?

I grew up listening to Jagjit Singh saab, KK and Atif Aslam. My dad has a wonderful voice and he sings really well. I guess I have a good voice because of my genes. My dad encouraged me to learn more and more about music. My great-grandfather was a poet. I guess I got drawn towards writing because of that. I am the first person in my family to pursue music as a profession.

You participated in the reality show MTV Hustle 03 REPRESENT. How was that experience like?

It was an amazing experience. The most streamed song from that season was my song. MTV Hustle gave me the platform which I needed to showcase my talent. In our field, getting a breakthrough is very difficult. There are so many good artists out there. It is difficult to get noticed. Thanks to MTV Hustle, people noticed me. Unfortunately, I got eliminated very soon. However, I received a lot of love from the audience. I am 20 now. I started working when I was 13-14 years old. I have worked very hard to get all this.

How has been the experience of working with T-Series?

It has been a wonderful experience. T-Series takes great care of its artists. They give a lot of time and do not put any pressure on you. We are working together as a family. This is why the EP came out so well. A lot of people have a negative perception about labels. Misinformation and rumors get spread very easily. When you work with them, you realize these things are not true. I hope we work together for a long time. I have been signed for two years by T-Series.

What are you doing next?

I want to collaborate with several artists. I want to create music for films as well.