American-Indian singer Lisa Mishra talked candidly about her experience at Yaari Jam, a music-filled celebration of friendship, in an exclusive interview with The Pioneer. While performing with well-known Gen Z musicians, she thought back on the significant impact friendship had had on her career. She also discussed the ways in which her close relationships with her bandmates have influenced her creative process!
SHIKHA DUGGAL
The House of McDowell’s Soda presented Yaari Jam. The popular Gen Z artists Ritviz, Sanam, Lisa, Lohtika and Zaeden performed live at this thrilling musical spectacle. At that point, we looked into an exclusive conversation with Lisa Mishra, an American singer.
Yaari Jam actually commemorated friendship. The musician shares a poignant tale of how friendship has impacted her musical path, saying, ‘Since friendship is something I share with my band, friendship has been essential to my creative journey. After six years of togetherness, they rank among the people in Mumbai with whom I am closest.” Yaari Jam made this friendship day even more special by throwing a star-studded night and having a great time with pals.
“To me, it is simply a part of who I am. Since I’m Indian American, I believe that creating music in multiple languages is true for me and comes effortlessly. Fans can undoubtedly anticipate some of their favourite covers and mashups. And of course my originals, which blend Hindi and English,” she gave some insight into how she approaches fusing several musical genres in her live performances. Everyone was seen singing and swaying to the newest tracks that were topping the charts. Yaaron Waali Baat emphasised how little deeds may have a profound effect on friends and the many opportunities that result from deep connections. Tareefan fame continued the discussion, saying, “We really did have songs about friendship built into our set list, so the audiences really enjoyed our set. I believe that people witnessed our enthusiasm while performing and the friendship among my band members, which is greatly impacted by Yaari Jam.”
On the other hand, though, “Kehlani and SZA are the two artists that I believe have inspired me the most recently. They seem to speak quite easily and they are two women who genuinely just know who they are. I therefore draw inspiration from them and sort of just do what I need to do rather than adhering to the status quo for female performances. And you know what? By observing them being who they are, I’ve learned to be myself.”
Additionally, she believes that every performance she has ever given has something to offer everyone. Therefore, she believes that the best approach to introducing her fan base to the new music she released this year is to also sprinkle in a few covers and well-known favourites so they never feel left out. She constantly attempts to make sure that her own original work is available in addition to something for older and younger audiences. “I believe that the musicianship in my music has only grown stronger as it has aged. Our live set was the culmination of years and years of practice, honing my craft as a composer and arranger. I prefer to go slowly. I don’t believe that worrying or paying attention is necessary on performance day. We are a very seasoned group of individuals. Because our band is so close-knit and, in my opinion, extremely situation-adaptable, we don’t like to overthink things. On the day before the performance, we relax,” The Wakhra Song fame adds.
Lisa carries a lot of profound emotion in her song Saza, which is from her most recent album, Sorry I’m Late. It appears that listeners relate to the song a lot. It’s a lovely, straightforward song about heartbreak and a lack of resolution. Moreover, “it’s all about the supporters. I talk a lot when I’m on stage. It’s fun around here. We laugh and joke around. I behave as though they are my buddies. I don’t know if it can startle some people to see how much audience participation there is during my set! In my opinion, being a performer means creating an environment that is enjoyable, secure and friendly for everyone, even those who haven’t heard my music. As opposed to a rigid, formulaic approach that has never seemed to work for me, I prefer to keep things simple and honest. That’s how I think it’s done much better by others. I still need the crowd interaction’s versatility.”
Naadaaniyan fame is overjoyed with the quantity of songs she has put out this year, particularly her first album. She believes that in order to compose another project or work with new people, she is currently in a place where she may gather more stories and experience life once more. She believes that she is reentering a state of self-discovery and that music will come from it, but nothing concrete just yet.
