The musical duo, Priyansh Srivastava and Garvit Soni, had embarked on an interesting path of unrelenting dedication to music. The duo, who recently unveiled their debut EP, gets candid with The Pioneer about the four tracks of the EP, their strong foundation towards Indian classical music, and more.
Subodhini Purohit
Priyansh Srivastava and Garvit Soni’s artistic path is a monument to their unrelenting dedication and unlimited inventiveness, from the seamless integration of Indian classical and contemporary elements to intense live performances that truly connect with audiences. Discover their most recent endeavours, impending partnerships, and the touching backstories of their most well-known songs in this unique look into their musical career!
Each song showcases a combination of passion and the ability of words to arouse feelings, with tunes composed in a matter of days. Garvit reveals that Jiya Mera, Keh Do Na, Rasta, and Baaton Hi Baaton are the four tracks of the EP Lafz. “Jiya Mera was created in September or October, while Keh Do Na was created more than a year earlier. The song Baaton Hi Baaton featured voices and compositions added to it by songwriters Shikar and Dhairya, who provided a track they immediately identified with. The fourth track, Rasta, was written a few months ago. The fact that each song took no more than five or six days to compose is what sets them apart from other tunes. We purposefully chose the name Lafz because it means “words,” which we feel are a potent means of conveying love and feelings. This truly matches the EP’s atmosphere, which is why the title is appropriate.”
“Priyansh and I have a strong foundation in Indian classical music, with him having completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the field,” Garvit says, discussing their journey through both modern and Indian classical music. “We both have a strong passion for Indian classical music and take great pleasure in writing and performing ragas. To increase the variety of our musical expression, we are naturally curious to investigate various genres, including pop music. Our most recent project combines modern beats with melodies from traditional Indian music. Previously, we would usually compose something before we would produce it. However, as of late, we have been experimenting with the opposite order—that is, producing before composing. It’s been a thrilling exploration voyage. Our fusion style is a representation of our individuality, free from strict formulas that let us explore other genres while maintaining a connection to our cultural heritage. When writing a song, we just go with the flow and feel a strong connection to the music as it develops.”
Every song in their repertoire—which ranges from intimate tales to joint ventures—embodies a distinct story and demonstrates the flawless blending of their creative views. Garvit says, “Writing is what we do best, and it’s a passion that comes naturally to us. Because we have a natural tendency to write songs, we find that even 30 minutes can result in three or four songs. It all comes down to connecting creatively with one another. We wrote Keh Do Na from a personal perspective, with me writing the lyrics and Priyansh expressing his experiences.” The outcome, the duo says, was a lovely composition in which the lyrics were more important than the music. Garvit, further continues, “With Jiya Mera, on the other hand, we went in a different direction. We wrote the song first and then asked Yashasvi, who is a wonderful writer, to participate. In a day or two, she produced an amazing draft, adding her lyrics to the music. Regarding Baaton Hi Baaton, Shikar and Dhairya gave us the first verse of the song, which inspired us to work together and finish the song with our own touch. Encouraged to explore the song further, we took on the task of writing on a solid basis to add our own touch and broaden the song’s possibilities. We met them at a Lucknow event, and in fifteen minutes, they composed a piece of music. I quickly wrote the lyrics after listening to their music, and we produced a demo. We immediately added a tabla group to improve the sound as we semi-produced it. The procedure was simply amazing. We tried to add an Afro flavour to the song Rasta, hoping to create a catchy, energetic vibe that would appeal to listeners right away.”
As we went on ahead in this interview, Garvit further shared that a challenge they encountered is navigating through the myriad of individuals who may offer misguided advice, claiming expertise they lack and lacking respect for the craft of music. However, “With my partner’s help, we added a variety of viewpoints to our songs, which makes it simpler to sort through and stay loyal to our vision. Sometimes our minds work together perfectly since we both love to combine Western, Indian classical, and modern music styles. We are directed toward a shared creative destiny by our shared vision. We may have different opinions at times; when Priyansh writes, I make recommendations for enhancements, and vice versa. Working together as a pair comes naturally to us, and we both strengthen the composition by balancing each other out. We follow our gut feelings and share our works with people we love, highlighting the significance of having faith in one’s music and being true to one’s artistic vision.”
According to the musicians, working with T-series was no less than a dream come true. “T-series contribution was invaluable, particularly with their assistance on our track, Mere Ranjahna,” gleefully shares Priyansh. “Our EP has received an enormous amount of great feedback, and we are excited to see what kind of reception it receives when it is released. We had an excellent experience working with T-Series. We used their platform to release Mere Ranjahna while we were working on a few more tracks. It was easy to work together with their marketing team to plan magazine features, Instagram promotions, and video shoots. It can be difficult for independent musicians to navigate the marketing landscape, but with T-Series’ wide network and artist management assistance, we can be sure that our music reaches the right people. It was pleasant and easy to work with them, as they took on some of the marketing responsibilities that independent artists usually bear.”
“We’re currently immersed in crafting tracks for two upcoming EPs, with numerous songs in our catalog awaiting independent release,” said Garvit and Priyansh, regarding their upcoming music. “We are excited to be working on an incredible collaboration, although the identity of the artist is still being withheld for the time being. You’ll quickly get into the vibes of this collaboration, don’t worry. We’re also excited to share the news of our partnership with the artist.”
So, you have to keep an eye out for soon-to-be-released details.
