Search for any pop song on YouTube and you will see hundreds and thousands of different covers of the same song. While a lot of them fail to match the standard of the original, some of them stand out of the debris. Vidya Iyer’s covers belong to the second category. Blending two different worlds comes naturally to Vidya, whose YouTube channel today has almost 1.5 million subscribers. The singer spent a few of her early years in the city before she moved to the United States at the age of nine when her parents got jobs in America. Her channel, Vidya Vox, features mashups of chart hits like Sam Smith’s Lay Me Down with Ennodu Nee Irundhaal from the movie I, Ellie Goulding’s Love Me Like You Do with Hosanna from Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, Charlie Puth’s We Don’t Talk Anymore with Pani Da Rang from Vicky Donor. Excerpts from the interview:
How did you manage to stay close to your roots in a different land?
Music has to be one of the ways I left connected with India. As a child and and through high school, I learnt Carnatic music along with my sister. I used to also listen to songs by Ilaya Raaja, A.R. Rahman and even watch Indian movies. But there was also a time when I used to hide a part of me in high school, thinking that I wasn’t cool enough. My perspective changed when I joined an intercollegiate garba-raas team; and that turned out to be one of the best experiences of my time in college. I learned that being different is actually a good thing! Today, I wear that part of my identity and life on my sleeve.
Did you imagine growing up to be a singer?
Not at all, very far from it, in fact. I never thought being a musician would be something I could make a career out of. It’s very difficult to do that, as most South Asian parents push you towards medicine, engineering or law (and for several good reasons)! It wasn’t until my collaboration with Shankar Tucker (my partner on the channel) during college that I saw this as a possibility. I still didn’t act on it until a year after I graduated school.
Would you call your music style fusion (fusing western and classical music) or do you like to describe it in some other manner?
I guess fusion would be the best way to describe my music. I think it also goes into the spectrum of electronic and dance with inspiration from Indian folk songs.
How do you choose which two songs to fuse? For instance, you fused Justin Bieber’s Let Me Love You and Tum Hi Ho — how did you pick these two songs to match and sync with each other?
I start with a song that I like. In this case, the song Tum Hi Ho was requested; and it fit well with Bieber’s Let Me Love You. It’s like a puzzle. A lot of times, it doesn’t work, but all the ones that I love are the ones you see online!
How do you approach your music? Give us an insight into the behind-the-scenes of a music video?
I usually start with a song that I like, that’s popular on the charts or something that has been requested. Then Shankar and I go through what song we can mash it up with or see if we only want to do a plain cover. He then makes a rough track to which I record my vocals. Once he finishes up the mix and the production, we go out and shoot it.
Do you have a team behind you that helps you with your music channel?
It’s just Shankar and me — we do everything from styling the videos and the videography to the music production. I do the rough edits and colour grading, Shankar polishes it up and then we upload it!
Who would you say are your inspirations?
I have so many! At the moment, I’m very inspired by Indian folk songs. There’s so much beauty and rawness in them, which I absolutely love. Artists like Beyonce, Major Lazer, Adele, and Coldplay also inspire me. On the Indian front, I love the trio of Shankar Ehsan Loy and Maatibaani.
Would you say you are open to criticism from your listeners or are you averse to it?
I take everything with a grain of salt, because what one person likes, the next person won’t. You can’t please everyone. It’s very important to me to stay true to who I am as a musician and the songs that I love. And to stay undiluted, I need to put on some blinders and keep chugging ahead.
What are the most memorable concerts you have played at?
I have had so many! I played in Mauritius last year, which was so beautiful; it was definitely one of my favourites. My concerts from San Francisco and Paramaribo Suriname are also ones where I enjoyed playing for the crowd.
What are your plans for your near future?
I’m currently working on my EP and it’s set to release this spring. I also hope to go on tour this year in India and the US.
