Hello Abhi and welcome to College Radio Charts! How are you doing?
Great thanks!
Can you tell us about your musical journey, from your start in Indonesia to yourcurrent base in Los Angeles? Has your background influenced your music?
I was born in Indonesia and I developed my passion in music, especially in songwriting there. At a certain point of my life, I felt like it’s really impossible to do the kind of music career that I want in Indonesia and I decided to move to the United States. I started my musical journey in the US by enrolling in a music school in Minnesota. I stayed there for about two years before the school was shut down due to a financial reason. And after that, I moved to Los Angeles where I’ve been staying up until now. I wouldn’t say my background as a native Indonesian plays a big role in my music. I did listen to a lot of Indonesian music back then, but I think I’m so heavily-influenced by Western music and also by Japanese music (surprisingly).
Your debut, Exulansis, was released earlier this year. Can you tell us a little bitabout the album title?
Good question! I’m fond of cool words/phrases. I usually collect them for lyrics, theme of the song, or the song title. When I was looking for the album title, I saw this word and immediately felt this should be the album title because it clearly described what I felt at that moment and the whole vibe of the album.
The album starts off with “The Dream Is Still Alive,” which has strong Dylanvibes. Is he an influence? Which artists would you say had the biggest impact onyou as a songwriter? And what about as a performer?
Yes he is! And to be honest, I just started listening to Bob Dylan and following his career recently. I have many artists that really shaped my musical taste and songwriting approach but I would say The Beatles is the one that had the biggest impact on me. And as a performer, Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Matthew Bellamy (MUSE) are my role models right now.
As a composer, how do you typically approach the process of creating newmusic? Can you walk us through the process and how you bring your ideas tolife?
When I just jam on guitar or piano and have some cool ideas, I always record it on my phone. I will play this stuff two or three times while thinking if this is something that I just wanna keep in my library or something that needs to be worked on right away. I’m more of an album-person. When I decide that I’m gonna turn this idea into a new song, my next process is to consider if I have some other songs with the same vibes or themes that I can put together in an EP or an album. This is just my personal preference though.
Music or lyrics, which come first for you?
I can do both. But mostly I’m more comfortable starting with the melody first.
Collaboration can be a significant part of the music industry. Have you workedwith other artists or producers on your projects? How do you approachcollaboration and what do you value most in a creative partnership?
Yes I have! I’ve worked with numerous musicians for my original project, but never with a producer though. I think when you want to collaborate with someone, you have to make sure that they can do what you expect of them. If they share the same interest and totally relate with what you’re doing, I think the collaboration is gonna go further. I kinda value the bonding process and having a different perspective from other people.
What was the recording process like for Exulansis?
The whole 9 tracks were self-produced and recorded in my home studio. It was totally my first time taking care of everything: tracking, mixing, mastering, and etc. I started by recording “The Dream Is Still Alive”. I really wanted to have my music on streaming platforms and I thought I needed to start releasing a single first. But, I really enjoyed the recording process and I kept tracking a few other songs from my library. In the end, it ended up as a whole album because I feel like it’s supposed to be an album.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I want my music to lift up their mood, to make their day, to heal the sadness, and to inspire people.
Your YouTube page features several covers from a wide range of artists. How doyou decide which song to cover?
It’s very random honestly! I posted a YouTube cover a lot before I decided to focus on doing my original music. But, back then, I just did whatever I wanted to do. I like doing instrumental things on guitar and sometimes a full band version of popular songs.
Did the pandemic impact you as a musician?
Of course! That’s pretty obvious for every musician, isn’t it? For me, during the pandemic I gained a new perspective about how important mental health is and the idea of living your life without social media. I’ve been off from social media for 2 years now and I can say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Thanks for spending some time with us today! Looking ahead, what are yourfuture plans and goals as a musician and where can people find out more aboutyou and your music?
Thanks for having me! I’m about to release my 2nd solo album (hopefully) in August. It’s gonna be an instrumental album. I’m also working on some materials for my band project. The best way to keep in loop with me is by joining the mailing list on my official website. You can also find my work on major streaming platforms and my YouTube channel. Cheers!
https://abhi-ananda.com/
