A new voice from Chennai's indie scene

CHENNAI: On World Music Day, the spotlight often falls on chart-toppers and established names. Yet, some of the most interesting stories in music today are unfolding far from the mainstream, where young independent artistes are creating, collaborating and releasing music on their own terms. One such voice is 17 year-old Chennai based musician Rudh, who recently released Kaadhal Yaathiriye, his second original single, following his debut earlier this year with Maara Makka.

Interestingly, Kaadhal Yaathiriye began as a rough idea long before it became a finished song. "Kaadhal Yaathiriye is one of the old scratches that I made in my initial days of figuring out music. This wasn't even the title. Funky Cool Idea was the initial working title for this one. I used to make scratches every day, and this was one of them," says Rudh.

The story behind the song mirrors how many young musicians are discovering their sound today through experimentation, persistence and the freedom offered by digital platforms. For Rudh, the challenge was not simply releasing another song but pushing himself creatively. "Sonically, I wanted to create a massive change from my first song to the second one. In terms of my screen presence, my dance and a lot more, I wanted to give my best on this one. In this journey, I've learned a lot of things that have helped me tremendously," says the youngster.

Independent music has created opportunities for young artistes to collaborate beyond geographical and linguistic boundaries, and Kaadhal Yaathiriye is an example of that. The song features lyrics by Thamizh and vocals by singer Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, whom Rudh discovered online. "For the female vocals, I wanted to work with someone new who hadn't sung in Tamil before and had an interesting voice. I was scrolling through Instagram, and one reel made me think: This is the voice I need. I sent her the scratch, she loved it, and we started working on it. The biggest learning has been that making good music is only half the job. As an independent artiste, you also have to understand branding, content, networking and how to connect with an audience. I've also learned that consistency matters more than chasing overnight success. Every release teaches you something new, and that helps you become better with every song," he recalls.

As he continues to work on new music, Rudh remains focused on the emotional impact of his work. "I just hope people feel something when they listen to my songs. If someone relates to it, thinks about a special person, or simply gets transported into that world of sound for a while, I'd consider that a win," he concludes.