"I Will Always Be a Performer."

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1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I belong from a typical Indian middle-class family who considers that only a secured job can give you peace in life and nothing else. After 12th standard, I chose to follow my dreams and go against my parent's will and pursue music as my career.

They were not at all happy, don't know if they are now but I have gone through a lot of ups and downs and sacrificed some major things just because I wanted to do something off and on my own and make my name here.

2. When did you first decide, you wanted to pursue music and how did you start?

For the first time in my life, I thought seriously about music when I was in the second standard but at that point of time social media platforms were not a huge deal compared to now so I couldn't do anything at that moment but to be very precise, in the year 2014 I started sharing my songs and videos and someone from a club saw my video and a friend of mine recommended my name.

That is how I got my first club gig. Later I formed my own band for a few months and then I got an offer from the very renowned band Swastik and was their vocalist for a year. After leaving that band I started the Sahil Samuel project and after disseminating that, towards the end of 2015 I formed Naalayak, and right now I consider this project as my journey.

3. Is formal training required or one can train oneself purely based on talent?

This is straight away coming from my personal experience and I don't think formal training is needed to be a performer. I mentioned the performer because I consider myself to be a frontman of my band and I sing for them but I do not consider myself as a professional singer or vocalist.

I'm very lucky and thankful that God has gifted me with this talent and I'm happy doing it for myself and my audience. But if someone wants to do it very professionally to be a singer then definitely they should go for proper training, it'll always be an asset for them.

4. What are the various opportunities available for an aspiring musician?

Right now there are ample amount of opportunities available for all the musicians, personally, I can't name them but one has to be very focused and they should have a vision with a clear mindset about their plan. You cannot just randomly wake up one morning and decide that you want to be a musician, that's ain't right and not fair to the art or yourself.

5. What piece of advice you would like to give to future and aspiring artists?

Quoting the famous Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin "Artist life is a curse" which is cent percent true. I really want to wish an immense amount of luck and love to all the up comers but make sure you are focused enough to do your work, come what may.

This life is not at all a bed of roses and you'll be extremely anxious or depressed sometimes and once you get into this field you have to work it out and never try to give up, it may seem easy but you shouldn't ever give up.

6. Who is your favorite artist and why?

I'm not a fan of mainstream commercial music but I really love listening to Pakistani artists such as Atif Aslam, Ali Azmat. From the Indian scenario, it will be Swarathma, Raghu Dixit, and Lucky Ali, and most importantly from the international scene, it will be Axel Rose, Robert Plant, and Freddie Mercury.

The main reason for loving these guys and considering them as my inspiration because they have taught me to be a performer and as I have mentioned earlier I always wanted to be a performer and will always be.

- Samuel Sahil, Musician

- Interviewed by Kedar Lalwani

- Edited by Shilpy Sharan