Shaurya Mehta - I Did a Couple of Songs With T-Series, Zee Music and Eros Now (Hindi & Bollywood Music Singer)

So far, I’ve released five songs independently -Dil Ye Dilbarro, Kho Jaayein: You n Me, Kyun The Hum Mile, Barsaat Ki Jo Raat Hai & Ungin. 4 out of these have been selected by Spotify for their editorial playlists and one has gone into trending on Instagram. I feel blessed to have got this recognition from these platforms. I have at least 7-8 upcoming originals from different genres and 10-12 official LoFi songs with Saregama this year in the pipeline. 

1. Tell us more about your background and journey . When did you first decide you wanted to pursue music and how did you start?

I’m actually an entrepreneur and am actively involved in my family business. I’ve completed my MBA in Finance, Operations & Strategy and an MSc in Marketing & Strategy from Warwick Business School, UK. 

I was actually preparing for an inter-school elocution competition by McDonalds when my Mom said that I actually have a good voice and we must do something about it. That is basically where my I started my singing journey with training for 7 years under the guidance of my gurus, Shri Suresh Wadkar Ji and Ravi Tripathi Ji. 

After that, like I said, I pursued my education. I was in Jai Hind college (proud to be a Jai Hindite!). I represented my college for almost all intercollegiate events at the time and also won several prizes including Singer of the Year Award twice among others. After completing my undergraduate studies, I went to the UK for my higher education. After returning to India, I worked in consulting at Deloitte and then my financial services venture. Then with a year’s break for my MBA, I came back to join my family business.

While I was not actively pursuing music during this time, I did not stop my riyaaz. I would also perform regularly at major family & friends events for fun, encouraged by my parents.

It was in the end of 2019 that someone asked me when I would be launching my own album and I said, like I’d been saying for several years, “end of this year”. I realized how ridiculous that must’ve sounded because it was the end of that year and also the decade, I hadn’t pursued my strongest passion. It’s like the universe conspires to put you in a certain direction and I was given the opportunity for my first song Mukammal Na Hui Chahat with T-Series within a week of that conversation after a quick sound test. 

We did a big launch but then came Covid within the first month of the release. Was a complete reset like it was for everyone. I, during that time, my social media skills, reached out to professionals in the field, and started working on music. This was also the beginning of my exploration into my own journey, taste, and flair for experimentation in my zones. 

I did a couple of songs with Zee Music and Eros Now. I didn’t decide to try out releasing songs independently and that’s how Chai Coffee Entertainment became more than just a company that was making music and some videos. I don’t envision it as a label just yet however that’s something I won’t rule out either.

So far, I’ve released five songs independently -Dil Ye Dilbarro, Kho Jaayein: You n Me, Kyun The Hum Mile, Barsaat Ki Jo Raat Hai & Ungin. 4 out of these have been selected by Spotify for their editorial playlists and one has gone into trending on Instagram. I feel blessed to have got this recognition from these platforms. I have at least 7-8 upcoming originals from different genres and 10-12 official LoFi songs with Saregama this year in the pipeline. 

My journey has started and I’m taking steps in the direction of my destiny. Experience & wisdom can only act as foglamps as we drive through life. The whole road unravels when it has to on its own.

2. Who is your favorite artist and why?

I don’t have one particular favorite artist. I would say Arijit Singh, Adele, John Legend, Adnan Sami & Kishore Da are some of my favorites overall. I’d also been predicting the rise of Vishal Mishra back in 2020 and it’s going very much like I’d envisioned. I try to learn from their journeys, approach to music, ability to captivate audiences among other things. I however follow my own style & method when it comes to singing & music primarily unless it’s an absolute necessity to go outside my own zones.

3. Can you throw some light on opportunities one gets as a singer?

If we’re talking about earnings included, 2-3 are obvious: events, recordings, and playback; licensing, if you own the rights to the song, co-production, royalties, ad jingles, corporate-funded deals, label deals, streaming revenues, etc., are some which are highly relevant as well but depends from singer to singer what they’re focused on, which segments they’re doing well in, what suits them more as per the environment they’re targeting, etc.

4. Is format training required or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?

Some people are born singers and some require a lot of training. However, as a budding singer, you must undergo some training at least, to prepare your voice and your mind to be able to understand what is needed for each song and also be able to contribute to that process if needed. It helps to adapt quicker, performing at events, and for a better recording process. Practice is key.

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

I would just say pursue your passion and while you’re at it, make sure that you have another primary career so that you can have a comfortable life, pay your bills, and bring honest food to the table because singing as a profession is exceptionally competitive and the landscape makes it even tougher. 

This is the same advice I would give even to budding cricketers for example. While there are IPL players and Indian cricket players, there are lakhs if not more vying for those spots.

6. Which is your favourite book and why?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho because it makes you value the journey even more, definitely more than the destination. What is life if not the sum of our experiences?

Bio

Shaurya Mehta is a multitalented, multifaceted singer-songwriter - composer & performer whose songs have been released with T-Series, Zee Music, Eros Now Music, and his independent music with his private label Chai Coffee Entertainment. His last released song Dil Ye Dilbarro is trending on Instagram and has garnered over 5 Million views in 9 days of the release. The music video of his song Kyun The Hum Mile was completely Animé-inspired, one of India's first such projects, and brought in 2.3 Million views on YouTube. His upcoming projects this year belong to diverse genres such as Romantic ballads, EDM, Soul, Commercial, Pop & Folk independently and with major record labels like Saregama for LoFi.  

Shaurya has been featured on Hindustan Times, Bombay Times, Times of India, HT Cafe, Zee News, The Print, ANI News, Mid Day among others. He & his songs have been on Radio channels such as Big FM & Radio Mirchi across 50+ cities in India and international radio stations as well.

His work has been covered by leading entertainment journalists & platforms such as Viral Bhayani, Instant Bollywood, and more.

He trained under renowned singers Shri Suresh Wadkar & Ravi Tripathi for 7 years.

Interviewed by - Ashmeet Kaur

Edited by- Arunangshu Chatterjee