Arjan Singh Interview
Love at first sight is easy, getting 'unloved' at every sight is the real heartbreak
Q. You call yourself 'an architect who designs music.' In practical terms, how does your architectural background influence the way you structure a song or a live experience like Jaane Do?
Architecture is often misunderstood as just making buildings, but it’s really about intention, detail, and storytelling in every inch. That’s exactly how I approach music.
Every song I write isn’t just a set of lines, it’s a structured emotional journey. My debut album Musafir had five songs that formed a single narrative. I design music the way I designed spaces: layered, purposeful, and built around a story that slowly reveals itself.
Q. Your latest release Khair feels quiet and reflective, almost like a cinematic monologue. What moment triggered the first line or melody of that song?
Back in school, I liked a girl I used to hang out with. One day she said, “Can I ask you something personal?” I got excited, and then she asked if my best friend would be interested in her.
That moment stayed with me. Love at first sight is easy, getting 'unloved' at every sight is the real heartbreak.
From that feeling came the line: “Khair, chalta hoon main… tu kisi aur ki ho gayi hai shayad.”
Q. When a song is 80% done and something still feels off, what detail do you hunt for—lyrics, arrangement, or texture?
My lyrics and melody almost never change once I’m happy with them. What usually needs work at 80% is production, the instruments and the vocal harmonies. Changing the texture of an instrument or adding a new harmony can completely shift the song’s energy. That’s where the last 20% magic lies.
Q. Jaane Do isn’t just a concert; it’s a 90-minute storytelling experience. How did you decide its emotional arc, and which song becomes the turning point?
I built Jaane Do the way I built buildings, anchored in a narrative. It follows my journey from childhood to the present: friendships, mistakes, choosing music, heartbreak, acceptance. The turning point is the moment of letting go, the point where “Jaane Do” becomes not just a phrase but a feeling.
Q. You perform in cities with very different energies—Surat, Jaipur, Pune, Gurgaon. What’s one audience reaction that stayed with you long after the show?
People come for music but leave with a story that feels like theirs. My goal is for them to walk out lighter than they walked in. When someone tells me, “Yaar, I really needed this today,” it stays with me far longer than applause.
Q. On stage, your spoken segments feel personal. Do they evolve with each city or stay scripted like chapters?
They evolve every single time. Some cities are warm from the start, they’re ready to laugh and feel. Others take time to open up, and that’s where I speak more, joke more, and gently bring them out of their shell. But once they open up, they enjoy even more.
Q. When choosing collaborators, what matters more: musical skill, emotional intelligence, or how they interpret silence?
Honestly, sometimes rather most times in todays time, collaborations happen simply for reach, and that’s okay. But the best ones come from matching wavelengths. Skill, emotion, even silence, everything matters.
When the connection is right, music becomes bigger than the people involved
Q. Your music thrives on slow-burn vulnerability, while social media rewards punchy moments. How do you stay authentic without losing emotional depth?
There’s no formula. I still struggle with this. You try to be snappy, and an emotional slow song blows up. You invest deeply, and something random performs better. The only constant is staying true to what feels right.
And yes, there will be days you feel you’re doing everything wrong. It’s part of the process.
Q. In your discography, which song changed your relationship with your craft?
A song called “Tere Liye”—unreleased. It was the first time I felt, 'I can actually write songs.' I wrote it at 24, and it shifted something in me.
From the songs I’ve released, Bachpan is the one I’m most proud of. It feels closest to who I am as a writer.
Q. When you’re mixing a track, what’s the one sonic detail you’ll never compromise on?
Vocal clarity. The story has to come through. The production can be grand or minimal, but it should never overpower the voice. Even harmonies must support, not distract, the main melody.
Q. You’ve built a strong listener community. What’s one thing people misunderstand about the emotional labor of performing?
In my case, people actually prefer my live shows to my recordings. I perform with the same emotion I had when I wrote the song, and that rawness hits different. It’s honest, sometimes more honest than the studio version.
Q. If Khair were a physical space you could walk into—a library, an empty auditorium, a rooftop at dawn—what would it be and why?
An evening beach, just after sunset. Amber sky, soft waves, and that quiet ache of knowing you arrived a little too late.
That’s Khair—beautiful, calm, and carrying a gentle, lingering hurt
Bio:
Arjan Singh is an independent musician and performer, described as an architect who designs music. Managed by Tarashna Management, he has released original tracks such as Khair and regularly presents his musical storytelling show Jaane Do, establishing a growing presence in the live music circuit.
Interviewed by: Nidhi
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