Rahul Sherekar: People Forget Words, Not Feelings (Musician, Song-writer, Voice Artist, 31.7K Followers)

Rahul Sherekar Interview

 I don’t think algorithms or trends define success artists achieve

Q. Your music and voice work both depend on breath, silence, and timing. If the human voice is your instrument, what would you say is the one thing most artists misuse or misunderstand about it?

I think most artists complicate things too much. My guru always taught me that the purpose of singing is simple to make the listener feel something. Nobody cares if you can hit a high note, pull off a Harkat, or sing in A# minor. They care about the emotion you leave in their heart. That’s why Riyaz matters: so your sur is automatic, and you can focus completely on the feeling.

Q. You’ve released Sukhi Roti in a world obsessed with instant gratification. When you create melodies rooted in nostalgia or longing, do you aim to heal the listener, or to document the version of yourself that existed at that moment?

I think it’s a mix of both. Remembering moments from my life helps me hold the ‘feel’ of a song, but I also want the listener to feel those emotions too. I want them to experience the love I’m trying to portray. With Sukhi Roti, I want people to think of their partners. If a couple is fighting, I’d want them to hear the song, hold hands, and feel grateful for each other again. 

Love today is often confusing situationships, labels, uncertainty so I wanted to remind people that love is simple. Love is support.

Q. Algorithms reward predictability, but artistry rewards risk. How do you internally measure success when your best work may be misunderstood in real time?

I don’t think algorithms or trends define success artists achieve. If an artist has put their soul into their work, the song will find its audience, even if it takes time.

Q. Every song is a negotiation between emotion and structure. What is one emotion you’ve never found the right musical architecture for and why has it resisted translation?

There have been moments while composing when a simple hummed melody brought tears to my eyes. But when I tried adding words, the feeling disappeared. I think a lot of artists might relate to this sometimes a tune carries the exact emotion, and lyrics feel like over-explaining it. And it kills the magic.

Q. When you craft lyrics, do you write to be remembered, or to be felt? Which legacy do you think endures longer poetry or sensation?

For me, music has always been about emotion. If it doesn’t make someone feel, it means nothing. The ability to move someone with a few stitched-together sounds is the closest thing to real magic. People forget words, but they never forget how they felt.

Q. Independent artists today are their own A&R, marketing team, and creative studio. What is the hidden cost of independence that listeners will never see, and what is the privilege it gives you that labels can’t buy?

It’s tough. You have to be consistent, creative, and good every single day. You end up learning things far beyond music: marketing, content, pitching for shows, negotiating payments, collaborating, even understanding labels. 

I’ve been fortunate I have a great manager who handles a lot of this with me. The privilege of independence is that your art is truly yours. No one controls a single aspect of that.

Q. A recording studio amplifies honesty every hesitation, every tremor. Has there ever been a take you refused to re-record because the imperfection was more truthful than the polished version?

Almost every song I’ve made has a moment like this where I record a line 8–10 times, but the first take ends up in the final version. Absolute perfection sounds robotic. It’s the imperfections that make a song truly yours. They make it human.

Q. Your voice acting work gives you the ability to become someone else on command. Has that ever interfered with discovering who Rahul really is off-stage?

Quite the opposite, actually. Voice acting has helped me discover new sides of who I am. It’s taught me to express emotions more honestly, and that’s helped me not just as a voice actor, but also in my singing and even in how I speak in general.

Q. You mentioned travel and personal experiences. Are you chasing landscapes to escape yourself, or to meet versions of you that only exist far from routine?

A break from routine can do wonders. Stepping away gives you a fresh perspective, clears the blocks, and often brings in something unexpectedly new.

Q. If your 10-year-old self-heard your discography today, which song would he question you about and what answer would you give him?

If my 10-year-old self who wasn’t interested in music at all heard my songs today, his first question would be, ‘Is that really my voice?’. And if he were emotionally mature enough to truly understand my songs, he’d listen to ‘Sukhi Roti’ and ask, ‘Do I really grow up to be this romantic and emotional?’.

Bio:

Rahul Sherekar is a musician, singer-songwriter, and voice actor. With a community of over 31K followers, he is known for heartfelt indie music and vocal expression. His project “Sukhi Roti” is available across major streaming platforms. Rahul blends storytelling with melody, sharing pieces of his journey through music, studio life, and personal experiences.

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Interviewed by: Nidhi