Artist Interview: Takar Nabam
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are pleased to bring you an interview with multi-faceted musical artist, Takar Nabam.
1. How did you get started as an artist?
I grew up listening to a lot of 90s pop and rock music. I was very intrigued by the music videos that would come on MTV, primarily Guns N Roses, Bryan Adams, Backstreet Boys, to name a few. Around 2001-02, I got very interested in picking up the guitar, because that’s the instrument that drew most of my attention. I learnt a few basic chords from a few of my friends and school seniors.
I finally managed to coax my Father to buy me my first Givson (Indian Copy for Gibson) Acoustic guitar on the condition that I wouldn’t let my academics take a backseat. About a year or two later, I was already a part of my School band. School and college gave me ample opportunities to get exposed to playing live on stage and getting involved in the Delhi Independent Music Scene.
I played with a metal band, Guillotine, for quite a while. We recorded an Album, The Cynic and also won a competition to open for Metallica during their tour in India back in 2011.
It was only around 2012-13, after my graduation when I started exploring song writing, singing, penning down my thoughts. Ever since then I’ve found my solace in writing, recording and telling my stories through my music.
2. How would you describe your sound?
A bit of this and that. A bit of Indie, Soul, RnB and some Rock influences here and there, owing to the wide variety of Music I got exposed to over the years.
A lot of my music is very melody and harmony driven, so that would be my forte I guess.
3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
During my School and College days I was into Artists like Incubus, RHCP, John Mayer, Guns N Roses, Simon and Garfunkel, etc.
Later I got into more Jazzy and Indie sounds and started to dig the sounds of Artists like Tom Misch, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mac De Marco, Bruno Major, Robert Glasper, to name few.
4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as an artist?
Yes and No. Yes because it has become quite easy to put out music and reach people from all parts of the world. One can record and release music from their bedroom and reach the entire world.
No because there’s a huge emphasis on the streaming numbers. It gets very unfair for good Artists to get discovered if they don’t have massive streaming numbers. So there tends to be a lot of unfair comparisons made by listeners, I think.
5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
I love to spend time with Aamlyn, my 10 months old daughter and my wife. I also enjoy going out for long drives, going on a vacation, which hasn’t happened in a while now! meeting my friends and family, working out, learning to make cocktails, etc.
I also teach guitar to a few students, online and offline. I enjoy sharing sharing little knowledge I have and in the process I also get to learn quite a lot. It’s exciting.
6. What are your future plans musically?
To continue making music that’s true to me and keep up with the changing times. Art must evolve with time and that’s something that keeps me going.
I would also love to play in the UK, US and explore the western market a bit more. It’s kind of a longshot, but I’m keeping all my options open and I’m willing to give my best.
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