Exclusive Channel Sounds Interview with Radha on her EP "Spiral" and the Balancing Act of Being a Young Artist
Nothing but strong rhythms and blues.
Today, we get to introduce another amazingly close friend, and we are very excited to share our interview with her. Radha is a young, emerging artist from Massachusetts who is certainly making, small impactful moves left and right with her R&B music that whispers to the soul and takes you on a winding trip of melodies, harmonies, and reverbs.
Radha has been involved with music for as long as she can remember. She grew up with a musical figure in her life (more on this later) that helped get her into what would immediately and inevitably become her career path. After plenty of years practicing her craft while also attending business school at Boston University, she was able to release her debut EP “Spiral” at the top of 2020. Thankfully, the pandemic didn’t mess with the release of this well-constructed project and we were able to get our first real taste of Radha’s entire vocal range and artistry. Her music will remind you of those moments when everyone’s asleep and you’re the only one awake, unable to quiet the conversations and racing thoughts in your mind. Radha’s music is both melancholy and beautiful creating music ultimately results in feeling bittersweet. It’s evident to hear across Radha’s music traces of Jhené Aiko’s sound from her first album Sail Out and dustings of Bryson Tiller’s Trapsoul, and with these pieces of soul, trap, and R&B, Radha continues to define and refine her sound inching closer and closer to exactly the music she wants to put out into the world. It has been a pleasure to watch this young human grow as both a friend and an artist, and we’re grateful we could share her with you all.
Here is our interview:
Neelu Mohaghegh [NM]: How did you know that you wanted to pursue music as a career? What was that moment like?
Radha [R]: “Deep down, I have always recognized my true passion for music. While being brought up by an Indian Classical Vocalist, my mother, music was a huge part of my childhood. I studied Indian Classical music seriously for about 15 years, while cultivating my passion for R&B on the side. I am grateful for my Indian musical education, which I now leverage when teaching young Indian-American students about both Eastern and Western forms of music. In my process of learning these different genres of music, I realized that music gives me an opportunity to express myself, my pain, my fulfillment, and helps me find meaning in the world around me. Through my journey thus far, music has played an instrumental role in my daily life.”
[NM]: How do you use music to channel your own self-expression?
[R]: “I find that making music helps to provide me with a sense of relief and catharsis during my lows and highs. One of my greatest mentors, my mother, instilled a notion in me that creation of any sort results is a sense of fulfillment. I definitely agree with her and know that this mentality has served me well.”
[NM]: There have been a lot of artists that try to start out in college but obviously balancing those two worlds is really hard. How did you manage it and what did you learn from having to do it?"
[R]: “In all honesty, balancing school and my music has been a challenging experience for me! I study finance at BU’s Questrom School of Business, which is a decision that has taught me a great deal about my time management abilities and my choice to pursue both academic and artistic endeavors with strong determination. Through trial and error, I have found that establishing weekly creative goals has encouraged the most consistency and productivity for my creative process. I have developed a habit of writing at least 2-3 songs a week with the intention of strengthening my songwriting skills.”
[NM]: What inspired your debut EP “Spiral”?
[R] “The EP was inspired by a general headspace that I was in about a year ago. I was wrestling with some personal mental health issues at the time and hadn’t been using healthy outlets to express my emotions. During late nights, I’d find myself improvising to different beats sent to me by my good friends and producers at “The AM Group.” I found myself cultivating a repertoire of dark trap soul songs that I ultimately released as a part of this project.”
[NM]: Who are some of your favorite artists?
[R]: “I love darker R&B artists so my influences include Summer Walker, The Weeknd, Bryson Tiller, and Jhené Aiko. I’ve also grown up listening to Sade and Norah Jones, artists that are mainstays in the music industry.”
[NM]: In one word, how would you describe yourself?
[R]: “I would describe myself as ‘introspective’. I have always been an observer and an over-analyzer at heart, so I use my experiences to come to terms with significant events and circumstances in and outside my life.”
[NM]: What is your detour?
[R]: “I’ve been really into meditation lately. I start and end my day with it, and have since recognized its profound impact on my mental health and attitude towards life. I like to seek out healthier outlets to express my energy whether that be fitness related, reading a good book, or partaking in a creative endeavor. Finding beauty in solace and calm continues to be a meaningful process for me.”
[NM]: What exciting new projects are you working on musically, that you’re really looking forward to sharing?
[R]: “The pandemic has provided me with an opportunity to sit with myself and attempt new creative approaches when it comes to my music. I have been writing a ton of music and acquainting myself with the larger Boston music scene. As of late, I’ve been grateful to have had the opportunity to be featured on a couple remixes on Boston’s Hip Hop radio, 94.5. You can definitely expect to see some new releases soon :)”
Thanks, Radha, for sharing and excited to hear the new releases!
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