Kayan is singing out aloud her confidence. What gives the 24-year-old’s music an enjoyable vibe is the feeling that she is fumbling around for that perspective of knowing life goes on even when things don’t go to plan. Growing up in the generation of social media, she has learned to handle criticism better than those before her.

The Cool Kid singer has a lot of music to offer, besides working on Levi’s India edition of its music enablement project — The Levi’s Music Project (offers access to music education and connects aspiring musicians with artistes and mentors). “I think the Levi’s Music Project was really special for me because it helped me to finally debut my live act as Kayan, so even the way that we were approaching the project was completely different because we were doing something completely new. Playing that music that I’ve written after about two years of waiting to sing it live, was just the most exciting thing that we could have done and so much fun,” says Mumbai-born Ambika Nayak who goes by the stage name Kayan. She talks to us about her musical inspiration and the biggest misconception about her.

Now that there’s some semblance of normalcy, what’s your plan musically?

We’re shooting some really amazing new music videos for a lot of new music that I’ve already written. With the sense of normalcy that has sort of crept in, I think just the approach of even being able to walk and do things has been so different, we’re able to do so much more because all the music that I wrote and pulled out was through the past two years of the pandemic when there was constant lockdown and in spite of the lockdown we’ve still kind of managed and you know to put music videos out and make things happen. But now with more resources, it’s so much more fun. So yeah, there’s going to be a lot more music coming your way and it’s going to be pretty epic.

Let’s talk about the sultry vibes of the song Cool Kids. What sparked off the song?

Of course, Cool Kids is one of my most special songs because it took off in a way that I am absolutely grateful for. Cool Kids came from a space of me understanding myself a little better. I think all of us at some point have wanted to fit in and eventually you kind of realise that it doesn’t f***ing matter, that you just got to do you and be your own person, and that’s where the song came from.

I met so many people over the years, different kinds of people, some people make you feel warm and welcoming, and some people just don’t, and all of these things made me feel so many things, and eventually it got me to a point where I don’t really care. I don’t let that affect me. It’s more about how I feel and I feel confident and self-assured and happy within myself and these feelings made me write Cool Kids. It was just a little hook that I’ve done over a beat; I’d just written the hook and I posted it on my Instagram Story, and I got an insane response to it and I decided to then take it forward and make it a whole song. So thanks to all the people on Instagram who actually replied to my Story that day.

In fact, in your videos, you seem to be the person who appears impervious to criticism. Yet, there is always the noise/opinion trying to box musicians into genres. Does that noise ever get to you?

I don’t think this noise ever gets to me. There have probably been a few moments where something I’ve heard might make me feel just that little bit of a… it might make me flinch for a second. But I have a very solid support structure, friends and family who keep me grounded, and I always have these people to talk to when it comes to stuff like this. So it’s never something that’s gotten to me. I do feel like I am the person that I always wanted to be…. especially the younger me, and that makes me feel so good. Criticism is okay… if you put yourself out there as a public figure, there’s going to be so much stuff coming your way. I don’t think it’s always justified or fair or nice, but it is something that is going to happen and it’s going to happen a lot more than it probably does right now. I think I’ve understood that but at the same time I’m not superhuman; I’m just human. There might be moments when I feel something but like I said, I have a really solid support structure that helped me stay grounded.

Kayan is Ambika Nayak Picture: Kayan/Instagram

There are people out there who are simply loyal to you and your music. Do you record keeping them in mind?

I record keeping no one in mind. It’s not for a particular kind of audience that I write for. I just write and I record and I genuinely feel like if you’re doing something honestly, it’s going to speak to people. So, of course, the fact that there are people who are literally just loyal to me and my music, gives me the encouragement to want to keep recording, which is amazing.

You belong to a generation of musicians who literally grew up with the Internet. What’s your connection with social media and when do you realise that it’s time to switch off?

My connection with social media… it’s really, really helpful for me. It’s a platform for me to connect to my audience to tell them what I’m up to and tell them what’s happening. I think over time, I have understood also that everything that we post on social media… that comes from me… realise they’re seeing my life, right? I don’t post every single second I’m living on social media, so when I’m crying or when I’m feeling like horrible about something or I’m going through something, I don’t feel the need to put that up on my social media. I’m just not that kind of a person. So, I’ve understood that we usually only post in the good times on social media and I have made my peace with the fact that it’s a platform for me to engage with my audience. And that is really helpful for me. I have consciously tried to spend lesser time on my screen because I’m already on a screen all the time, doing some work or the other. So, it’s a conscious effort and a daily effort to take time out and realise when to detach from it.

What do you think makes you a unique artiste with unique music to offer?

I feel like every person is obviously unique in their own way and no person’s the same anyway. But your experiences really make you who you are as a person. And slowly over time I’m going to talk about these experiences through and through, one song at a time and as I keep meeting people, as time passes, a lot more about me is going to come through and I’m going to find more and more ways to communicate that to people.

But I do so many things and I feel like I am so much more than just a girl who sings. There are so many things that I do and I feel like I have a lot of love to give as a person and I have a lot of honesty with which I want to do my stuff and of course my own experiences have made me who I am today and they have rubbed in quite something. So all of that makes you who you are as a person and obviously it comes through your art too. So it will reflect in the music that I feel and that to me makes it what it is.

What’s the biggest misconception about you?

I think the biggest misconception that people probably have about me, I’ve got these random comments and stuff like that I’m just like this loaded, comes from a super-privileged family or something, but I think that’s really fine. Now I can’t change misconceptions, but I wouldn’t mind that. I wouldn’t mind that at all, but, it’s bound to happen when people just see an image of you in social media and it’s really fine. I do come from a space of privilege where I’ve had access to education, and very supportive family and a lot of intelligent people surrounding me. My mom made me read a lot as a kid, and they wanted me to learn music so I do come from that kind of privilege, so I can’t complain honestly. But, yeah, I work hard for the stuff I do and where I’m today.

LISTENING TO AT THE MOMENT…

Charlie XCX: Definitely.

BR3NYA: She’s super cool.

FKA Twigs: Absolutely love FKA Twigs.

IYLA: I listen to a lot of her stuff too.