Ritviz is always there with anyone who likes to scroll through Instagram Reels. He is there for anyone who wants to relax while streaming music. The 25-year-old singer has come a long way since recording Udd gaye, which still holds our attention.
We caught up with the singer who’s also involved with the Levi’s Music Project, which is about music education and also connecting aspiring musicians with artistes and mentors. “I think what’s really special about LMP is that it allowed me to express the reasons why I wrote my music in a very special way — in a way where I’m not just breaking down the technicality of a song. I get to tell you the pure reasons behind the emotions that helped me make the end product, which is the music,” says Ritviz.
Here’s a singer who likes to record at his pace and when he is in his comfort zone. We spoke to him about how he goes about making music and more.
There will always be the obvious question of when is your next album (or song) coming our way. But what we want to know is how do you work on new songs, EPs and albums? Do you stay away from listening to music or watching videos because subconsciously some of it stays on?
I do believe that there is a heat of influence that takes place, but I do think that it’s a good thing also. I don’t need to stay away from stuff because “original content” at the end of the day is a collection of influences. That influence should happen, it’s not a bad thing, that’s how you end up creating. So I don’t really stop myself from doing anything. I live the same life as I do when I don’t create music.
In terms of process, I just go about my day, live the 25-year-old life that I’m living (a very average one!) and go through life experiences that I face and the by-product is the music.
When I look at my music I just feel that they look like checkpoints of my life; they don’t look like songs to me. I think one key thing I should mention is what music was for me pre-Udd gaye and post-Udd gaye. Pre-Udd gaye I was obviously in a state of mind where I had to prove something and make it, I was living the trial-and-error method where if something wouldn’t work, I would pick it up again, and that was just my life. Till I was 21, I would just follow this method and what I realised was that it also caused burnouts, so I would go on large creative blocks.
I think a weird fix that happened after Udd gaye was that I stopped treating music like: “Okay cool, I need to sit down, no matter what.” I told myself this is going to purely be a by-product of my every day. Back in the day, I would only write music purely based on the desires I had. The life that I had before 21… I didn’t really have a personal life, so everything that I was doing was built on the fact that one day I want all the basic desires that a human has. So my music was imaginative in nature before Udd gaye and post-Udd gaye was more a reflection of the life I was living.
Udd gaye came at a time when your primary concern was to make music that’s simply fun and close to your heart. Now, there is the additional pressure of making music that works and is even more successful than ever before. Do you feel like some of your early ideas may get left behind as you mature and grow in the music industry?
I think even today I have kept that consistency. The reason behind making music is something that I always question and I always will make sure that’s primary for me. Music was, is and, I hope to make sure, always will be a fun, exciting thing to do. I do it for me, even after
when the pressure started to build on… I think that is the one that was kept constant in my life. Be it my parents, my manager, my best friend… they were always there to remind me that and I think that stayed as the most important thing. I need to be creatively excited and happy about the product I’m putting before anything else. So that concern is still there, the concern will always be why I’m making music and as long as it’s for me that’s all that’ll help me go to sleep at night.
In terms of leaving ideas behind, I don’t think so. I always find myself going back to my 2012-13 ideas also. So, it’s like every single day, it’s not just new ideas I entertain; I also run back to my old projects and learn from that too.
Making music, say, in 2012 didn’t exactly come with the additional pressure of being “there” on social media. Musicians could just turn off and go back home after giving interviews. Do you need to be in artiste mode at all times in 2022? What’s your relationship with social media?
So the way I look at this is… the way I treat my music, I envision to treat everything that surrounds it also in the same way. For example, nothing should feel like a job, and one of the reasons social media doesn’t, and why it’s so exciting for me sometimes when I’m on it, I think it’s another way I get to give context about my music. People who come to Instagram to follow me learn about my lifestyle. They are trying to learn more about me so I’m going to be me more than anything. And I think that’ll help build perspective for the people who enjoy my music, so it’s fun to know that my best friend knows me a certain way and that’s also how I talk to my social media. I think there is just a bigger set of expression that I’m doing on the Internet that is really fun. I don’t see it as a needful thing’ it just happens to be a tool I use to help build context to why I’m, making the music that I’m making.
While creating music, do you think about streaming or playlists or do you just want to make records that make you happy? When are you the happiest in the studio?
I only care about melodies. If I start thinking and caring about playlists and streaming then I don’t think I can go to sleep at night. It has to be such an exciting time for me because if I don’t have fun doing it, I will not put it out. So making melodies and turning ideas into realities is probably the most spiritual thing I do. So I’m the happiest when I’m in front of my laptop working on whatever song. So making music is the most happy time in my life… always.
Has there been a moment when you have kicked yourself for making a record that didn’t feel like you?
I kick myself all the time because I don’t think all songs reach the potential that I think they could reach. Sometimes songs are in my head and turning them into reality is a huge challenge. I think it’s a good kind of kicking myself; I don’t think it’s ever stopped me from sleeping because taking challenges is the exciting side of doing what I do also. I have to love what I do in order to do what I love.
What is Ritviz listening to at the moment?
I’m listening to this up and coming producer called Bharg from Delhi... very cool.