British-Indian singer Sur says he doesn't have formal training in music

British-Indian singer Sur, who recently released his new debut Hindi single '5 Star Lovin', has been receiving a good response from the audience.

In a candid chat with IANS, Sur shared the thought behind his latest song, "'5 Star Lovin's inspiration came from my own life. I was in that phase where I knew a certain person was living rent-free inside my head but neither of us had said anything to one another. We both knew there was chemistry in the air, but we hadn't reached a point where we had come to understand it, meaning we were living with the feeling in silence. I started writing '5 Star Lovin' as a way to express those feelings and make sense of them."

The young R&B and pop singer has bagged several accolades, including the coveted Sterling Reserve Music Project for his Punjabi track 'Asar'.

Talking about his journey in independent music, he shared, "I moved to Mumbai and kept pushing, writing songs in English, working with various Hindi lyricists and music producers. It took some time but eventually I found a team of exceptionally talented people who understood the sound I was trying to create. In 2020, I released my debut solo single 'Asar'."

The singer recently moved his base back to London. When asked if residing in the west, he has missed out on opportunities to work in Bollywood, he replied, "Yes and no. It's important to be seen and to network with people in the industry in order for them to understand what you are about. But these days, technology has made it easy to record from anywhere in the world and send your vocals to the producer."

"Having moved back to London this year, I do miss being in Mumbai where you could bump into a music producer at a coffee shop and start a connection. I also miss being able to catch a rick to the studio at the last minute if required. But being in the West doesn't take away the opportunity completely - you just have to work harder to stay in the minds of the people back in Mumbai."

The proficient singer's journey to music began in his early teen years when he was introduced to the rock band 'Nirvana', he said, "Their influence changed my life. I picked up a guitar and started playing in local bands, making very loud, very angry music and playing shows across the city."

Sur moved to India in 2015 with the dream of breaking into the industry, "however it didn't take long to realise how difficult it can be to stand out in a country that is overflowing with talent," he said.

Having no professional training in music, the singer has the inherent talent of playing various instruments and producing music. "I have never had any formal training in music, but I would love to. I play guitar, tabla and drums, I even produce some of my own music. But all of these skills have just been picked up along the way while working with other people and observing what they do."

"I know I would finish songs faster and have more control of my sound if I were to learn from real teachers, and I urge anybody who wishes to get into music to take formal training as soon as they can if there is an opportunity," said Sur.

Talking about the kind of music he would like to create in Bollywood, "I would love to work in Bollywood but only if given the chance to sing over music that I really connect with. I love retro 80s pop, R&B, funk and soul. I believe over time, there will be space in Bollywood for these genres too," concluded Sur.

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