Activism sustains my music: Madame Gandhi

The LA-based musician recently released a collection of remixes of her 2019 track 'Young Indian'

Kiran Gandhi aka Madame Gandhi is a Los Angeles-based electronic music producer and drummer. Heavily into activism, much of it feeds into her music, a lot of which relies on themes surrounding female empowerment. Earlier this month she released a collection of remixes of her 2019 track ‘Young Indian’ from her album ‘Visions’.

She held a remix contest on the community platform Metapop. From over 500 submissions, she chose five tracks representing different styles of percussive dance music, from Afrobeat and Reggaeton to Bhangra and Salsa, to create the album. Metrolife caught up with the singer to find out about her work, activism and more.

What made you choose ‘Young Indian’ as the track to be remixed?

‘Young Indian’ is unique because it’s a multi-genre song. You could call it Hip-Hop, Psych Rock, and even Bollywood in some regards. Because of that flexibility of the song, I knew that its individual components would lend itself well to a remix.

What motivated you to take up this project? How did you choose the winners?

During quarantine, I really wanted to connect with producers at a global level. I knew that the Metapop community was an active platform for producers and beatmakers from all around the world. This is why I held the competition and enjoyed it so much.

You always include politics and activism into your music. Does your activism sustain your music or is it the other way round?

My activism sustains my music. I draw most of my inspiration from what is happening around me and then write it into the music.

How does music help your cause?

Music caters to emotions. It enables us to feel empathy and compassion and very few other mediums can instill that feeling. I love using my music to depict a world that is more tender, vulnerable, truthful, and compassionate.

Can you tell me about some of the campaigns you’re working on right now? How they tie into your current work?

We just shot a really exciting campaign with the clothing brand ‘Free People’. I really enjoyed this collaboration because I was brought on to simply be myself and share my message of personal freedom. I loved being able to dance, vibe, share my music and speak about mental wellness through such a big platform.

How important are collaborations in the music industry?

Collaboration is everything! The majority of jobs and opportunities that I receive are through personal connections that I have made in the past. I have found that genuinely giving goodwill and support to others and showing up ready to work no matter whom it is for always pays off in the long run. You never know where other folks’ journeys may take them and what future opportunities they may be able to bring to you.

You’ve worked with a number of artistes yourself, such as, MIA, Lizzo, and Thievery Corporation. How has working with them influenced you?

I learn so much by working with established artistes; about professionalism, trusting your team and implementing creative ideas at a large and lean scale. I think what I want from my own team is a strong sense of pre-preparation met with the flexibility to adapt to moments of inspiration.

What’s next?

I am excited about sharing my new body of work, called ‘Vibrations’. This album is focused on love, romance and longing, reflecting the sentiments that many of us have shared this year. I am still in the studio working on this project, but excited about sharing it when it’s ready.