'Film music still rules the scene'

It should have been a common trajectory - a childhood interest in music that was sustained through school and college but took a backseat due to the pressures of life. But Edsel Correya gave a twist to the tale when he released a video production titled ‘Melt’, years after walking off the stage.

The song, which was written and composed by Edsel who also did the vocals and rhythm guitar, has now garnered more than 4k views on YouTube. Delighted by the response, the artiste tells Rajitha Menon that he is now looking forward to rekindling his passion for music.

When did you develop a love for music?
I was always interested in music but the passion deepened in college. I was part of a rock band during that time and we represented the institution at various events and youth festivals. Then I went to a professional college, did MCA and landed a job. Music took a backseat and even though I wrote first portion of this song during that time, I didn’t pursue it then.

So how did you maintain your interest in music?
My brother and I used to jam all the time. Apart from that, we also listened to a variety of genres like hard rock, soft rock, pop and all.

Were you never interested in taking up music professionally?
Getting settled was my priority and I did not think music will be able to give me that. But now, I am hoping I can make a career out of it and quit my job. I have written a couple of other songs and will work on them soon.

Do you think young musicians today have it easy?
I think it is still not very easy. For one thing, film music still rules the scene and it is hard for indie artistes to make a mark. But while hotels and similar places were their platforms earlier, now social media is providing good oppurtunities.

Tell us about your new single...
‘Melt’ is about human emotions. Everything melts under pressure, even human beings. The video is about how the break down and subsequent recouping where everything becomes a memory. We used a Russian model in the video to deviate from the conventional path.

Some of the reactions?
Everyone who heard it liked it. Some people kept saying that they never thought I could do something like this.

One thing you want to change in the independent music industry...
Easy availability of a common platform for independent artistes. Indie artistes are limited by a budget unless they get a record label deal signed and promoting our work is expensive otherwise. Even promotion on social media is a challenge now because it’s all mostly paid. It’s not how it used to be before.

Bands that you admire..
Avial, MotherJane, Thaikkudam Bridge, Collective Soul, Metallica, Def Leppard and so on.

If you had to give some advice to upcoming artistes...
If you are keen on getting something done, you can always do it. Nothing is going to stop you, in fact, everything else will follow.