 Hello to everybody, welcome back to yet another episode of our series Power People. In this episode, we will be talking to the versatile singer Leslie Lewis who will be in conversation with our executive editor Ruhi Lameen. Do share your comments, views at the end of this video and don't forget to subscribe to our website loudest.in for all the music business updates. All right, so my first question to you is we recently saw you come back with a new album after a gap and that too when a lot of your contemporaries, you know, they have maybe kind of agreed that they are not coming back and releasing a new album in this age when the music has completely got redefined, it's not the way pure music lovers would see it. What was the idea behind the second term as I call it, a new journey that you've started? Yeah, you're absolutely right. It is a new journey because if you notice through the 90s, I have created music for everybody for all the artists that I've worked with from, you know, Pari, Umayyad, to Janam, Samjhagar, to Yaro, Dosti, to Pal, to Colonial Cousins. I've always worked with other people, created the music for them, created their, you know, star power, as you might call it from my side. But I did no music for Leslie Lewis. So since I was 17, 18, I've been independent artist from then, but because of, you know, the independent scene wasn't really there, you know, I started composing for other people, whatever, that became how you know me from the 90s. But I said, Hey, it's time for me to do my own music and, you know, and redefine and let people know that they can be Hindi in another form besides what they've been hearing. So when I started indie pop, it was Pari Humayyad. And that was so different that nobody even understood Pari Humayyad till it got released in 91 January. And maybe by 93 people are kind of getting the hang of Pari Humayyad. So, you know, new music takes a little time to kind of appeal. So, so like having started all that music, it, but it was always for another artist, even Yaro Dosti, Paul, it was me introducing KK, you know, band of boys, whatever it was, I was doing music, creating the songs for other people. And I decided that I need to do songs where I am the independent artist. So I've released my new album. All the songs are composed by me. All the songs are written by me. All the songs are sung by me. They're recorded, mixed. I mean, I'm that independent as you get. And it's called The White Album. And it's got six absolutely romantic songs. And like you said, everybody has been doing the same, you're doing the same genre that they've been doing for a long time. And for me, I just feel that nobody's even heard this genre of mine because I am the artist and I'm the singer and you haven't experienced me yet. Right. So that's, that's a very interesting take, you know, when you say that you're trying to make music for yourself, you're, this is the, this is the time when you are trying to express your own, you know, thoughts through music earlier you were doing it for someone else. Yes. That's of course, of course, very intense here. But what about the name White Music? It sounds a little unique. Yeah, it's called The White Album. And it's called The White Album because you need to come to your white state before you listen to it. So like I said, The White Album is six romantic songs. And in today's time, it's not romantic songs as per today's time. It's six classic romance if you hear them. They are not your regular type. So if you suddenly hear it, you'll say, yeah, I don't understand. What is this too soft? Something, you keep quiet, come to your white state, drop all your other colors. Come to your Kora state. And that's very good. When the songs are going to speak to you, all the six will talk to you. I forget. But I guarantee you, at that state, when they talk to you, you are going to find two favorites, not one, but two in there, each one. Because I say, Ghanuki nahi pachan, it's gone back to songs. Why do we like the songs of the 50s and the 60s and 70s, the Lajjagales and the Osannams and what, because they're good songs. You want to sing it? That's what The White Album is about. And I think that's why it's good to you. Right. So The White Album is all about kind of undoing your own versions of what you perceive music to be in the pure state. And then let it kind of get over you, right? Yeah, you have to come to a pure state. Aapku ekdab apne apne shant karna hai. Come to your, when you're really chilled, that's the time to listen to The White Album. And then you're going to find two favorites. Right. I want to ask you during the 90s, especially early 2000, to some extent, we saw the rise of indie pop in a very big way. Especially when you were there. I mean, it used to be a mainstream genre, but then gradually it faded out. And again, we went back to the so-called Bollywood music being seen as the only genre that is there. So what led to the decline of indie pop from the place it was, where it was in the early and the mid 90s, early 2000s? What led to it, according to you? Well, if you really look at it seriously, the Maibab of indie pop has always been MTV and channel and they are the people who supported the alternate music, which was independent music at that point. And so the other record labels, Magna Sound probably was one of the early ones to start it. And the other record labels jumped on the bandwagon because there was money to be made. And these two channels were creating a completely youth focus. So when all this started happening, if you notice, every lot of the youth in the 90s started kind of going towards this kind of music. And so the regular Bollywood, the, you know, what was Bollywood at that time started saying, Hey, why isn't anybody looking at these artists? Why are they looking at these unknown people, these kids, these whoever they are? And somehow with MTV and channel, we shut down. That was really the end of the real indie pop as we knew it. And it went back into the traditional system, which was Bollywood. Nothing wrong with that. But it went back to square one. So do we see the indie pop, the Indian genre coming back beyond the, again, I would go to the Bollywood platform. Do we see that happening? Are music labels looking at it? What is the landscape like if you could share some of the insights with us? So today's got a new name. It's not a very new name. It's called independent music. So if you listen to Pari Humae, it was independent music at that time. You know what I'm saying? But it wasn't, if you, if you listen to Yaro Dosti, it was independent music at that time. Paul was an independent, colonial cousins, independent, band of boys, independent, but it was the name was indie pop. Today, they've brought the word independent and then all the other artists who are not in Bollywood are exactly the same thing. It's just that they don't have the support of an MTV or any TV channel or any particular online streaming channel or something that's supporting them primarily, like a Spotify, all the streaming channels are supporting music across the space. So it's not about only independent and non, they've got their different genres, but it's not about only this or nothing. So there's no specialized, so everybody who's in the independent zone today is like the new indie pop of India. So I'm going to ask, yeah, sorry, sorry, yeah. So my question is that we have the proliferation of platforms. We have digital, we have labels, we have television, we have film industry, whole lot of things. Are there more opportunities for independent artists to monetize the music than ever before? I think monetization is really ruled by the big babies from before. They've always monetized it, whether it was in the early 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. So record labels are really the monetizing spot. Streaming became a new space and then that's become some sort of monetizing. But if you see the kind of monetization the artist really gets is nowhere even close. So when you say monetization, it's the word monetization, but what real money are you getting is really nowhere. We look at an artist independently as to record, compose, record, find a composer, find a lyric writer, go to the studio, record the whole thing, then once it's all done, he's got video banana, find a DOP, find a director, find whatever, make it, shoot it, edit it. That's a lot of money for an independent artist to put down. So what can and then after that, you need to promote it. That's the biggest and that's where all the money. So one independent artist, when he supports himself with that kind of money for one song, one single, how much money do you think really think he's going to get back and what happens when he does the second and the third, you're just eating into his bank account. So in context to that only, so I would like to ask you that if there's anything you want to change in the music industry, what it be, what change you want in this generation's music? I've already done it. It's called The White Album. The change is it's gone back to songs. So I call it Ganu Ki Nei Pachan. It's gone back to songs that you can hum, you can sing. And if you play any of those six songs on radio, and if I play you any of those six songs and I ask you, have you ever heard such a song on your radio? You're going to say no. And that means it's not in Bollywood. It's not anywhere. It's the most independent sounding sound today. So if you really look at it, The White Album is, in my opinion, a fresh new sound in the Indian scene. It's organic. It's live. It's all one take. Start to finish like the old days used to happen. Like Latha Ji would sing and we'd all be playing start to finish. Hogae recording, that's it. That's the recording. And that's how The White Album was done. So it's back to organic music. It's back to organic songs. And I think it's a great platform for a new way of looking at Hindi music. I'm not saying it's better or worse than anybody. I'm just saying it's so different from everything else. And I don't need to tell you this in English. I'm saying, press play and then be honest to yourself. So tell me any artist you want to collaborate? Any Gen Z artist in today's time? Right now, Leslie Lewis is the Gen Z artist. That's the one I'm collaborating with because the residues of the 90s. So the old guy is coming in with his experience and whatever. And he's collaborating with the young guy who wants to do his own music. And the old guy is producing this young guy that I'm collaborating with myself. And if you notice, the first single from The White Album came straight at number one across all radio stations. They sent me an HX certificate. The second week, they sent me another certificate saying it has maintained itself at number one. The second song, Pasahona, came in at number three. And the third song, Jannat Kirath has come in at number six. And they sent me the certificates of all this, which is across all radio stations in India. Now my point is there is no record label. There is no nobody, many bus. I've just put the songs out. And somehow the songs are talking to the people and it's gathering its own momentum. Yesterday I released the fourth song. I previewed the fourth song. And I did the preview at 7 p.m. in a club, in a pub. Nobody comes at 7 p.m. 7 to 9 was the slot. It was household jam packed. And the response to all this new music is amazing. So I know the music is talking. You know, Pari Huma talks to people. You don't have to tell them, it's just playing. And you like it. But you need to play it enough. So because there is no MTV, and there's no channel V, and there's nobody here right now, you have to be your own record label and you have to support it in your own way. And it's going to take longer probably, but guaranteed everyone across the board who has heard these songs can put a finger on somewhere. And I love it on the first listen. I don't need to hear play it again for me. Let me hear it again. No. Press play and there is definitely love right there because the songs are working. It's not me. It's not me, the singer. It's not me, the arts. Just songs. And I think people need to go back to songs. And that's missing from 2020. If you see 2020 to 2010, it was kind of declining 2010 to 2020. It's kind of like, you know, everybody's remixing everything, they're doing mashups, they're doing all kinds of things. They're doing, where are the songs? Why are you playing singing old songs? Sing new songs that sound as good as the old songs and make you feel as good as the old songs. And I think that's what the White Album has achieved and have. Three songs already are hit. I mean, out of a song of six, six songs, an album of six songs. I mean, certified hit. Who says Yadav, what can I ask? I mean, God is good. I mean, the music is talking. And I think that's really the magic, which is the new space in the Indian music scene. I feel today. So, sir, you have seen it all. You have been in the industry for 30 years now. So far, so good. How was your journey? So far, so good? My journey has been fantastic because as a young artist, I was 16, 17, I was playing in a, you know, in a street band in Mumbai. I used to play on the road for Ganpati festivals and, you know, literally on the road from there to playing with Louis banks and and then R.D. Burman, that's we can't parallel. I've just, and then starting my own kind of jingle company and doing all the mango fruity and all those jingles that everybody knows now. And then, you know, I've done practically every big brand in this country. I've done music for practically everyone. And then to start your own kind of music, which became Pari Hooman, Janam Samjhakaru, and it became independent music and then start your own band as colonial cousins. And then you get World Acclaim and you got your Billboard Awards last week. You get your MTV Awards in New York and you're the only Indian artist to perform on the original MTV and plug in London is the only Indian band. It's been a great journey. And then they come to you and say, Hey, sir, can you do Coke Studio for us? And we'd like you to present Coke Studio to India. And then you introduce India to Coke Studio. So you're just on that journey of a road. After Coke Studio, you know, 2011, 12, like I said, the songs have been slowly missing and everything's kind of getting more to a marketing space. You've got to be a good marketing guy to get your song up there. Doesn't matter if you can sing well, doesn't matter if you're a good artist. I can get you and I can make you a star. I think that's what the marketing machine has proven. And it's a good thing and it's a bad thing, depending which side you look at it. But I'm just saying if you really want something, you want to take something back with you, it's good to have a song. And that's why I came out with the White Album. And because the artist called Leslie Lewis is finally being born and doing his own thing. And the kind of love that I'm getting for these songs, not just my people listening to it and saying, I love it. Actually getting an HX certificate for the first, second, third, single, all. So something is happening and somewhere you know that whatever I lived for, the music and I live for is still very valid. It's about the music. It's not about the artist. It's not about the, you know, you need any great artist needs a great song without a great song. The artist, you know, the best voices in the world can't sing unless they have a good song. Why do you listen? I mean, let's say he's amazing, but why do you listen to 100 songs out of 1000 songs? That 900 songs has the same angelic voice of this country. Why don't you listen to those? No. Why? Because it's the composition and it's the song. And I think maybe that's a, that's maybe a strong point. That's why you've got a Pariyumai, I've been composing songs for so many artists. So me, the composer, that same composer now composing for this young artist called Lesley Lewis. And that's the collaboration. Yeah, that's great. That's great. So any upcoming projects lined up? What's the future? My future has just begun. So like I said, the white album is out. Yeah. Three songs have been released. They are all certified hits. Fourth one got released yesterday. Two more songs left, somewhere down the line. And then it's not going to stop because you're going to see the other side of me. You haven't got slapped by me yet. So that's, you know, I have a nice guy, a sweet guy on this album. But there's so much more music I do beyond just romantic music. But it's just like I said, this is the start. So you're going to see Lesley Lewis like you've never seen him, you know, from many was 18 years old. So can you sing one of your favorite favorite from your album, the latest album, the white album? Can you sing? Okay, so I wouldn't suggest singing anything from there. I'll tell you why. Yeah, because you need to listen to it in a very chilled out song. One. Secondly, nobody even knows the songs. They're not, you know, they're not your what's playing. Only two, three lines. Only. Let me sing you something else. Yeah, something else. So let me sing maybe. Okay, so here's a song which was in the pop in those days. And today it's called Independent Music or whatever. It's the same genre. And this is a song called And I guarantee you if you listen to it, it is my favorite song so far. Wow. But I guarantee you if you go and listen to the white album, you're going to feel You're going to feel I'm going to love one of those songs in there because it's got the same magic. Why? Yes. It was great. It was our pleasure for having you here on Loudest for the first time, I guess you're having. So thank you so much for your time. And we'd love to see you again on this platform. Thank you. Look forward. Thank you. Bye. Bye. Bye. Take care.