Nischay Parekh: Indie Pop

Meet the lad who can safely be considered India’s answer to The Beatles. Yes, seriously!

There is something about pop music — how it comfortably takes you down memory lane and reminds you of an era where life wasn’t moving at a breakneck speed. Being able to evoke that feeling is exactly what makes this singer, songwriter and instrumentalist a great musician. His voice is as smooth as silk, his lyrics are mature and graceful, and his style unprecedented. The Kolkata based pop singer has stirred the Indian music fraternity with his debut album Ocean, which has won many hearts, including ours.

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Unlike other musicians, his day starts with his television set, as he’s a big TV buff. No, not the kind to stay glued to the idiot box watching rom-coms and reruns, but the kind who likes to stay updated with a daily dose of news and sports. “Television — it’s my coffee”, insists Parekh who returns to Berklee College of Music in May to complete the rest of the 6 terms of his course. “Berkelee has been great. It has taught me the mechanics of music, the how’s and the why’s”, reiterates Nischay, who also feels that the institution is nothing less than a sacred temple.

This recently turned 21-year-old lad wasn’t always been intrigued by music though. “My relationship with music first started with me hating it and thinking it was a waste of time and space”, recalls Nischay. For him, it was a long journey that took him through a vast range of lessons, conversations and observations where he wasn’t just introduced to music but also to art in general. That was the tipping point in his life. It was a first of its kind experience for this youngster and gave him an incessant rush — “A high that has yet to fade off”, he insists.

Parekh’s tracks with their playful lyrics give you a surreal vibe, perfectly showcased in his track Philosophize with lyrics like “I’ve got a New York state of mind/In Indian standard time”. Yet contrary to the popular trend of this era, Nischay recorded most of his tracks outside a studio, without the aid of standard recording instruments. “The idea behind this was to keep the album’s essence organic and relaxed”, the young musician who prefers the comfort of his home explains. No wonder then that his debut album Ocean was put together in homes, mostly bedrooms.

So is this kind of music exactly what Nischay Parekh is all about, we wonder. He quickly clarifies that he has nothing against electronic music and further stresses on the fact that his first album just wasn’t in the electronica kind of world as he likes to use only what’s most apt at the point of making music. Besides being truly inspired by the styles of Marvin Gaye, Leslie Feist, The Beatles and the likes, Nischay maintains that he is inspired by musicians every day and his ears are open to everything.

In addition to making music and writing moving lyrics, Nischay is also an endowed instrumentalist and his favourite instrument is the drum set. We ask him why and his frank response is — “It’s the most honest instrument with which you can’t hide much and that’s what makes it the most expressive, in an unadulterated manner”.

So is everything bright and shiny for this pop artist in 2014 as well? “Yes, it indeed is. I’ll be recording a lot of music and playing a lot of shows” he chuckles. Nischay is also working on a remix album of his last album, where his tracks are being remixed by some of his favourite producers, so you know what to keep your ears open for.

• Currently listening to: Bahamas, LCD Soundsystem, M83, Joe Pass, Feist and Marvin Gaye
• Performance wish list: Wants to play at Primavera Sound Barcelona – for the love of lineup and the impeccable Spanish food

From the March 2014 issue of FHM India.