“Music Found Me Long Before I Found It”: Aniruddha Roy On Growing Up with Sound, Experiments And Learning To Stay Curious

There are artists who choose music, and then there are artists raised by it long before they even realise it. Jamshedpur-born indie musician, producer and multi-instrumentalist Maestro Aniruddha Roy belongs firmly to the latter. His songs, which drift between electronic textures, indie pop moods and melodic ballads, carry the unmistakable sense of someone who creates from instinct rather than a formula.

When we caught up with him, he was in his compact, portable studio, what he casually calls his “minimalist laboratory” talking about childhood sounds, accidental solos, reimagining covers in Toronto, and why boredom is essential to becoming better. What follows is an intimate conversation with an emerging voice shaping his own lane in India’s evolving indie landscape.

Q1: You grew up in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. What were the sounds around you as a kid that pulled you into music?

Roy: “Since the time I was born, music was already present in my environment. My father was a huge music lover and he had a large collection of cassettes which he played all the time. Later he moved to CDs and DVDs and continued buying music the same way. I think my subconscious absorbed all of it even though I did not realise what was happening then. As a child, I was not even focused on music. I was far more interested in sports. I played cricket, football, shotput, javelin, kho-kho and kabaddi. My grandfather was a respected spiritual preacher in our town and he sang bhajans during his discourses. So although I did not think of becoming a musician, sound was always present around me.”

Q2: When did you first pick up an instrument or start composing? Was there a trigger moment when you said, “I want to do this”?

Roy: “That happened when I was in the fourth standard. Some seniors in school were travelling out of town for a performance and everything was sponsored by the school. I love travelling and that became my motivation to join the music group. I started singing with the group and learned to play the congo with the guidance of my seniors. By the time I reached the sixth standard, I got my first chance to travel with the team and perform. That experience changed something inside me. In the seventh standard, I watched a band perform in my town. The keyboard fascinated me immensely. I asked my mother if I could learn it and that is how my journey with the keyboard and piano started.”

Q3: Your work spans electronic dance music, indie pop, ballad and more. How do you navigate such a range and what binds your tracks together?

Roy: “To be honest, I do not think about genres when I start creating. I follow my intuition and let my fingers go where they want to go. Only during release do I look for the genre or sub genre because the platforms require it. Until then, I don’t try to box anything. It is a very instinctive process.”

Q4: You’re described as a multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer. Which role feels most like you, and which is the hardest to master?

Roy: “I do not feel I have mastered anything yet. I am always learning. Every time I sit to make music, something new arrives. Even when I am playing simulated instruments on my keyboard, I try to make them sound as authentic as possible. The part that challenges me the most is production. It demands constant learning and sometimes it makes me realise how much more there is to understand.”

Q5: What are some of the Indian indie scenes or artists you look up to, and how have they influenced you?

Roy: “A. R. Rahman has had the biggest influence on me. I love the way he designs his arrangements. I often listen to his songs only to understand the structure and the layers. I also admire Sai Abhyankkar, Ritviz, Zaeden, Anurag Saikia and Himonshu Parikh. They all bring something unique to the table and that inspires me.”

Q6: Being independent in India comes with its own set of challenges. What have been the major obstacles so far and how are you overcoming them?

Roy: “The biggest challenge is that there is not enough support for artists who are still emerging. Labels tend to support musicians after they become popular. But the time when an artist needs support the most is when they are still unknown but confident about their potential. In sports, players are often backed even when they are not performing well because someone believes in their long term ability. If the music scene could offer that kind of belief, many more artists would get the chance to grow.”

Q7: Your track Kuttenadan x Hukusbukus (2023) and Ek Jone x Tuk Dekhi Murga (2023) stand out. Could you walk us through how one of those came together, from idea to release?

Roy: “It was developed during my time in Toronto where I was doing my postgraduate studies. I met musicians there and we wanted to experiment with cover songs. I did not want to recreate the originals. I asked my friends to send only their scratch vocals without telling me how the original arrangements sounded. That gave me the freedom to build everything from the beginning. I experimented with different styles and moods until I found something that felt right. All of that work happened in Canada and the freedom of that environment influenced the final sound.”

Q8: The digital age has changed how music is made, distributed and consumed. How has that impacted your journey, particularly coming from a city outside the usual “music hubs”?

Roy: “The digital era has been extremely important for me. I began doing everything on my own. I handled distribution, releases and everything else through digital aggregators without any upfront cost. The royalty sharing model made it possible. Because of this decentralised system, I gained the confidence to release my music globally. Without it, I might not have taken that step so early.”

Q9: You mention work with tribal choir and choral voices. How does this community or cultural element feed into your music?

Roy: “During my engineering years, one of my friends was associated with a band in Kolkata. Through him, I explored blues, funk and rock. That opened my mind to experimenting with different genres. In 2019, when I was working at KIIT University, I noticed that most choirs in India had a very western tone. I thought I should try something that keeps the rawness of tribal or regional music but builds it in a layered choral structure. That idea led to the creation of a Tribal Choir concept. It allowed me to present raw cultural sounds in a more harmonised and textured form.”

Q10: How do you stay authentic to your sound while trying to reach a wider audience? Do you ever feel pressure to conform?

Roy: “I do not have a strategy to reach a wider audience. I simply create what feels genuine to me. I release the music and the people who resonate with it eventually find it. That has been my approach so far.”

Q11: Live performances vs studio work: what’s your favourite setting and what do you miss (or love) about each?

Roy: “I enjoy both. But if I am working alone in my studio setup, I would still prefer live performance. Live shows give a certain energy and unpredictability. Studio work gives space for detailed exploration. Both offer different kinds of satisfaction.”

Q12: Your studio setup is quite minimal. Has that influenced your work?

Roy: “Yes, very much. My studio is small and portable. I work with only a few pieces of equipment. Many times, when I play something randomly, it becomes an intro or an interlude for a track. Even during recordings, my friends know that I never repeat the exact same sequence of notes. Each retake becomes something new and many of those moments turn into important parts of the song.”

Q13: What advice would you give to young musicians from smaller cities like Jharkhand?

Roy: “You must pass through the phase of boredom if you want to create something engaging. When you practise a scale, you repeat the same notes countless times until they become effortless. It feels dull but if you keep going, the transformation arrives. So do not run away from the boring parts. They are essential.”

Q14: Where do you see yourself in the next two to three years? Any album planned, any dream collaboration or direction you’re itching to explore?

Roy: “Since music is part time for me right now, I want to start collaborating with friends abroad who are also independent musicians. We hope to explore transcultural soundscapes and maybe release singles or even an album together. If things go well, I may consider moving into music full time.”

Q15: Finally, what does “success” mean to you at this stage? Has that meaning changed since you began?

Roy: “For me, the journey is more important than the destination. Success feels like a saturation point. Once you reach it, you start wondering what comes next. I would rather make small achievements every day. That keeps the spark alive and allows me to stay committed for the long run.”