Bikki Gurung is a Nepali singer based in the United States. He’s an undergrad pursuing CIS major with a BBA degree. Arun Budhathoki had a talk with the singer. Here are the excerpts:

How did you start your musical journey? Did you go through any training?

I didn’t go through any training. I lived in a household where singing and playing the guitar was always a fun time-pass. So my journey began from home.

What is your genre? How do you define music? What’s your process for making music?

I don’t have a particular genre as I’m quite experimental with my music. I like playing around with different sounds and styles.

Music to me is my escape.

Being able to portray my emotions and my thoughts through lyrics and melody is a form of expression I find myself most drawn to, and something that comes naturally to me. I just sit down and begin my compositions with writing down my thoughts which turn into lyrics and move on to developing a melody based on the feel I want the song to have (which I do with the guitar). I then hit the studio to further develop the sound until I’m satisfied with the result.

Do you have a band, music studio? Did you start making music after moving to the States?

I’m not a part of a band or have my own studio. But there are a lot of studios out here in the U.S. that I go to record and where I started recording my tracks.

What’s the concept behind your music videos? Who is your mentor, inspiration?

Both Marijau and Kewal’s music videos are songs about a tragedy. The lyrics inspired the concepts for both the videos. And I collaborated with cinematographers who brought the ideas to life. I hoped to keep the videos pretty abstract so it is open to interpretation by the audience.

Are you planning to bring out an album? How different is it to make music in the States compared to that of Nepal?

Yes, I am currently working on my first album to be released this year (working towards releasing it soon). So far I have good experiences recording music in studios in the States. However, I would say that there exist more time constraints here as producers and artists work on different schedules and setting up appointments have to be done much in advance rather than impromptu studio sessions that are easier done in Nepal.

Can you tell us about your recent songs? Do you write your own lyrics and music?

I write all my songs. My recent songs are based on love and tragedy–two themes that are universal and that I feel people can relate to on different levels.

What instruments do you play?

I enjoy playing the guitar.

Your future plans in the music field. 

Just to keep at it: to let myself evolve by constantly creating.

Your favorite singers.

I wish I could name one or two but to name some: Sam Smith, Pheonix, Adele, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Arijit Singh and the list goes on.

What’s your message to your fans and aspiring Nepali young musicians?

Keep listening to Nepali music in order to inspire artists like us to keep making more music. And for the musicians, create, share and keep Nepali music alive!

 

 

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