Five female independent artists on balancing creative freedom with financial challenges

Over the past few years, independent music and the artists behind it have proved that you don’t need a big producer or record label for the track to be a viral sensation. All it needs is a melodic voice, an instrument, and basic video editing skills! While independent artists dream of being discovered by a record label that catapults them into fame they wouldn’t experience otherwise, they seem to be making the most of what they can. But are they really doing so? 

The reason we ask is that independent artists often put in their own money to make and produce a song. Many times, creative freedom loses the battle to financial restrictions and artists often have to compromise on various aspects. But is this scenario likely to change for the better? Cosmopolitan India speaks to five independent singers—Hanita Bhambri, Akanksha Bhandari, Kamakshi Khanna, Shalmali Kholgade, and Nikitaa—to know where things are heading, their creative freedom, the times where financial restrictions made them cut corners for a song, and more.

 Who is winning this battle? 

While they might not be able to choose between creative freedom and financial gains, most of these singers lean towards expressing themselves freely and doing what they love the most. For Bhandari, who is known for her work in Fukrey Returns, Veeray Ki Wedding, and has collaborated for 'Tere Liye' with Atif Aslam, both are equally important. “But if I had to choose, creative freedom is more important. It allows me to express myself through my music. It’s more fulfilling and inspiring.” This is why the singer does a host of shows that help her earn enough to allow her to make the music she really wants to. For Delhi-based singer Khanna, whose music draws inspiration from diverse influences ranging from RnB and Soul, to Pop and Indie folk, “It’s the projects that are the most creatively fulfilling that makes them enjoy what they do. Inner callings as they say.” 

And while there is no right or wrong answer, Bhambri talks about a way in which an independent artist can balance both aspects. “Earlier, people used to scout talent and invest in them. Now, independent artists pool in their own money to make their music, which then gets picked up/purchased by a label. Even if you get a 20 per cent cut, you get way more compared to the song being independently released. Artists are selling the song which then ends up becoming a mainstream song. This way, they get to do what they want creatively and make money in the process, too. It’s a win-win. The landscape has changed so much so it’s all about proving yourself enough to make a label picking you up. Earlier they used to sign artists, now they sign songs.”

Creative freedom and trusting your gut

Compared to an artist singing for a film song—where the music director, lyricist, director, actor, and every stakeholder shares their feedback—the chances of an independent singer having to tweak their songs is less. But as a solo artist, how do you gauge what’s right or what’s going to work with the audience? Bhambri has lessons to share from her experiences. “Every time we put out a song and it doesn’t get traction, it feels like rejection. There is no control over that.” Does the song composition process include too many changes? “Everyone has their own style. “So what comes to you naturally first is the best. If you make changes, you will get confused. I don’t make too many changes. I go with my gut instinct,” says Bhandari.

Khanna, on the other hand, takes a lot of time to process what she’s made. “Personally, I take a lot of time to be satisfied. Even after it’s out, I think about what could be done. You’re the master and the boss. It’s hard as you have to be accountable for everything. At the end of the day, you have to be happy. Trust your gut and not spend too much time on a song.” Then there are singers, such as Kholgade, who will take the opinion of a few trusted people. “My songs go through a lot of changes. I have a few people with a music background who hear the song and we work on it. I also let the song rest for a bit and come back after a week with a lot of structural changes.” 

Independent music is not only a genre, it's an occupation

A lot of listeners think independent music is a genre, and not an industry brimming with countless singers who are looking to make it big. “People don’t associate indie music with being self-funded, they associate it with a certain aesthetic,” says Bhambri. “Independent music shouldn't be associated with a particular type of sound as people who make hip-hop and rap can be called independent artists as well. At the same time, you will still be labelled as an independent singer if you’re just singing with a guitar and are backed by a label who is spending crores to market your song,” she adds.

Independent music is a larger umbrella term and the types of artists under it are vast. South Asian singer-songwriter Nikitaa says that while the confusion is justified, there's a lot that the audience needs to know about. “For a very long time, the impression was that it (independent music) is a genre and not an occupation. People didn't even know what it stands for. I think time's are changing. The problem though is a lot of people that I speak to don’t realise that you’re an independent artist until you tell them. They don’t know how the industry works. They think all independent artists are equal—in terms of financial stability and creativity and might think you have another job. It's important for them to realise that there are levels to this as some artists are doing everything by themselves, while some have an entire team behind them.”

While fans may not yet have grasped the fact that independent music is an occupation, Bhandari does give them the benefit of the doubt. “While independent music is associated with a certain sound, I don’t know if I could call it a genre. Though some audiences do realise that (it’s a job), most of them really appreciate the creativity since we self-release, produce, and promote everything which adds to the authenticity.”

As far as the positioning of an independent artist is concerned, it’s pretty easy for listeners to be confused as, according to Khanna, there is a lot of confusion and the lines are blurred. “For a long time, mainstream music has been film music. Any artist not in films is labelled independent. They could even be backed by labels. For me, it’s all about having an independent sound and trying to say something that’s your own. In the larger scheme of things, it’s a genre.” And while the lines are blurred and people seem to not know the difference, it’s absolutely fine according to Kholgade. “It’s not their job to know the difference. All they need to do is love, like, or dislike the artist. But yes, it is a full-time job. Personally, I love it. I enjoy it more than playback because I’m involved everywhere. People who notice the investment become your biggest fans.”

Financial restrictions making them the artists they are today

While each of these artists has a host of chartbusters to their credit, the stories behind these tracks often go unnoticed—the making, the budget constraints, and so on. Bhambri’s first music video Let Me Go featured 15-20 extras who were people she knew. “I wouldn’t have been able to execute it with that quality without their support. It would have cost 10 times more had I gone to a production house. Sometimes it works so well you can’t tell it was made on a budget under one lakh.”

Bhandari, too, is cut from the same cloth. “For one of my songs, ‘Saara Jahaan’, I wanted to have the visuals of different cities in the video. But I couldn’t do so due to budget restrictions. I then did a simple video and got the team members to act in the video. Everything was done within ₹50,000.” 

The importance of making an appearance in a video

The major takeaway in the conversations with these artists revealed that it’s the video production that the singers have to usually cut corners for. These artists have to bear in mind these costs because it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. And getting a song out is way more important that getting a track out with music. “You’ll have to keep experimenting, making music; with your own money. There is very little chance that things click. And the rest of your discography gets discovered. So, you want to put in money, but not be careless,” says Bhambri. For Bhandari, whose first song ‘Pehli Baarish’ in 2020, was a lyric video that she made within ₹10,000. “The video is important but it’s even more necessary to show your face and creativity. If you have the budget, just go for it.” Khanna thinks there should definitely be a video, even if it’s in the most basic form. “Today, a simple face-to-camera video that’s self shot will work good, too. That’s something that artists with a large and fancy budget do as well. I feel that it’s important to have visuals that elevate the song for it gives the track impact and an identity. Especially, when there is a story associated to it.” 

“When it comes to the financial aspect of making a video, I would say, unless you’re married to a vision, there is no point in making a video. If you’re not happy, you’re not going to put it out. I’ve seen this with artists who build an audience and they look through their old songs and realise the body of work. That can be key in reviving songs that didn’t do well when they release. That’s common with independent artists. Don’t put out anything that you’re not happy with or overstretch your budget. Figure out the purpose of why you’re shooting it and what you will be putting out,” adds Nikitaa. 

Despite the financial constraints, making a video does have one advantage that Kholgade talks about. “I don’t mind showing myself. Many people know the song but don’t know how the artist looks.” 

Being discovered in the clutter

With there being so many independent musicians and singers, another major challenge that they face is making their song stand out from the rest. Often, one comes across their songs only in a reel or as a track in an ‘Indie playlist’. The audience might know who the person behind the song is. Like many singers, Khanna, too finds this challenging, but she has a solution. “There was a time where it wasn’t even possible to put out your music. Today you can do so much to promote your music. But the problem is that everybody has it. There is so much information. So you need to think about what will make you stand out from the clutter. Sometimes, audiences don’t listen to the whole song and only the part that becomes trendy or part of a reel. Your voice has to be peculiar as that immensely helps in the song having recall value. If you find yourself humming, you want to find out who is the singer. You latch on to the melody and want to hear the full song. We just have to make authentic music that’s straight from the heart. In time, the recall value of an artist along with their style is what will help them be discovered and loved for a long time instead of just being popular for one song.” 

Making emotions the hero of the song

For an independent artist, songs are more often centred on emotions than situations or characters like in mainstream cinema music. “Feelings, whether positive or negative, serve a purpose. They create a story with characters. My songs are cinematic as I have visuals running in my head. As writers, we can be pushed to write anything. In independent music, there isn’t any creative direction which has its pros and cons. Our egos are sometimes attached to the song. In the long term, this isn’t healthy. At the same time, you can always write about stories and not how you’re feeling,” says Bhambri who is all set to drop her debut album. It’s being real and feeling those raw and deep emotions that translate into being free for Bhandari while for Khanna, being an independent artist is ‘beautiful’ and those personal experiences have put things into perspective for her.  

Lead image: akankshabmusic, kamakshikhannamusic, shalmiaow

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