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Interview with Takar Nabam

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Today, I sat down with Takar Nabam to talk music inspiration, types of music he listened to growing up and much more! Be sure to check out his music below after the interview on Spotify!

Interview:

What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your surroundings? 

– I think it’s a mix of a lot of things. The people I meet, the music I listen to, the places I visit. It all started with me penning down my thoughts while travelling to different parts of the country. I feel that some of my best works have come from a low, sad space. It’s liberating to vent out emotions through songs.
One of the songs that’s closest to my heart is Ashes, which came out of a tragedy that me and my family has gone through, back in 2019, when our house was set on fire by an angry mob. It was one of most turbulent time of my life.
When it comes down to working on the song structures, I’ve arranged songs in my bedroom and also while jamming with a group of musicians I usually enjoy playing with. The best example is my second album, This Home That Home – https://open.spotify.com/album/4XnfcZsctm9jYr7LBU4hWk?si=le_nu6o7SCuKmgOD1pyT3g&utm_source=copy-link
The best example of song that I’ve worked on from my mini home studio is my latest single, Further – https://open.spotify.com/track/0fnJngA8PuJrTnigDN2hOc?si=g_xtQH9ORDeqvGcxaouWTA&utm_source=copy-link
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
– A lot of the music I grew up listening to were 90s Pop Artists, Rock guitar players like John Petrucci, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson Joe Satriani, bands like Extreme, Incubus, Porcupine Tree, etc. It was quite exciting yet challenging to learn to play like these masters. It was a very technique driven phase for me. I enjoyed challenges, and playing really fast. Speed was everything that time.
Then came the phase where I got into John Mayer, Derek Trucks, and a lot of Jazz improvisors like Charlie Parker, Kurt Rosenwinkel, John coltrane, Robert Glasper, and Singer Songwriters like Simon and Garfunkel, Nick Drake, Damien Rice, etc. It was only during this phase that I got into songwriting, and I started to appreciate minimalism, the idea of space in a song situation.
My changing listening habits can be best heard on all my albums, which sounds different from each other I feel.
Listen to my discography –
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
– I looked up to my Father. He’s a self made man and I really admire him for that. Had it not been for him, I wouldn’t even had access to my first guitar. We didn’t even have a home to live back in the day. If there’s ombre quality that I’ve learnt from him, it is that one needs to have patience and should wait for the right time.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing today?
– I would probably be flying around the world as the captain of an aircraft. My Mother, who’s very afraid of height was against the idea of me choosing a flying career. I can’t say I would have been successful at it, but I was pretty decent at the game Flight Simulator!
Alternatively, I may have been playing for the State cricket team, if not the National team. Prior to choosing music, back in 2002, Cricket was everything to me! I was good at fielding. I really liked Jonty Rhodes.
It’s crazy where I ended up!
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create
music?
– Think about what you really want from it. Are you doing it for the art of for commercial success. The approach would vary, and each will take it’s own sweet time, patience and consistency are the key here.

The other piece of advice I’d like to give is to evolve your craft with time. It will keep you and your listeners excited.

Music:

Vic

Editor / Writer / Producer For Drop the Spotlight