The singer-songwriter Anuv Jain has opened up about building a career on India's music scene as an acoustic indie pop performer. Can you find success as an Indian artist, outside of the Bollywood machine, while making music that feels like you? Well, according to Jain, it's possible—and you can even create something "beautiful".
Success as an Independent Artist
Jain's soft vocals have gained hundreds of millions of views on YouTube—not an easy feat as an independent artist in India's music scene. BBC Newsbeat met Jain as he prepared for the final shows on the European leg of his first world tour to find out why he's taking his time and "hoping for the best".
“"It's not about the numbers," Jain tells us backstage, ahead of his sold-out performance at London's Roundhouse. "But they do tell a story."
Jain is from Ludhiana in the Punjab region of India and began singing as a teenager. His tracks have since racked up hundreds of millions of views on YouTube with their emotional storylines about relationships and heartbreak. Jain primarily sings in Hindi, with his pieces often exploring deep emotions like love and longing. Fans talk about feeling like his music soundtracks their lives, both external and personal.
Growing Fanbase
His accessible style has attracted 3.9 million followers on Instagram and more than 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify. According to Jain, the secret to his success is simple. When writing music, he imagines how someone listening in the car, going for a run, or sitting alone at night would feel hearing the song.
“"I just try to make a good song and something that I would like to listen to, something my mum, my sister, and my wife would like to listen to," he says. "For some reason, the taste that we have in music is gentle enough that when we put it out there, there are millions of people who are wanting to consume all of this."
