Lisa Mishra is a multi-talented singer-songwriter known for songs like Tareefan from Veere Di Wedding, Nadaaniyaan from The Sky Is Pink, Naina Ta Heere from JugJugg Jeeyo and Aag Lagdi from Dono. In addition to her stellar songs from Bollywood, Lisa Mishra has been releasing independent tracks since 2018. Her extensive discography boasts of gems like Running Back To You, Mere Sang with Prateek Kuhad, Aa Mil and the latest Balenciaga with Fetty Wap.
While her music transcends genres, Lisa Mishra’s path to success didn’t come without it’s set of challenges. During an exclusive interview, Lisa Mishra shed light on her recent single, her journey as a Bollywood singer and an independent artist and more.
Here are the excerpts:
You’ve surely gone global with your recent track ‘Balenciaga’, after collaborating with Fetty Wap. It’s an intoxicating melody beautifully complimented by segues dished out by Fetty Wap. How did this collab materialise and what’s the story behind the song?
I wrote the initial hook for “Balenciaga” two years ago when the producers (Madstarbase) and I were playing around with some beats in the studio. I didn’t really think much about it and suddenly got a call a year ago that Akash and Fetty Wap have written their own verses to it after hearing the song. Definitely a “right place right time” moment.
Another collaboration of yours that went viral was with Zaeden i.e Aa Mil. While you guys have collaborated before for ‘Setting Sail’, this one was extra special since the melody was groovy and wholesome and I also saw that you guys had a blast creating the song through BTS shared by Zaeden on his handle. How was your experience and what connected you with that song?
Zaeden and I have a super close friendship that we’ve always wanted to explore musically as well. He played me ‘Aa Mil’ a while ago and was feeling stuck on how to continue the song. We both thought to give it a try with my voice and ended up loving how it sounded as a duet. After so many years of trying to collaborate I’m glad it came down to the perfect moment and song.
After you made your big Bollywood debut, what sort of opportunities came to you and how did you filter them out on the basis of whether it aligns with your taste and identity?
I think it was a challenge to carve my path because although I launched in India via Bollywood, my musical roots in America were solidly independent. I’m glad I’ve got my Bollywood experience, especially because it made me fluent in Hindi, but it feels great to now focus almost exclusively on my independent and non-film work. That’s where I shine brightest, I feel.
You’ve been very selective with the songs you choose for your Bollywood roster. Has that been a conscious decision or is it because you want to manage both your independent music commitment and Bollywood commitment as seamlessly as possible?
It has definitely been a conscious decision. Even when I sing on Bollywood projects, I like to retain my signature sound. It’s less so about managing my commitments, more so about being true to myself musically. I work on projects I love and with artists I love, whether it’s playback or for my own compositions.
Speaking about your Indie catalogue, you are quite genre-fluid with all your tracks. From R&B to blues, you tend to go berserk with your exploration. What fuels this passion and love for multiple genres? And what sort of message do you want to convey with your style of music?
I think my “sound” has more to do with my vocal tone and texture, less so genre. I love all kinds of music and feel limited if I have to stick to one specific space. I’ve lived in so many different cities and experienced the versatility of music globally so it would be a disservice to myself if I didn’t explore. The message I want to convey is just make good music- don’t worry so much about the specifics.
‘Mere Sang’ from your discography surely stands out since I feel you compliment Prateek Kuhad’s voice with utmost perfection. How was it like working with him? And whether you’d like to collaborate more with him in the future?
I loved working with Prateek, although I am curious how it would be if we made a song organically without the constraints of time. Since both of us write and compose, I’d love to
work on something with him that showcases each of our musical strengths equally.
How do you prioritise Independent music and Bollywood music? What’s one thing that helps you stay grounded and not overwhelmed by your brilliant prospects and all the love that is showered upon you?
There is no “priority” so long as I’m enjoying what I’m making. Currently I am finishing my album, so my focus is there, but I’m always open to work on film songs as they come. I think
what keeps me grounded is the number of career lows I’ve experienced. It is humbling and also motivational.
Almost a year ago, you returned to YouTube by dropping a lovely cover of Mehdi Hasan Ji’s legendary ghazal ‘Mujhe Tum Nazar Se’ and it sort of introduced the world that Adarsh Gourav can sing. What can you recall about that video? And whether you plan to post actively on YouTube anytime soon?
Adarsh is a dear friend and we went into making that video – as you can tell – quite casually. He simply came over one day, we talked about music, and he introduced me to the wonderful ghazal. I rehearsed a few times, pressed record, and the rest is history! I hope to make more videos on Youtube soon, but the idea is to post my own songs and limit the number of covers so my audience gains more insight into my catalogue.
Lastly, what are some of your upcoming songs or album? What do you have in store for your listeners?
The album is full of the lesser talked about experiences that women go through. I wanted to keep it as emotionally honest as possible, without embellishment. Themes include anger, sadness, toxicity, deep love, loneliness and infatuation. I want to push the boundaries on sanitised feminine narratives that we are often told to confine ourselves to, and really deliver something raw and relatable to the audience.
Comments
0 comment