When it comes to independent musicians and singers in India, Zoe Siddharth is one of those few names you can count. Born and brought up in Chennai, Zoe's got a BA(Hons) degree in Music, majoring in Popular Music Performance at the School of Contemporary Music, LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore. From Pop to RnB to Indie music, Zoe has explored every genre and loves to write her own songs. Recently, she released her debut single, Human.
The 22-year-old artist claims that she started her singing journey when she was a kid but improved it along the way when she was in college. She explains, "When I was young, I attended a few music classes in Chennai. But most of my learning happened when I was in college in Singapore. A year into college, I started performing on stage and I learnt a lot from a famous vocal trainer, Jennifer D'Souza. She helped me improve and understand the usage of vocals. She helped me improve my singing skills."
We speak to this original star about her debut song, penning her own songs, her experience on The Stage 3 and what the future holds for her. Excerpts:
1. What is the story behind your debut song, Human?
I have written a lot of songs before Human but this was the first one to be released. I have been writing songs since I was 15. But the song Human was a turning point in my life. It helped me understand my writing skills, strengths and weaknesses. Human was written in January 2018 because I was feeling grateful for the people around me. I asked myself when I last said 'thank you' to someone close to me or appreciated someone for their good work. And then the song was finally written in January but I released it only in September 2020. The underlying message is that we must be grateful for the people around us.
2. How did The Stage 3 happen and what lessons did you learn from there?
My family and I have been watching such English shows, including X-Factor, America's Got Talent and so on. I always dreamt to of being a part of these programmes. My father recommended trying out for The Stage 3 which is one of the few English music talent hunt shows in India. I applied for the auditions when I was 18 but did not get selected in the first round of auditions. Later,, there was another round that was online and this time, the jury panel liked my style of singing. Finally, I got selected to perform on The Stage 3 and my happiness has since known no bounds.
I learnt a lot when I went to perform on this show. Besides performing, I met several other artists on this stage and observed how they performed. Suddenly, my confidence was boosted and I learnt to perform under pressure. Monica Dogra, an American musician and one of the three judges, was a great mentor to me on this show. More than anything else, I learnt the importance of originality and how one needs to preserve it throughout their career. Practising and rehearsing to perform every week brought a lot of improvements in me.
3. When can we expect to see another release?
There is a lot more coming up from my side. My friend and I have written a song that we plan to release in the first week of April on our own music channel on YouTube (name). This is our first music video. At the same time, I will also be releasing my next single Chasing It. The song is all about realising that you don't have to chase after someone all the time. Sometimes, it is better to stay on your own path and that's not a bad thing at all. I also plan to release more singles this year, put out meaningful content that the audience will love.
4. Not too many young artists in India are creating their own songs, most of them do covers. What is your take on that?
I actually don't agree that there are fewer independent musicians and artists in India. Independent women artists are more in number. There is a community of independent musicians and singers who meet and discuss the scenario of music across the globe. One day, I hope to be part of this community so that we reach a bigger audience. While the talent is abundant in India, I feel the eyes are not here.
5. Can you tell us about your modelling journey?
As a child, I would always pose for the camera but that gradually decreased as I grew up to be a teenager. I took a lot of interest in music over posing for the camera. But when I moved from Chennai to Mumbai, times changed. I felt it was the right time to start modelling and I started working with various agencies. Currently, I work with Adore Models, it is a talent management agency that works with models, actors and creative artists. I have also been auditioning and looking for opportunities to act. But nothing much has been happening due to the pandemic.
