Vish was born into a Punjabi family. His mother and brother live in the United Kingdom, and his father lives in India to care for his grandparents. He also has a younger sister who works in Canada, so occasionally he travels to see her. After finishing high school, Vish began taking music classes where he learnt about music creation and the fundamentals of vocal training. “The majority of the songs I didn't learn in college. It's just observing others and practising in your own manner, with some help from YouTube, but while I was in high school, I learned how to play the guitar from (The Strings Guitar Academy - Ashwani Devgan), one of our state's greatest teachers. Guitar greatly aided my singing and confidence-building,” he told Asian Voice.
Here’s his exclusive interview:
What inspired you to start pursuing singing?
I used to listen to English artists like Justin Bieber, Drake, and Usher on our small TV when I was young. Since I didn't speak English well, I began jotting down the lyrics and sang along with the music. I occasionally bring lyrics on paper to school and sing in front of my classmates. So when you receive compliments, the level of enjoyment you experience boosts. It only encouraged me to pursue music as a career.
Did you ever imagine you'd become so popular via social media?
No, I never imagined that I would become well-known through social media. I wasn't even a fan of Bollywood music, to be honest. I used to sing English songs on the streets of the UK to gain attention, but one day my girlfriend asked me to sing Indian songs. I said, "Nah, leave, I don't have the confidence to do that," but I sang a few Bollywood songs anyhow, and the crowd grew to 2 and 50 people, possibly more. I often used to share English covers on Instagram, I had less than 100 followers. Anyway, the next morning I saw that the Bollywood song I had put on my Instagram and TikTok had already received over 50k views. I then began performing Bollywood songs on the streets and soon after, people began requesting that I visit their cities as well. From less than 1000 followers to more than 300k followers, my videos began receiving millions of views. Indian media began to publish articles on me. In a nutshell, Social media has changed my life.
What is your takeaway about the British Indian taste in Indian music?
The locals all enjoy the same types of Indian music. They are familiar with both classic and recent songs. I can see how much music enthrals them in their eyes. They required this, in my opinion, and I'm happy I can sing for them.
How do you divide your time between performing at gigs and casual performances?
I used to busk three to four times per week, but as soon as I started getting private gigs, my busking went down. I have a lot of weekend commitments. So if I have free time, I simply go to a city and perform as a busker. Though weekdays can occasionally have more people around, I prefer the weekends because they are busier. At the moment, I busk once per week or two weeks.
What are your favourite Indian songs?
I have so many favourite songs but currently on my repeat list is “Tum Se” from movie Jalebi.
Do you think the current Indian music is as good as the old days?
I am aware that some people believe that there is nothing that can compare to older compositions, which is undeniably true, but often we forget that there are still composers like AR Rahman, who have created many songs with heartfelt melodies and captivating voices. I don't care if a song is new or old as long as it contains amazing vocals, lyrics, and melodies. I would play it repeatedly.
