Breaking new ground

Be it creating ripples in the student circles of Delhi NCR with his band 'Canzona' in the 1990s; leaving a memorable bunch of guitar riffs with his famed former band and legit Indie-pop biggies 'Euphoria', or charting new territories by slipping into the shoes of a front-man for his swatantra rock band 'Eka', guitar player and singer-songwriter Hitesh Rikki Madan has packed a significant progression and finesse in his musical career.

In an exclusive conversation with 'Millennium Post', the guitarist gets candid about the release of his third solo single titled 'Gal Sunn Zara' and the 25 years of a successful musical journey.

"'Gal Sunn Zara' is a song that talks about the desire to reach out and express love and it is indeed a very special song to me for many reasons. It was my first attempt at writing and singing a song in Punjabi - something I had always wanted to do. I had this sweet melody that I had been toying with and I just knew that this melody needed to have lyrics in Punjabi," shares Hitesh.

He further says, "Musically, this almost six-minute song goes through an emotional ride, which I was able to express sonically through a wide range of sounds using different variants of the guitar including Electric, Acoustic, Bass and the Ukulele. The process of creating it has been most satisfying creatively and a lot of heart and soul went into its making. The kind of response it is getting has been most rewarding. So yes, it is a very special song."

"Whether it is singing or songwriting or guitar playing or any skill for that matter, the more you do the better you get. Regular practice coupled with continual gigs hone your skills. There is no substitute for practice and experience. My experience in composing and songwriting has taught me that while there is beauty in simplicity, many times a bit of unpredictability or a unique approach is what catches a listener's attention and makes a song stand out," says Madan on his experience as a singer and songwriter.

Speaking about his journey from 'Canzona', 'Euphoria' and 'Eka' bands, he reminisces, "When we formed 'Canzona', two of us were in the first-year college and three of the members were still in school. Even though we had achieved a great amount of success, what I remember most is that we had to take permission from teachers and parents to do gigs!"

" 'Euphoria' was an out-and-out professional outfit. I remember performing with the band even in the middle of my final year exams. The 14 years that I was a part of 'Euphoria' were the formative years of my career. I learned a lot, not just about music but also about life."

"'Eka' was an avenue for self-exploration, to test new waters and about realising your potential. I evolved into donning the role of a front-man/vocalist, something that I had previously shied away from. And now my launch as a solo singer-songwriter-producer could be in a way looked at my coming-of-age as a musician."