Druv Kent is a Kolkata-born popular singer-songwriter. His music resonates across Singapore and the UK. His new single Beyond It All (Sayi) was released recently. The Kolkata Mail correspondent Priyanka Dutta caught up with Druv Kent about his musical journey and new releases. Excerpts..

Please let us know about your musical journey. How did you start your musical journey?

Druv Kent- I have been music-obsessed from when I was a child, playing the tabla, drums, and singing at the top of my lungs. I was born and raised in Kolkata– a city of artists, and attended The Doon School, Dehra Dun. Professionally, until a decade ago, I was an investment banker in Singapore. Then I wrote my first song! This literally changed my life. My songs were scouted by the producers of John Mayer and Ronan Keating and, once recorded, became the first from an Asia-based indie artist on the UK’s BBC Radio 2 in two decades. I have had several chart hits since then and been fortunate to receive awards for songwriting and the Druv Kent Band’s live shows, but my focus has always been on creating music that moves you. It’s been termed by a San Francisco journalist as “Pop Music for Adults”, a badge I wear with a smile.

Who is your musical inspiration?

Druv Kent- Each aspect of my creative process draws from different gurus. My favourite Western songwriters are the ’70s folk-pop songwriters like John Lennon and Paul Simon. My inspirations closer to home are RD Burman and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Please tell us about your new single “Beyond It All (Sayi)”?

Druv Kent- The song is about trying to focus on the alluring, enduring light that exists beyond absence, and even beyond certainty. I wrote and composed the song in Singapore and then got my mother, Bina Shrikent, to rewrite the repeating Punjabi lyrics, which are based on an old traditional folk song, to suit the track. I recorded the song in London with Calum MacColl (Ronan Keating) and then recorded Hindustani vocals with my friend, now Grammy nominee, Siddhanth Bhatia, and others in Delhi. The song is truly as borderless as it sounds.

Your previous releases have set records. Do you feel pressured due to that?

Druv Kent- I look at both success and failure as fleeting. My awards, chart hits, and viral breakthroughs have so much serendipity in them. The inner validation is what keeps me delighted. I work obsessively on the music, but the response and public reaction are dictated by a million things beyond my control.

How do you deal with artistic blocks?

Druv Kent- Compositional inspiration appears inconsistently and does not conjure on demand. But it can still come with some regularity. I used to fret that I needed to bottle this energy, fearing I would never write a song of the quality of “Little Bit of God” or “Glitter & Dynamite” again. But, with the acceptance that you will find “flow” comes a quiet confidence. Then came “Back Home”, “Higher Ground”, “Don’t Burn Away”, “Hindustan Meri Jaan”… many others, and now “Beyond It All (Sayi)”.

Would you like to let us know about your next project?

Druv Kent- “Beyond It All (Sayi)” is being released with a Desi Mix version, which allows for more Hindustani alaaps and a more trancey feel. I’ll soon be dropping the next three singles on my “Indian Spirit” EP, which explores love, connection, and joy. I also have a collection of original Hindi tracks I am waiting to release that are already fan favorites at our Druv Kent Band live shows. In addition, I am working on a large youth project in Mumbai with emerging artists, which can be an amazing, large-scale project – more on that later.

Wishing Druv all the best for his future!!