LOVE IS
LOVE ...
& pop(From top)
Hayley Kiyoko,
Troye Sivan
and Kehlani
are among the
rising wave
of musicians
crafting
LGBTQ+
anthems, and
putting the
nuance where
Katy Perry
used to be.46 — AUGUST 2019INTERVIEW: NIDHI GUPTA. IMAGE: GETTY IMAGESHow different is this from the London that
you inhabit today, as a gay musician?
I live in Shoreditch, it’s the gateway
to the creative hub of the city – East
London. I mostly hang out in little bars
and cafés on Brick Lane, Columbia Road
and at Broadway Market. There are also
parts of East London that feel very much
like stepping into India, which I love,
particularly Green Street – the aloo papdi
chaat is unreal, and seeing an area full of
people who look like me is beautiful. I love
going to the South Asian gallery at the
V&A Museum, where they have Mughal
artefacts like pages from the Baburnama
and a stunning Shiva Nataraja bronze.
I’ve lived with [Grammy-winning
British musician] MNEK for the past four
years, and we’ve helped each other grow
in massive ways. It’s so amazing to live
with people who share your experience,
because the music industry can be a lonely
place. Being three queer artists of colour
[along with third flatmate Ryan Ashley],
we talk a lot about how we can overcome
the hurdles we face while becoming better
and better at what we do best: making
music. I also force everyone to watch a lot
of RuPaul’s Drag Race; and we throw the
most incredible parties at MNEK’s studio.And Sam Smith parties with you?
Sam is someone who likes to have a lot of
fun. I remember one night when we were
on our way to a gay club in Soho, I think
MNEK and I were saying we wanted to
head home. He grabbed us both, looked
us in the eye and said, “Listen, we’re only
gonna be here in this moment ONCE,
so let’s have fun and no one’s going
home!!!!” Then he pulled out a bottle of
vodka from his bag. I’ll leave the rest to
your imagination.What are the challenges of operating in the
British music industry for you?
I think the biggest challenge we face here
in the UK is simply creating space for
brown artists like me who aren’t
black or white and haven’t really created
a category for ourselves yet. Despite the
huge desi population here, the industry
hasn’t figured out how to “market” to us
and capitalise on our huge numbers. But
I think that’s also what makes us special.
We’re different from everyone else and
especially because of the discrimination we
face in this increasingly right-wing world,
I think we as desi people are able to shine a
light on a unique life experience that most
people have no concept of. I think that’s an
exciting perspective to have.Is your training in Hindustani classical music
a part of this unique experience that you
want people to know about?
Yeah, but much to my ustaad’s dismay,
I am getting pretty rusty now. Hindustani
classical is something that you need to
practise every single day. I learned from
a fantastic teacher in London, Pandit
Padmakar Mishra. He’s a disciple of
Ustaad Halim Jaffer Khan, who played on
the Mughal-e-Azam soundtrack. He taught
me so much about music and spirituality,
lessons that will stay with me forever.Who else did you grow up listening to?
Lots of Bollywood, especially AR Rahman –
the Rangeela, Roja and Dil Se soundtracks
are particular favourites, thanks to my
mum. She still has the biggest and most
exciting record collection that I’ve ever
seen. I also have been inspired by George
Michael, Sade, Massive Attack, MIA and
Mariah Carey. I was drawn to artists who
are able to create a unique sound of their
own, and listening to them pushed me to do
the same for myself.How are things looking, inclusivity-wise,
from where you stand?
The big perk of where I am right now
is that I’m creating a loyal fanbase by
being my authentic self. I’m not hiding
any aspects of who I am. And people are
connecting with it. My fans are amazing.
They’re such interesting and open-minded
people – of all ages, races and orientations.
Three of my Chinese superfans have
tattoos of my name or lyrics on their arms,
which is pretty nuts.
It’s so incredible to see that so many
of us LGBTQ+ artists are finally able to
step out from the shadows and be who
we really are. No compromising. I think
Raveena is incredible. Christine and the
Queens is breathtaking. And Chester
Lockhart, Hayley Kiyoko and Arca are also
artists who are truly pushing the envelope
in special ways.You talk about “duality” frequently, in music
and otherwise. How do you interpret this in
the context of your upcoming EP?
On my upcoming EP, there’s a song about
the scars that colonialism has left on us
South Asians, but also songs about the
challenges I’ve faced bringing my culture
and sexuality together. It doesn’t have
a name yet, but the upcoming EP will
definitely be a lot more joyous and hopeful
than the last one. I think I needed to get all
the poison out of my system on The Edge –
but I’d created it for that very reason.VIBE