How Raman Negi Took Influence from Rafi, J Dilla and Hendrix Alike for Debut Album ‘Shakhsiyat’

From primal psychedelic to jazz informed by yesteryear Bollywood hits and hip-hop beat tapes, the mind of singer-songwriter Raman Negi is in an ever-colorful and diverse space. Following his exit from Chandigarh-bred, New Delhi-based Hindi rock favorites The Local Train, Negi slowly began releasing a handful of singles.

Songs like “Mehroom” showed us exactly why Negi had gone solo – his creative interests as a songwriter clearly lay elsewhere compared to the band he’d founded and fronted. There was a tenderness and directness in the way he chronicled his journeys and struggles, perhaps highly relatable for the pandemic times we were still emerging out of in May 2022. That was followed by the stomping, groove-heavy rock song “Koyla.” Singles like “Ek Din,” “Gaayab” and “Lullabies for the Anxious Bones” all added even more dynamism than listeners ever expected from Negi, although it can be argued that presenting a diverse sound is part of what drives a solo project.

In November, Negi released the rest of the songs as part of the 10-track album Shakhsiyat (which translates to “personality” in Urdu and Hindi). He says of the overall direction of the album, “I wanted the record to sound kind of bluesy and funky because that’s the sort of guitar player I have become or at least I aspire to become[…] I wanted to make a funkier Hindi record that I personally think did not exist up until now.” Along the way, Negi has begun performing live, got himself management at Represent (who work with everyone from MC Stan to Armaan Malik) and put out a few music videos that set a visual aesthetic.

In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Negi talks about the journey so far, making a live-ready record and what’s coming up next. Excerpts:

What led to calling this album Shakhsiyat? Did you want it to reflect that these songs encapsulate your personality in a sense?

The songs that are a part of the album are a true reflection of my musical journey and the different aspects of it. It is a rock record which reflects my personal emotions that I went through during and post the lockdown. It does encapsulate my personality to the extent that I would say that this album has been my most creative space as a songwriter. Naming the album to its present title happened when I finished the first two to three songs on the album itself and since then, I had decided to call the record by the name of Shakhsiyat.

You had these singles and then the album is out in full now. Do you feel there are songs that need to be listened to in the context of an album?

The five singles which were released before the album were actually put out to give the audience a glimpse of my music and to keep them curious and engaged with what I was trying to do while discovering myself as a solo artist. They sort of captured what my album Shakhsiyat was going to be about and the sound that it would represent. But I do believe the final tracklisting is what the album should be listened to as. The album is a perfect flow of emotions and energy that I was able to create and capture in the studio.

Can you tell me a bit about your influences on this record? I think as a solo artist, it’s wildly different from what we’ve heard from you before – funkier, groovier and that sort of stuff.

I think all my musical influences are on display on this record. During the process of making this album, I was heavily listening to music from the Sixties and Seventies (that’s literally what would play all day in my room), all the Motown greats – Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, CCR, The Beatles, Zeppelin among others from whom I drew inspiration for this album. I also engaged myself in listening to some old Bollywood music by Rafi and Mukesh, J Dilla’s music as well as a lot of old school hip-hop that also influenced me on this record.

Shakhsiyat represents the groovier side of Hindi music that anyone can enjoy listening to and not just restrict it to people who are inclined towards rock music.

This is also a very live-ready record, in terms of what’s been recorded and how it sounds like we’re in the room. How important was that for you?

The idea was to capture the raw energy and keep the human element of each of the songs intact. While recording the songs in the studio, we recorded everything live and in the moment. I am glad it came out like that. In the age of perfection, I wanted to keep this album as real as we could. To make the entire album sound like a real rock and roll record was the most important aspect of it. My producer, Gaurav [Chintamani] and I were able to achieve that to a very large extent and I am so happy with how the record has turned out to be.

Similarly, it doesn’t have that larger-than-life, arena-rock sensibility – there’s a lot of rawness and tenderness. Is there a side of you though, which still wants to write those kinds of songs?

I write music and I just serve the song to see where it takes me or what it becomes. I wanted the record to sound kind of bluesy and funky because that’s the sort of guitar player I have become or at least I aspire to become. I still write arena rock but that’s mostly to keep my songwriting machine oiled. I put out music which actually works with what I am trying to communicate broadly.

What has it been like performing these songs live so far? What’s coming up in terms of taking this record on the road, on tour?

I just played these songs live for the first time at NH7 Weekender. It was a riot. I felt like all of these songs on the album were made to be played live. The audience response while I was performing at the festival was just unbelievable. It made me feel alive once again as it had been a while since I had performed in front of such a huge audience, this time as a solo artist.

What’s coming up are a lot of gigs where I will be performing these songs as a trio. I think we will also be going on a country-wide tour January onwards.

What else is coming up through 2022 and 2023?

There is a ton of exciting stuff that is lined up. There are gigs that are upcoming of course, along with the release of more music videos from the album. I am also simultaneously writing more music so hopefully, at some point next year, I will be in the studio making noise with my guitar.