Vilen Looks Back at His Hits So Far and Why Fame Hasn’t Changed Him

Ever since the release of his debut song “Ek Raat” in 2018, it’s been apparent that singer-songwriter Vilen prefers quality over quantity. After all, it took him until 2024 to release his debut EP Handmade.

There’s clearly a process that the artist follows and we’re not talking about studio time. “The step which takes the longest is when the song is getting produced in my head, there’s video and audio production going on simultaneously in my head and when everything is complete, then I move on to actual execution and it’s a quick process,” he says. The artist adds with a laugh, “I actually know that the song is complete before it is actually made.”

In an interview with Rolling Stone India, Vilen talks about the reception for Handmade EP, the pressures of social media algorithms and his next release. Excerpts:

Rolling Stone India: You had a Handmade EP out at the start of the year. How do you look back at that project and its songs?

Vilen: It is too early to look at Handmade, I made this EP with the thought of making a handmade painting in the times of digital prints. When the digital prints fade away, the handmade paintings will retain their value. So I’ll look back after 20 years or so and then I will let you know my thoughts.

Thematically, can you tell me if there’s been any change to the way you write about certain topics like, of course, love songs, or heartbreak songs?

According to me, an artist is just a tool of perception, we perceive things, create art around that and give the experience to people in our own way. So I don’t really have a “way.” It can be and will be anything and everything always, but I just try to make it useful.

How have you dealt with the widespread following you gained for songs like “Ek Raat” all those years ago and soon after, “Chidiya”? Does that kind of success put pressure on an artist?

There was nothing to deal with, I still have the same life I had, still getting scolded by parents and getting teased by my friends. The only thing that changes is that a few more people know you and that is also beautiful, because you’re getting love from so many people. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same.

A lot of artists are expected to keep releasing music very regularly now. Do you feel like you have to change with the times, or do you feel you have your fans ready for whenever you drop your music?

Well, I am trying to balance it out, because the technology has changed so much that even those who want to listen to my songs might not even get to know that I have released anything, because of the algorithm. So I definitely don’t want to be completely out of it, but at the same time I don’t want to overwhelm myself with work.

A lot of your music is released on your label Darks Music Company and distributed via Universal Music. How did this decision come about?

So Darks and Universal working together is a very filmy story in itself. I pitched “Ek Raat” to a A&R guy when I first made the song and it was rejected by him and many other labels, so I made my own label, Darks Music. And then the same guy (now our very good friend) wanted to work with us and then we met. Universal was super excited to work with us and we also wanted to explore this side so it happened and it’s a very good relationship between Darks and Universal now.

What would your advice be to fellow artists who aspire to have a dedicated fan base such as yours?

Don’t work to get fans, work for people. Don’t work to get love, work to give love and stick to it.

What’s coming up through the rest of 2024 and 2025?

We are currently working on an EP titled GoodGober, which is a blend of different genres and languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, and Haryanvi. This EP marks a shift from my previous work, with each song offering a unique perspective.