We were lucky to catch up with Kashmira Khot recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kashmira thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

As a singer-songwriter in India, where Bollywood music takes more of a spotlight, you have to look for all other avenues before you even think of pursuing indie music full-time. For me, and a lot of other artists, it comes down to playing cover-gigs at small restaurants with a minimal budget- which, a lot of times, is processed over a month later, wedding gigs-pay a lot, but your job becomes solely entertaining everyone and making them dance and participate, also seasonal. Studio freelancing- fun opportunities but unstable income that comes and goes.
Everytime a job opportunity comes up, I run towards finding out more. I get a lot of advice on how it would disrupt the process of making music and how I should stick to what I already have, but it feels like a regular job would have it’s own luxuries.
Sure I wouldn’t make music 24 x 7, but that one weekend I would get, I would want to give up everything else up to work on songs. If anything, I think I might have more dedication to it, than I do now. Having a stable income, I’d be able to get the best financing for a studio to make music, and not go DIY and deal with ‘the-best-I-can-do’ problem, I’d have the best resources to invest in. Planning a future, investing the income for whatever comes next in life, any crisis, any major changes- just being prepared for it. One job description- having one thing you’re good at, and sticking to it for the duration of the job. Right now, as a freelancer, I give vocal lessons, take gigs at pubs, cafes, private events, weddings, take up studio work to sing on someone else’s songs, voice-over dubbing jobs, composing music for my own project- recording at home, write for my bands, collaborating on other musicians’ music. Consistency and routine would definitely give some inspiration to coming back to music.
I do wonder what a regular job would offer, and maybe someday I’ll check it out. My point is, if I’m going to not like it, I want to not like it after giving it a shot. Not just make predictions based on what I hear.
I love making music, playing it live. But I rarely get to play my own music live, I’m playing something that other artists also played 20 years ago, because that’s what people know and like. If that changes, maybe I’ll pull through and won’t care what a job has to offer- that feeling of fulfilment might just come from what I already know I love to do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Kashmira, 25, am a vocalist coming from the vibrant Pune(India) music scene, where I’ve been actively involved for over seven years. As a singer-songwriter, Kashmira I participate in multiple events where I’m performing solo, or fronting multiple bands like “The Longer Route” and “Stardust Symphony” during rock gigs.

Rooted in a foundation of Indian classical vocals from my childhood, my musical palette has expanded to encompass pop, rock, grunge, and classic tunes.

I’ve come up with 5 singles and a newly released multi-genre EP named “Now Then” – with more music on the horizon!

I write music about self-reflection and introspection and I wish to invite more people for an inward journey we need to take time-to-time. Stay in touch with our roots, our human-ness.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

If you have friends that make music, help them promote it. Go to their gigs, buy their merchandise, share it on social media, stream it on whatever platforms you prefer. When you go to a pub and you see an artist play, talk to them, ask them to play music that THEY like. Some people take gigs 4-5 times a week and you end up playing a lot of the same things for them, most of it being music we don’t like to listen to ourselves, or have exhausted singing for the past few years. A simple “Play whatever you like” can uplift us in the moment and let us relax. Managers and Owners of pubs, should start paying more with inflation. Everything else in the world gets expensive, but artists keep getting paid less, and very very late as well. Artists invest in equipment, studios, collaborations on top of rent, food and groceries. If the system is smooth and consistent, it takes off some burden off our chests. Most artists take part/full-time jobs out of necessity, but if it’s for a supportive audience, it’s all worth it! Also, don’t support AI music or AI bands- other than it being a harm to the environment- there’s great music coming out from all corners of the world, give them a real chance.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There’s never a perfect piece of art. You can never be at a stage of making something and be a 100% satisfied with it. Most times you have to stop yourself from wanting make something even better than what it is. I learned that while talking to other musicians and producers, you can keep saying you’ll wait for it to be the best version of the it, but you need to settle at some point and take a step back and say “I’m somewhat happy with this, and I’m going to put this out for everyone to listen to” I still feel like I could’ve waited longer to work on my EP, which needed a year and a half to get finally released. But the little mistakes, the unpolished bits, make it human, make it more personal, and it should be embraced. First, by the artist, and then by the audience. That’s what makes it perfect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/kashmirakhot
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kashmirakhot
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC47BzpKEefEqOMUK84qKDKw