We were lucky to catch up with singer/songwriter, guitarist, and producer Sohil recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sohil, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

For as long as I could remember, I’ve always been connected to music. Starting around 10-years-old, I knew I wanted to be a musician. I started playing guitar and writing songs as a hobby that quickly turned into an obsession. Learning to play guitar never felt like “I have to practice” because I genuinely enjoyed learning. I was learning songs that I enjoy, not songs that I was being forced to learn. I think that is an important distinction and a huge reason I continued learning how to play music. I think enjoying the process is the most important aspect of being a musician. If your goal with music is to just be someone that is perceived as talented then it will never be worth it. You have to enjoy every step of the way, even the challenges.

Regarding actual obstacles I’ve faced, I haven’t had any major ones that ever seriously stood in the way of me playing music. I play guitar and write songs as an outlet to relieve stress and get out what I feel. Nothing has really stopped me from doing that because I feel like I need it. Just by way of playing and writing so much music out of passion, I’ve naturally learned and gotten better. This goes back to my point on enjoying the process over the destination…its SO important!

Sohil, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

At my core – I am a songwriter, a vocalist, and a guitarist. I make beats, arrange instruments, play piano, etc. in a secondary way that complements the songs I write. My music incorporates singer-songwriter lyrics, soulful guitar, dreamy synths, and hip hop drums. I’m inspired by Michael Jackson, Third Eye Blind, Usher, John Mayer…..the list goes on!

I started releasing music on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, TikTok, etc) under the artist name “Sohil” starting in 2018. Since then, I have released a lot of music since then and have A LOT of cool stuff on the way. I released my latest single “Woah!” on Feb 24 and it is one I am very proud of. It’s an ode to my childhood and a reflection on a more complex life now.

If you are a fan of pop music, hip hop beats, 90s melodies, soulful guitar playing, and catchy sonics – check me out on the streaming platform of your preference!

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

A lesson I had to unlearn is one that a lot of people struggle with every day. A couple years ago, I feel like I became a bit of a slave to outside opinion regarding the music I play/create. I started playing music with the intention of losing myself in it and expressing myself and….no one was listening. Somewhere along the way when more people started to listen to me and care about my music, I started to care about how my music was perceived. This is a very dangerous mindset for a creative to have. You will start losing your passion and the reason you started doing what you love in the first place. If I continued to make music to appease outside perception or to make people see me in a certain way, I would have burnt out. No question. You can’t sustain quality if your sole goal is to make people like you or what you make. You have to go backwards. Make what you want to make and work hard at creating the best thing you possibly can for YOURSELF. The outside acceptance eventually comes when you don’t focus on it. Annoying I know! But it’s so worth it.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Non-creatives sometimes view creative work with a business mindset. I personally believe you can strike a balance, but business and art are almost opposites. This is why creatives and business people sometimes butt heads. The goal of creativity shouldn’t be to make money. The goal of business is to make money. So if business is influencing creative work, that is sometimes not the best recipe for success.

The way I compartmentalize now is when I’m creating music its about THE MUSIC. It’s about the expression of what I want to get across. It’s about being as creative as I can and creating the best music I can possibly make. ONCE the music is finished, it’s business mindset time. This way, the business lens does not influence the actual MAKING of the music, but it drives the already finished product to the right people. Once creative work is done, the business/marketing aspect is actually very important (IF the goal is to get it to the most people possible and to build an audience around the creative).

Sometimes people don’t understand how hard it is to separate music from business, but I do my best every day!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songsbysohil/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/songsbysohil/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/songsbysohil
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-3B2IvgucgQ_AX-p-Md05w
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/50aaIzhg9OBnvIsuuvuCnR Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sohil/931805043