Hello! My name is Takar Nabam and I’m a Singer Songwriter, Guitarist from Arunachal Pradesh, India. I used to play for a heavy metal band called ‘Guillotine’ once upon a time, but the band stopped playing together after opening for Metallica in 2011. I wasn’t a full on metal head and I also really enjoyed listening and playing pop tunes, improvising over blues progressions and learning a bit of jazz. My sound palette kept evolving and I got into the songwriting space back in 2011-12. It was only in 2016 that I released my debut album, Same Sky. 

 

What’s the hardest part about being a band in this day and age?

 

– When I was a young high school kid or even when I was in college, it was much easier to be in a band situation because the harsh realities of life hadn’t hit me back then. For a band to survive and sustain there needs to be enough revenue generated to pay off the bills and also to continue making great records. We found it extremely hard to do that. Also, even if you are serious about the band there might be a member or two who aren’t as serious as yourself and that makes it even harder to keep the flock together. 

 

I’ve gone solo anyway since 2015 or so, I hire session Musicians to play with me during my performances. It’s gotten even tougher though! as now it is me who has to bear all their costs, unlike in a band situation where the costs could be split. (Dang! I need to be in a band) 

 

For whatever duration I was in a band, I really enjoyed it. There was something very exciting about being in a band, traveling for shows, seeing new places, meeting new fans, etc. I find that it’s definitely much harder these days as there are more solo Artists mushrooming every single day. 

 

 

–  Ever since I got out of college, I couldn’t see myself doing a desk job, so I did get more seriously into music. I had to teach, play sessions and also work on my music, which has been the primary focus all these years. Honestly, I still haven’t gotten to a point where I can fully rely on music to pay all my bills. I still have to do a lot of other dry and stressful work that are outside of the realm of music inorder to sustain myself and my family. I’m ok with it, because then I don’t pressured to sell myself. I feel more creatively free and powerful. It’s definitely more satisfying to see myself inching closer to my creative vision with every single release. 

Tell us about your latest release, why should we check it out?

 

– My latest single, Scarlet Skies, came together as a result of my collaboration with New Delhi based Singer-Songwriter, Swati Bhatt. It has just been a week since the song came out and we’ve already gotten around 3000 streams on spotify and the song has been featured on ‘Fresh Finds India’ Spotify editorial playlist! 

 

You should listen to the song because it will calm you down and relieve you of your stress. We assure you! 

 

The initial idea of the song came to me back in 2020, but it was only in 2021 that I got in touch with Swati Bhatt and we took it from there. In the process, we also invited Toko Teji of Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, to play the drums and Tiziano Bianchi of Italy to lay down some trumpet parts that I wrote for the song. The song was mixed by Jake Owen of DoSounds Music, New York, and the mastering was done by Hafod Mastering of UK. 

 

Here’s a little write up about Scarlet Skies – Scarlet Skies celebrates the present & the beauty of the undivided. It attempts to remind us that in the process of losing a day, we lose a chance to find ourselves a little more. In what may be only one life, every moment counts. The song proposes that if we seize opportunities to truly absorb what the present has to offer, then maybe we can begin to find a home within us. It’s about slowing down, registering the present & reclaiming the beauty of the fact that we are, in that moment, alive.

 

Listen to Scarlet Skies – https://fanlink.to/hzV8 

How does a song typically come together for you?

 

– The initial part of the song may start with me penning down my thoughts while travelling. Emotionally, the inspiration for most of the songs stem from a low, sad and even from an introspective space. It’s liberating to vent out my emotions through songs. Lately, I’ve been sitting at my mini home studio every alternate day to write anything – it could be a short riff, chord progression or even a verse or two. It’s a nice way to keep my creative juices flowing and also to sharpen my craft little by little. 

 

When it comes down to working on the song structures, I’ve arranged songs in my bedroom and also while jamming with a group of musicians I usually enjoy playing with. The best example is my second album, This Home That Home – https://open.spotify.com/album/4XnfcZsctm9jYr7LBU4hWk?si=le_nu6o7SCuKmgOD1pyT3g&utm_source=copy-link

 

The best example of a song that I’ve worked on from my mini home studio is my latest single, Further – https://open.spotify.com/track/0fnJngA8PuJrTnigDN2hOc?si=g_xtQH9ORDeqvGcxaouWTA&utm_source=copy-link

How would you describe your sound to an unfamiliar reader?

 

–  A bit of Indie, Rock, Soul, RnB and some jazzy stuff sprinkled on top of it all. In terms of moods, I like to describe my sound as dreamy, melancholic and calming. 

What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your band?

 

– I just want my listeners to have a really good time and forget about all their worries while they are at my show. I also want to show them that each and every song is more than what they heard on spotify, because I really love to improvise and let all my musicians in the band improvise too. There’s a certain level of joy and fulfillment in letting the music in us show us the way rather than us trying to dictate what must come next. It is quite a magical space to be in, and that I can give to my listeners at my shows! 

 

 

 

– I would like to explore Europe and learn more about its history, architecture, and its culture. I would really love to tour with my band there someday. Second on the list is the US, because that’s where most of the buzz needs to be created in order to be a ‘Global Artist’ and of course, the US market has so many gears and equipment that I have on my wishlist for a long time! 

How would you say that the sound of your band has progressed over the years?

 

– I used to write guitar parts for a metal band back when I was in School and while I was in college, I wrote the guitar parts for a funk rock project. 

 

It was only around 2010-11, when I wrote my first song, which I’ve discarded! From there onwards, my listening palette widened a bit more, I got into some Blues, Soul, Jazz, RnB, World, and some singer songwriters. I really started to enjoy the mellow vibe and I wrote and recorded my first album, Same Sky. It was a very personal record and it was very different from whatever I had done until that time. 

 

Listen to Same Sky – https://open.spotify.com/album/3eL3lDAU9g0cTJvyZ6KXg6?si=lfXZ5AsrTniQnvt4UNHl2Q&utm_source=copy-link

 

A little later, I arranged and recorded my second album, This Home That Home. This record saw some of my initial days rock music influences seeping into my songs. I think it’s also because the other band mates who were on this record were from a more rock music background, and they brought out that side of me. 

 

Listen to This Home, That Home – https://open.spotify.com/album/4XnfcZsctm9jYr7LBU4hWk?si=EZ-gBefxQKWVIBfnOssTUQ&utm_source=copy-link

 

The rock sound didn’t last for too long and I started working on an EP, Red and Yellow, remotely from my mini home studio during Lockdown 1. I got in touch with producers Andy and Jake of Dosounds Music. It was a very different experience for me. This was a more mellow, dreamy kind of a record I had put together. 

 

Listen to Red and Yellow – 

 

My changing listening habits can be best heard on all my albums, which sounds different from each other I feel. 

 

How excited are you for 2022, and what can fans expect from you?

 

– Pretty excited that things have opened up and bands are able to tour again. So I’m definitely thinking about putting together a long tour this year, and also try my luck at a few Music Festivals here in India. I’m also excited to release more new music that has been cooking at my home studio!