Musician Leslie Lewis recently spoke to Mashable India in an exclusive interview and opened up about her 40-year music career. From talking about his latest song 'Tere Bina Main' from the 'Phir Se Rock & Roll' series to reflecting on the overuse of AI and auto-tuning in recent songs, he has a lot to share.
Check out excerpts from the interview.
You've been in the music industry for over 30 years. How was your trip?
I've been there for over 40 years. It was very exciting and full of energy. Like all people who truly believe in themselves and do what they love, I have seen many ups and downs. I consider myself lucky because the audience loved everything I did. From 'Pari Hoon Mein' to 'Janam Samjha Karo' to 'Gane Bhi Do Yaaro', including my other films, the audience has accepted everything I have done. I'm thrilled that I get to live the life I've always wanted and that everyone accepts me for who I am.
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You introduced the Indian audience to the pop and rock music genres, including the Phil Se Rock and Roll series, a music genre that has been lost in the last few years. So how was that experience?
I'm from the 70's so I love rock and roll music. However, I also love other types of music, such as rock, blues, jazz, folk, pop, Bollywood, and even electronic music. I like different genres, so my pieces sound different. Pari Hoon Main was melodic and folk-influenced, while Aap Ki Dua was more rock. In my other songs, I explored different emotions.
It was after COVID-19 that I decided to become Ki Mujae Independent Artist Banna Hai. These days, young people are composing music, and I was like, “Main bhi ka sakta hoon, apne tarike se, apne aap.'' Thus The White Album was born, six different romantic songs, each with an emotional connection. Uske Bird Arya Farth Rock'n'Roll. Each song was released separately. The recently released song 'Tere Bina Main' is the last song on the album.
Just like the different foods we like to eat, every genre of music has its own beauty. For me, rock has always been a part of me and melody is a part of my soul.
I recently watched the music video for TV Name, and it definitely gave me a nostalgic feeling since music videos like this are being made in this day and age.
The TV name main is completely independent. I composed the music, wrote the lyrics, sang, performed, and appeared in the video. I'm not only a producer, but also a label.
That song is a completely independent song. I composed the music, wrote the lyrics, sang, performed, and appeared in the video. I'm the producer, I'm the label, I'm everything. That's the beauty of independence. I'm glad that people like it so much. I'm very happy.
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The music industry and this generation's songs have definitely evolved over the years. What can I say about that?
The digital side of music has grown significantly. It has almost overtaken the analog side of music. People don't record with analog tape or analog mixers anymore. Everything happens digitally. We try to copy analog warmth, sometimes we succeed, but most of the time we fail. What's really missing is the melody.
Aap koi bhi gaana lo, aap language ke hissab se lyrics tweak karlo, song change karlo, woh gaana sabko yaad rahega. It's because of the melody. Yeh, melody, hi hai, jo dir tak jaati hai, logon cobaan du keraku ti hai.
These days, people's attention spans are down to 30 or 60 seconds, thanks to Instagram and other social media platforms. Log for 1 minute, raha hai, swipe kar dete hain. I'm not blaming young artists. They did not enroll in the field of classical song structure, woh jo kala hai, composition. It's being lost.
Listeners are revisiting older songs because today's songs lack melody. I believe that melody is the key, which is why my songs have recall value. We will continue to be close to people's hearts throughout the ages.
A few days ago I was having a similar discussion with a friend. There is no particular music that represents this generation. Every generation before this one, whether it was the 70s, 80s, 90s, or even the 2000s, had a song that represented them. Yeh generation ke liye, there is no representative. Jo bilal hota hai, 15 din ke liye virus hoke, log usse bhool jata hai.
It's entertainment for now. It's not a song you play in your mind. This happened to me a few days ago. As I was singing my set on stage, everyone in the room started joining me and the whole audience was singing. how? Because it's still in their hearts. There's no record label telling you to do this or that. I'm doing what I think is good musically and what I should do.
The use of autotuning and AI (artificial intelligence) has increased in recent months. Internet users and even fans are calling on the musician to do the same. Have you personally witnessed something like this?
I was probably the first person to use Autotune when I discovered it in the late 80's. This is a really great tool if used correctly. I had never corrected my voice. There's nothing you can do about it. However, recently this tool has been misused by musicians and composers.
AI is a tool, just like a calculator. You can't make someone think for you. You must be its master and it must remain your slave. Not the other way around. Instead of having them write everything for you, you can ask them to help you edit and shorten it. Excessive use of AI is inhibiting creators' creativity, which is extremely dangerous. Your creation must remain yours or it will destroy you and your creativity.
Among the current generation of singers and composers, who would you like to collaborate with?
Over the years, I've worked with a lot of people. Still, we're happy to collaborate with anyone who comes up with the right song and energy. I have no problem collaborating, but I feel like I have so much to offer right now that I need to focus on my own independent work.
Can you share a fan moment that sticks with you forever?
One of my most memorable experiences was meeting Quincy Jones, the creator of Michael Jackson. I went to meet him backstage in Switzerland. But no entries were obtained. I managed to get inside, but when I saw him, I couldn't even say a word. It was such an overwhelming feeling.
I even got a call from Michael Jackson's office. They said he loved Pari Hoon Mein and wanted the rhythmic beat of this song. It was such a wonderful and wonderful moment.
