NeilHeart.com – Nikhil Korula – Band Interview
Mini Bio
What if a childhood prodigy that grew up singing onstage alongside Placido Domingo, Barry Manilow, and Luther Vandross devoted his musical gifts to uniting souls with uplifting, pan-genre groove rock?
Interview
Neal Heart
How did you get started in music?
Nikhil Korula
I started singing in a church choir at the age of 5 and through that, I was asked to be the youngest founding member of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus which was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned at a very young age how dedicated you have to be to music and was able to perform at Carnegie Hall at the age of 10, sang at the Grammy Awards at the age of 11, sang on recordings with Luther Vandross and also worked with Danny Elfman and toured most of Central Europe by the age of 12. Music chose me at a very young age, I suppose.
Neal Heart
Where does your inspiration come from?
Nikhil Korula
I think I am very influenced by other musicians such as Dave Matthews Band, Prince, Michael Jackson, John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more, but I also get inspired by a story. If I don’t have a story to tell, then I feel like I’m floating aimlessly in the ocean of music.
Neal Heart
What sets you apart from other artists?
Nikhil Korula
I think the biggest thing that sets me apart from most musicians are a few things:
1) My extensive performance background in music as a child. It’s not everyday you get the chance to sing 6 operas with Placido Domingo for example which was one of the best experiences I could have ever had.
2) I have a degree in Operatic Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California which is what most of my background in music was based in.
3) I am a completely independent musician. Most bands like Radiohead or artists like Trent Reznor were signed by major labels who totally helped create and build their careers, then when it came time to re-negotiate their contracts, they became “indie” artists. I started as an indie artist and most likely, I will stay that way. I’m playing a lot of the same festivals as bands that are on major labels and opening for a lot of their biggest acts so this is an enormous accomplishment, in my opinion. Long live, indie music!
Neal Heart
What obstacles have you encountered in the music business?
Nikhil Korula
To be honest, I think a LOT of people in the music industry are full of shit (you can use bologna if shit is offensive). That’s probably the biggest thing I’ve encountered because so many people are loud in their opinions of what they think an artist should do without ever having a background in playing music, writing music, touring as a musician or sometimes, being able to break an artist. I have done ALL of these things and it took me over a decade to now be able to look at some of these music industry professionals and be able to call them out. One day, I plan on writing a book about all of this because musicians need to know about these things I’ve been able to experience and learn from. The music industry is falling apart for this reason, but indie artists like myself, who work hard on creating music, recording music, performing music and traveling across the world to share our talents, will be the ones who end up on top.
Neal Heart
What can people expect to hear or see from you this year?
Nikhil Korula
I just finished recording a new EP with Butch Taylor and Jeff Coffin from the Dave Matthews Band which was released on July 9, 2013. The best part is one of the songs, “Fade Away,” has been charting on the Hot AC Charts and debuted at #106 and moved all the way up to #10 in about 7 weeks which is unbelievable. We are currently planning a big music video at the end of September and we can’t wait for people to see it since this is the first proper music video the NK Band has ever done in over 10 years. Stay tuned and get excited! It’s definitely going to be worth the wait.
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