What a Life

Aakash Mehta is a modern-day renaissance artist because of the many hats he's donned, from being a stand-up comedian, writer, producer, to running a company by himself at the age of twenty-five. This enterprising young mind, however, is also a gentle one that loves writing and recording songs. His love for music is finally taking shape as he gives us his debut album, What a Life. There are moments of vulnerability and longing in his music, making it somewhat like a journal of thoughts. We asked him to break it down further for us. 

Let's start from the beginning. What drew you to music in the first place? How did your romance begin?
Music was always around when I was growing up. In most households around us, families would watch movies together, but we were always more inclined towards getting the soundtrack cassettes. Music has always been my thing. Although I always considered myself a fan of consuming the art form as opposed to creating it. Combine that with first-generation broadband, school time insomnia, and a decent desktop computer, and the music of the world made its way into my head.

How would you define your music sensibility to someone who is new to your music?
Haha, what an interesting question! I think it's just an honest retelling of what it is to be a person trying to be a whole person in our times. 

What was the starting point for your new work, What a Life?
I suppose one could argue that the starting point for the album (and the song) was somewhere between the ages of 16-21, which is when most of the album was written. But its current form, the realization of its final sonic avatar, happened in the studio in Vadodara with Shashwat (my producer and musical best friend) and the band. Until that point, I'd only ever played the songs alone, myself, just like my stand up comedy, which is written and toured almost exclusively alone. Every time we played a song in the studio, it felt like we were summoning a spirit that would then sort of possess the room and guide us in this direction or that. So I suppose either works as a wonderful starting point.

How would you define What a Life?
Precisely as a journal! To me, art is an amazing opportunity to immortalize the people we love and our stories. So it's just an earnest attempt at encapsulating these profound feelings I've felt over time. 

Musically it is different from your other work too.
Well, if you're looking at my stand-up in isolation, then absolutely. But if you've heard my podcasts (like Aakash Mehta and Friends or Varta Lab), I think there's a very definite common thread. I feel like there's a line in the sand today. On one side, people push the world towards compassion, and on the other, people are being dragged away. Everything I make is always trying to be the former while trying to do everything else as well. 

Do you have a creative process? For music and for comedy…
Well, definitely. But I really couldn't put it into words! I suppose it's a process of trying to become a better person and document the journey as much as I can through the art I make.

Have you ever thought of sharing humour through music?
Absolutely. But not until it's better or at least as skilfully put together and honest as the funny musicians I've heard growing up like Flight of the Conchords or, more recently, Bo Burnham.
 

Text Hansika Lohani Mehtani
Date 21-01-2022