Multi-talented Sohil talks about his love for music

We have recently interviewed Sohil, a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and beatmaker from the Washington D.C. He has been singing, writing songs and playing guitar since he was 11-years-old. He is about to release an album “Storytime”.

Twist Online : Tell us about the start of your interest in music?
Sohil : I was bought a guitar when I was 10 years old. It didn’t get played; it collected dust in my room because, honestly, I initially wanted a guitar to impress the people in my neighborhood. It just goes to show that you can’t really force passion. I decided to pick it up again a year later because I wanted to learn a song that I liked. Once I learned how to play those first few notes, I was hooked. It was amazing to me that I myself could create something that I can then enjoy. Since then, as a musician, I’m kind of the same person. I still write songs, I still play guitar, I still listen to music in a really thoughtful way.

Twist Online : What artists inspire you to make music?
Sohil :  The fact that I grew up in America in a suburban neighborhood in the early 2000s, alternative rock music found its way into my life and really resonated with me. Artists like Blink-182 and Third Eye Blind were everything to me as an 12 year old. Every following year, my musical horizon definitely expanded. In high school, I listened to a lot of singer-songwriter and pop. I’ve always loved hip-hop and rap music as well. In college I went heavy into hip-hop stuff. I took in everything from Kanye, to Tribe Called Quest, to J Dilla, to even some recent hybrid stuff, like Jon Bellion or the 1975. To me, genres were never that important. If it has some genuine emotion behind it, I’ll listen to it.

Twist Online : Tell us about your upcoming album “Storytime“?
Sohil : I graduated college and I had a lot of free time. I decided that I may not have that much free time ever again so I decided to pack most of my day with writing and producing music. Somewhere in the process, I decided that I wanted to release it online. Once I made the decision, I was fully committed. I didn’t set out with a concept or a specific amount of songs, but I knew I wanted to have a meaningful body of work at a reasonable length. In a time like today, people, including myself, don’t really have the time or attention span to listen to 15 songs from an artist that they’re not too familiar with. I decided that 5 good songs is what I wanted to do. Regarding the sound, it definitely has a dreamy pop feel to it. The lyrics have a little bit of social commentary and discuss things like technology, relationships, and change. Overall, it’s a project that I hope will transport people a little bit and will hopefully make them feel something.

Twist Online : Any particular track(s) from the album, that’s your favorite?
Sohil : I like them all for different reasons. Lyrically, I would say that “Route 23” is my favorite. The lyrics mean a lot to me because it deals with a lot of different things like change, anxiety, and fulfillment. I also really like the whole vibe of “WeekEnds.” It’s very bouncy and happy-sounding, but the lyrics have to do with our generation’s fascination with superficial things. I’m not really even critiquing it, because I’m just as guilty, but I think the whole narrative in “WeekEnds” is pretty interesting.

Twist Online : What kind of response you are expecting from the release?
Sohil : I’m not really sure about how this project will be received. I didn’t set out to do anything but make 5 songs that spoke to me. I didn’t concern myself too much with how people will view me or my music. I just really wanted to create a cool album and eventually put it out there for people to listen to. At this point, I’m just excited to have this album get out into the public.

Twist Online : What attracts you more, performing on stage or working in studios?
Sohil : I like both, but I would probably prefer performing on stage. Performing live is just a little bit more exciting to me. I often use a loop pedal when I perform live, so bringing people into this on-the-spot creation thing I do is just super fun to me. I love jamming live with other people as well. Connecting with people on a musical level is really special.

Twist Online : What’s your favorite music genre?
Sohil : Like I said earlier, genres are not really that important to me. I genuinely listen to pretty much everything. One night I could be listening to Wes Montgomery, while another night I’ll be listening to Post Malone. Music is music. If it makes me feel something, I’m into it.

Twist Online : Have you set some target to achieve as a music artist?
Sohil : The only goal I have is to consistently get better. If I turn 25, and I am making better music than today, then I will be satisfied. I just want to keep outdoing my self.

Twist Online : Are you currently working on any other project?
Sohil: I’m still working on music. I’ll hopefully always be working on music. It’s just something I love to do. Right now, I just finished “Storytime,” so I am excited to roll it out on all digital platforms next week. If I make another collection of songs that I feel are good enough, I will compile it and release it! So keep an eye out!