Aditi Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Aditi is such an amazing artist whose recent single, "No One Likes Me", is one that just blew me away. I am thrilled she was willing to visit with us to discuss the single and more. I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Aditi visits Section 36 Music!

What can you tell me about your latest single, “No One Likes Me”?

No One Likes Me is a song about anxiety, self-hate, and the fear of failure. It’s all about how so many of us tend to view ourselves in extremes when we’re feeling down and how we often exaggerate things, like thinking no one in the world likes us. I really wanted to make No One Likes Me catchy and upbeat and that kind of happened naturally as I was writing it because I feel a lot of people want others to think they’re fine and happy but they really have self-loathing thoughts under the surface. I wanted No One Likes Me to show that gap between how we want others to see us versus how we see ourselves because self-hate is often complex and, at times, based on what we think we should be but aren’t. I worked with Ryan Benyo, an LA-based producer, to produce this song and I’m grateful for his help.

How would you say it compares to your previous offering, “Under the Roses”?

Both No One Likes Me and Under the Roses, I’d say, touch on mental health. Under the Roses is all about how being too self-critical and holding on to rigid ideas of perfection can be horrible for your sense of self. And No One Likes Me, as I’ve mentioned, is about anxiety and self-hating thoughts. But I feel that No One Likes Me is a lot less dark, brooding, and mellow than Under the Roses is and shows a lot more panic through its fast tempo. I feel that, while ballads like Under the Roses can be super effective for reflecting on your emotions, sometimes you want something that makes you think and dance at the same time because you’re too mentally exhausted to process anything too deeply. No One Likes Me is that kind of song; it has a lot of thought but it also doesn’t pressure you to think.

You are attending Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right place for you?

Something I love about Berklee is the amazing community. Growing up, I was usually the only person who wanted to pursue music in my general area, so Berklee, being a school of musicians where all of us have so many things in common felt like a dream. Something else that made Berklee the right place for me was that it lets you study so many different genres of music all at once. I write and sing pop music but I’m also western classically trained and Berklee is great for me because it lets me do both of these things simultaneously while also exploring other genres like r&b, jazz, and musical theater, so I feel I’m discovering a lot about who I am musically and what my unique style is.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I think, when it comes to singing, I grew up very influenced by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion. I love the power in their voices and it really informed my vocal sound. When it comes to songwriting, I’d say I’m influenced by Adele, Dolly Parton, and YEBBA. I really love the emotional storytelling their music has and it’s something I try to include in my songs.

What is the most challenging part of your music career?

I think the most challenging part for me is marketing myself and trying to get more visibility for me and my music. There are so many artists making amazing music and it’s so difficult to make people notice your music. Marketing myself is something that, as an indie artist, I do completely by myself and it’s something that I’m still learning. While it is difficult, though, it is also necessary and I get better every day so I’ll definitely reach my goals with consistency.

What are your immediate music goals?

My immediate music goal, after I graduate in a year, would be to become a full-time musician, make even more music than I am now and to gig a lot more. Until then, while I’m still in college, I’d love to learn as much as I can to become the best musician possible and acquire valuable skills that’ll help me in my journey. A goal that I’m keeping my eye on to achieve would also be to be successful enough to make a comfortable living for myself solely off of releasing music and being an indie artist. 

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More music would definitely be a good thing!

As always, I want to thank Aditi for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram and Spotify to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again, Aditi, and good luck reaching your goals!