Quotes from Sid Sriram

Berklee played a huge role in shaping my music. On an academic level, I learned a lot about vocal technique and culture. Since my major was Music Production and Engineering, I got a good handle on the technical and creative aspects of making a record.

I owe so much of my musical growth to my exploration and performance of Carnatic music.

My time at Berklee College of Music was probably my greatest period of artistic growth and internalisation.

I am surely happy to be breaking away from the norm when it comes to my songs.

On the surface, being a musician can look pretty glamorous. But so much work goes into it.

Growing up in the U.S., music became a way for me to find my roots and anchor points.

Film music has given me everything - career and popularity.

It is kind of a cliche that many Indian parents, especially in the U.S., want their kids to become doctors or engineers. But my parents encouraged me to turn to music when they found that I had the passion and talent.

When you are surrounded by talented musicians, you learn so much from them.

'6 Weeks' is broken up into two sections; both sections use the same set of samples, just in different ways.

I listened to Kanye West and also dove deep into bands like Radiohead, Portishead, and Bon Iver.

My mother, who is a Carnatic musician, started a school for children when I was around three, and I grew up listening to her teaching students.

Growing up in the U.S., I'd siloed off my identities. While I was an Indian at home, I was an American at school. I have now embraced both the identities.

When I was 11, I decided that music was what I wanted to pursue as a career.

Being associated with songs that push boundaries is amazing. If the rest of my career consists of a majority of songs that are experimental, I'll be a happy man.

Thanks to my family and guru. They were quite confident that I could do it and think about music as a full-time career.

I have huge respect for the musical aptitude and intellect of listeners in India. They appreciate genuine, quality music.

Across generations, the torch-bearers of Carnatic music have mastered the art form of connection.

Starting with the lyrics, 'Only scared of myself and the truth in the stars/I'm a king, I'm the dirt, God within me shine,' the first half of '6 Weeks' delves into my attempts to balance the notion that I have an existential purpose with the realization that I am nothing against the vastness of the universe.

'Entropy' will be a kaleidoscope of thought processes and my identity as an Indian who grew up in California.

I started listening to old school R&B artists like Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, and Donny Hathaway when I was in 6th grade.

I think Chennaiites are the best because the city has a receptive audience.

The really cool thing is that I've developed this hardcore fan base that came to me through my work in films, but they are super-willing to cross over and experiment.

The performance of Carnatic music is multi-dimensional and layered. A performance is at once an artiste's cathartic process of personal exploration and an open energy exchange with the audience: a release and a conversation.