In this episode of NL Recess, singer, songwriter and composer Vishal Dadlani joins Abhinandan Sekhri to talk about the cost of being a political artist, the wrath of social media validation, and the trials of contemporary music.

“I feel that artists are losing their artistry to putting out too much irrelevant shit like Instagram reels,” Vishal says. “Every artist is now finding it necessary to have a larger and larger Instagram following. Legitimate artists are making complete nonsense of themselves.”

Despite the proliferation of audio streaming platforms, Vishal says it hasn’t contributed much to the growth of the indie music scene. “All these audio platforms are money games,” he says. “Independent music was never going to be backed by this stuff. Sure, it helps you be visible and be heard, but it is hard. As someone who’s been making independent music upwards of 25 years, I can tell you that you need humility, hustle and determination at a level that is inhuman.”

The conversation spans whether musical prowess is a “gift from god”, the AAP's silence on some issues, and whether changes in socio-political landscapes bring out the best in artists.

Watch.

Text by Rounak Bhat.