The latest emerging talent on the face of our music industry is none other than the dynamic Azaan Sami Khan who is a multipotentialite with many creative pursuits in life. Creativity should be the songster’s middle name because be it being a singer, writer or a musician; he is surely an all-rounder and makes sure to give his maximum potential to any project that he is a part of. He has produced quality music for hit Pakistani films such as Parey Hut Love and Parwaaz Hai Junoon. And now, moving on with the new chapter of his music career, the singer recently released his first debut album Main Tera, which is his first independent work in his line of craft. The album features 63 musicians and technicians from around the world. With his album’s release, the musician aims to connect with the listeners on a personal level.

From penning down Mahira Khan starrer Superstar to gearing up for his acting debut in his upcoming flick for the silver screen Patakh Dey, the musician is all up to explore his talents in different genres of the entertainment industry. Ahead of the release of Main Tera, Azaan Sami Khan in a conversation with MAG, shares his music admirations, and the experience of creating this album which is a reflection of his own experiences. Excerpts:

Icebreaker! Tell us something about yourself which the audience isn’t aware of.

I’ve been washing my hands nonstop way before corona.

Who inspired you to make music?

Music is all I’ve known how to do. It’s been a part of my life since I was very young. It’s something that I feel is a part of who I am. No one in particular inspired me to do it; music itself inspired me to do it.

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

In terms of the approach, I have always grown up really liking cinematic film music. But as a whole, my music always represents how I’m feeling. When I’m happy, I’ll compose a cheerful thing. When I’m sad, I’ll create something that signifies that. The process is the same when I’m lonely or excited, and so on. So, there’s a biographical element which I’ve tried to bring forward with my music. I always choose to use my own personal experiences as the key inspiration.

What do you think about the Pakistani film music as you’ve worked on the music for hit movies such as Parwaaz Hai Junoon and Parey Hut Love?

Pakistani film music is in the process of finding its own niche and identity. I think it’ll take us about a 100 or more films to be able to define what Pakistani film music is, because it’s taken us almost 20-30 years to define what our pop-rock sound is like, and it’s a very distinct sound. Similarly, it has taken decades to find what our qawwali and Sufi music sound is like, as well as what fusion sounds like. So, I think it’ll take us time to define what we really do and what our film music is, which I’m definitely fortunate to be a part of. Hopefully, I’ll play a small role in creating that sound.

What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

I’d probably be working on a farm somewhere, far away from people.

How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business?

I think it has given all of us a lot of autonomy. The dependence on any one individual or one company to have your music heard has reduced drastically. That way, it’s done a great job. It has exposed us to much great music from all over the world, which is why I feel there is a huge explosion of mixing of genres happening in the sound we listen to today. It can’t really ever be defined in one genre, and that’s because we’re all able to have the luxury of listening to so much music. When I think of my parents or my grandparents’ era, there used to be one cassette and they used to all wait for it and then listen to it, which is a very alien concept to all of us. And I think we’re very lucky to be where we are today.

Which famous musicians do you admire?

I was a huge listener of film scores when I was younger, which I find quite strange. From John Williams to Alexander Dupla and Hans Zimmer and Max Richter, many film composers have influenced me. I am into classical music as well, obviously. From Beethoven and Mozart to Bach, it all influenced me a lot, along with obviously, our Eastern music. R.D Burman sahab, Kishore Kumar sahab, Mohammad Rafi sahab, Laxmikant Pyarelal, etc have all been my favourites. I am also a huge Michael Jackson fan, and listen to usual pop music a lot. Moreover, the band Muse has been a huge favourite, along with Coldplay, growing up. And you can’t really forget artists like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc who all have influenced my music a lot.

If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

I’d want people to take more risks; I think it’s become a bit like ‘playing too safe’.

What is your favourite part about this line of work? Your least favourite? Why?

There’s no least favourite part, I enjoy what it is. It comes with a certain responsibility; there are certain sides that are harder than others. But it’s all a part of achieving that one thing, so there’s no particular bad part of it.

Apart from being a musician, you are also about to debut in the world of acting with Patakh Dey. How was your experience?

I haven’t debuted yet, but for me, acting is a very serious profession as well. So, if and when I do it, I would do it with it the same dedication and conviction that I have for my music. That’s all I can say for the moment.

Superstar was your own penned film, is there anything Azaan can’t do? What made you write it?

There are most things that Azaan can’t do very well. I wrote Superstar not because I believe in any way that I am a writer or claim to be one, it came from a place where I wanted to work on something that was tremendously personal to me. I’ve grown up in the film industry; it’s like first nature to me. I’ve spent most of my childhood in studios or film sets and stuff, and I wanted to write something personal, and it came organically because I knew it. A professional writer can emulate any environment and write about it, but I don’t think I can do that. And that’s an art I hope I can learn one day, but there’s no way I am claiming to be a writer. Superstar came from my own life that I’ve experienced, and that’s it.

Shed some light on your debut album Main Tera, your first independent work in the line of music. Also tell us about the title track.

The album is basically a musical amalgamation of my personal experiences. It defines who I am and who I’ve been up to this point. Whoever listens to it would probably get to know me better than they would when they hear me speak or any other way. It gets very dark in some places, and is super happy in some. There’s a reflective point in every song. Moreover, I’ve had the fortune of working with some tremendous music producers and artists around the world, all of whom have put their heart and soul into bringing this album to fruition.

The title track Main Tera is about that feeling you get when you just start falling in love with somebody, or when you just meet someone and that infatuation builds up. So, anyone around the world who is feeling that or has felt that, I hope it resonates with them and they connect with it.

Lastly, tell us something about your upcoming projects.

I think right now putting the album out in the best possible way is what’s on my mind. And once its done, I think I want to get out and perform the songs and connect with the audience on a deeper level, through concerts and shows. There are a bunch of other things in the pipeline, but I can’t really speak about them right now, it’s too early.