Feb 28 2021

Music Interview: The Musical Doc delves on her creative tastes, musical influences & new single “LOFI”

By David Presley

Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself.

I go by “The Musical Doc” I’m a singer, songwriter, performer from Los Angeles, Ca. I used to be a medical doctor and left my career in medicine to follow my true north and passion in music. My artist name is the direct connection to my sound, story, and journey. I like to think of it as “surgery for your soul”

What got you into music and made you realize that it was your chosen path?

I grew up in a very musical family, my parents both have their doctorates in world music and the result was this left field eclectic child who grew up on the world stage, toured, and has seen the industry inside and out from a young age. I grew up exposed to the sounds of the world and have been singing and playing various instruments since the age of 2. I trained rigorously in Classical Indian music, sang in choir, and always identified with the culture of music before my own name honestly. Music was me and I was it, a beautiful synergy of sound, frequency, expression, and creativity.

Tell us about your new music? And what’s the story behind it?

My new single “LOFI” out March 26 is the mix of blending the history, culture, and sound of Lofi sounds with jazz and R&B vocals. I always like to challenge my technique, sound, and experiment with different sounds. I remember growing up always feeling I didn’t belong anywhere, it took me a long time to realize, I actually didn’t belong anywhere and my path was one I would have to pave on my own. It was impossible for me to accept anything without asking the question WHY, or HOW. The same goes for my music. When my producers Aravind and LO showed me this record they titled LOFI, I was instantly drawn to it. After writing the song, I went back and researched genesis of LOFI music, and all of a sudden it all clicked on a deeper level of consciousness. Lo-fi stands for “low-fidelity” which is the opposite of “high fidelity”, referring to the sound and production quality of a musical piece. Lo-fi artists were outliers of an increasingly commercialized music scene. Lofi music was actually defined by the inclusion of elements normally viewed as “undesirable” in a “professional context” -misplayed notes, environmental interference, or imperfections like degraded audio signals, tape hiss. It amazed me how this genre of music made its way to the mainstream while building such a tight knit community. What better way to talk about the uprising of the black sheep tribe with our own twist!

What makes your music unique? How would you describe it?

My journey to my music, although very innate was a difficult path to follow. I went into the field of medicine which I believe to be a metamorphic shift of energy for my soul and spirit being. During this time, I was able to travel a lot and find my higher voice and calling. I strive to make music of quality, pushing limits, breaking boundaries, and speaking on my truth. I come from a very conservative cultural background, and especially coming from a family that did traditional Indian music, it was something that ran in my blood. I love experimenting with different genres and challenging my musicianship and technique. I have so many voices that want to come to life, and the more I’ve embraced my true self, the more these voices have come to life. I would say it falls under R&B, hiphop, and world sounds. I love throwing in a riff or improvised scat that you would never expect, it’s ear candy for me! I hope my story and sound encourages others to pursue their passion and be unapologetically true to who the unique human being they are.

Any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?

I would love to collaborate with Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Masego, Nicki Minaj and any artist from the world stage. Whoever I work with, I want the exchange of energy to be something meaningful, fun, fresh, and authentic!

Which is the best moment in your musical career that you’re most proud of?

My record “Real Woman” Produced by Peter Madana, was featured on Rolling Stone Magazine, and as track of the Week for several weeks on BBC Radio. The reason this meant so much to me was because the record was one of the first songs I ever wrote after deciding I wanted to focus on music fulltime. It was an amalgamation of my roots, my journey into my womanhood, and truly stepping into myself as an artist. The lyric video has pictures from me playing and singing as a baby through the various stages of life, to present day. The cover art work by NK designs was a baby picture of me playing my first toy piano. Just the idea that the innocent magical child within that worked so hard to pave her path and share her voice made it to some major publications and platforms meant so much to me. I never want to lose her; her spirit is what drives me!

How do you balance your music with other obligations – family, friends or work?

The one element I really took back from being in the medical field was how to manage my time. I’ve always been an early bird and enjoy the energy I get in the morning. There are few things that no matter what I do in my day I make sure to allocate time and energy towards, in the realms of mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Its finding the synchronization of that balance in all that I do. Whether that be with creating music, the various hats I wear to put out my music, managing my business, collaborations, interviews, shows, projects, and beyond. You know that feeling you get when you hear that perfect chord or harmony? It’s really that, finding that balance that works well for you, I found that, but it’s also always evolving as I enter each different stage of my being. Change is the only constant, I’m always striving to constantly evolve in all forms; reflection to learn and forward movement to grow.

If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?

It took me so long to find my voice, it took me even longer to be able to express my journey of unapologetic truth. The happiness, sorrow, revelations, empowerment, litness. My music is a reflection of my soul and life journey. I’ve experienced so many shades in the spectrum of life. I hope to always be that person for yall to vibe with on all tips, wherever you are in your journey of life, we’re in this together, I got you! Thank you to my TMD family who genuinely supports my art, for vibing out, streaming, sharing, and just being the awesome energy and community that you are! For my new listeners, check out the vibes, and I hope that you’ll resonate and join the tribe

Stream on Spotify