- Words Notion Staff
In his three years, Lama has accumulated over 6 million streams across all platforms, with 1.3 million on Spotify alone last year.
Mastery of the art of music requires hard work, practice, and patience and is only possessed by a few. However, over the centuries, music production has taken new turns. Technology has revolutionized everything, including how music is produced, listened to, and marketed. All you need is a laptop and the right software to kickstart your journey in music. Raghav Lama narrates his musical prowess as a journey that began with a laptop and headphones. With these simple tools, he’s already buzzing across the music industry with hit songs.
Raghav Lama is the formal name of the Indian-born producer popularly known by his stage name, Lama. His musical journey, like many others, was challenging to start with. He notes that his inspiration began with the discovery of an artist named ILLENIUM, and he, too, wanted his story to have the same impact on the people.
“I make music in the melodic bass/future bass realm,” Lama says when talking about his music production. He adds that he loves experimenting with sonic possibilities and always looks for projects to get him out of his comfort zone. He notes that “in essence, I am just your average bedroom music producer with vast dreams and goals.”
Every journey is measured by the challenges you overcome, the achievements, and the accomplishments earned. Despite being new in the game, the industry quickly recognized Lama‘s talent. 9 months into his music production journey, his first single, “Where Do We Go,” was signed with one of his dream record labels, ARWV. This was the first stepping stone in his journey into music. With this came many more accomplishments, including working with MrSuicideSheep. Being part of MrSuicideSheep’s roster of artists was a dream come true for Lama, and he terms it as one of his most outstanding achievements. He released two tracks under the label.
In his three years, Lama has accumulated over 6 million streams across all platforms, with 1.3 million on Spotify alone last year. He notes that although he’s small in numbers regarding his projects, this is a huge milestone for him. He adds that it validates the sacrifices he’s made for his dreams.
However, Lama notes that his journey has been fraught with challenges. His primary challenge, he notes, was learning how to begin making, releasing, marketing, and promoting his music. To tackle this, he began networking with other artists and put in extra effort, which eventually paid off. The other obstacle in his way was managing university and music simultaneously. He narrates that academic qualifications are taken seriously in India, and dropping out is taboo. He was admitted to Berklee College of Music to pursue a music business major online, but he dropped out and decided to pursue music full-time.
Keeping up with the level of creativity required in this career can sometimes be challenging. However, Lama narrates that once he feels like his creativity level has diminished, he turns back and listens to ILLENIUM, his source of inspiration. Despite the tracks being years old, he notes that listening to the songs sparks something in him.
Since he began music production four years ago, Lama notes that despite the challenges, he’s open to learning more and following the path to greatness. His advice is that you must learn how to put yourself out there, learn from your mistakes, and keep pushing yourself.