Gory is a young Indian grassroots singer songwriter who has decided to immerse herself in a musical journey to discover new experiences to influence her creativity and with the release of her latest EP ‘Teen Error’ she is creating her own peace. I am happy she was able to take the time to answer all my questions.
HC: Tell me a little bit about your musical background and your music.
Gory: My name is Gauri Rajaram Paighan and my stage name is GORY. I have done a bunch of jobs until one day I decided to do music full time to see how it feels. Ever since I started doing that I live a less luxurious life and a more life full of experiences. It has taught many things such as being empathetic, how it feels to have no food and no home and impacted my music and it’s style.
HC: How do you find that your cultural background influences your songwriting, perhaps in subtle or overt ways that listeners might not immediately recognize?
Gory: I think in my previous compositions a lot of people have told me that you have mixture of some Indian notes and singing style, but to be honest I myself don’t know much about it I had to cross mountains and rivers to find my voice in the early ages of music since I never really thought of ending up on this path. Right now the style has changed and people find it new. I get told a lot it’s something that they have never heard but it also makes things hard. Sometimes I have to face rejection from performing live.
HC: You experiment with various musical styles; what sparked this desire to blend genres, and are there any specific genres you’re currently exploring that might surprise your audience?
Gory: It reminds me of the time when I was not really familiar with the word ‘genre’ , it sounds very dumb I know and not being too close to technology I would listen happily to what I was being provided by VH1, Radio, MP3’s on my brother’s phone. I never really felt so much of a difference between genres and saw it as a music instead, so after getting a bit older and understanding the difference I would have melodies playing in my head in different genres. Currently I am absolutely enjoying making music with freedom, loving the process . I have been playing live actually and I am so happy with the response. 5 years ago I would never have thought that people would be enjoying what I am playing live.
HC: What drew you to experiment with gypsy rock as a genre, and how do you define its elements within your own music?
Gory: I guess love for guitar made me experiment with it, decade ago I had limited skills of playing guitar I only knew 4 open chords, and did not even bother to learn any further because within four chords I built my world, wrote my songs and eventually got bored and forced myself to get out of the box a bit and learnt barre chords couple years ago and I guess learning that was like superpower for me, it made me explore a lot on guitar. I realized that having limitations is best. Sometimes we can make most of everything. My own elements in it are rhythm and mixing scales.
HC: As a solo artist, what are the unique challenges and rewards of being solely responsible for all aspects of your music, from writing and performing to production and promotion?
Gory: It is absolutely tough and a lot of time consuming too. But also at the same time you understand the struggles of being on this path and when suddenly you get a chance to perform or someone just supports your music or likes your music that makes it much better. Production is something I am not so good with, I only produced the EP ‘Teen Error’ just to understand a few concepts regarding DAW. But that is something I do not feel comfortable doing anymore because there are many people who are so good at it and I would like to work with them. Lastly, the promotion is something that I do not really do. It is for rich people I feel, musicians with budget, all I do is reach out to independent listeners like you .
HC: How do you decide whether a song will best suit the acoustic guitar’s intimacy or the electric guitar’s broader sonic possibilities during your creative process?
Gory: I decide it by the feel of the song, if it’s smooth and soft I generally prefer acoustic guitar but if it’s more up tempo and has more electric feel to it, then it is definitely getting electric guitar.
HC: Are there any traditional cultural musical forms or instruments that you’d like to incorporate into your modern soundscapes in the future, and if so, how do you envision that fusion?
Gory: Yes I am sure eventually I will learn some other instrument like sitar. I have been travelling and have seen instruments that I have never seen before. They are very unique. I would like to do a live recording with the actual musician who plays all these instruments. Angklung and kolingtan are the Indonesian instruments I am amazed by the most.
HC: Who are some of your biggest musical influences, both within and outside the singer-songwriter tradition, and how have they shaped your artistic journey?
Gory: My father is one of the influences that shaped my artistic journey for sure, being a son of a farmer and moving from one place to another to find his place under the sun, made him a very chilled yet hardworking person. He showed me a lot of phases one can go through their human experiences and it definitely shaped my musical journey.
Within music it has changed over time. In my current times it is Jerry Garcia, he has the best songwriting skills and guitar style.
HC: What has been your most memorable or impactful live performance to date, and what made that experience so special for you?
Gory: It was the first ever college performance I did with the whole band and it failed so badly, my guitar stopped working because there were some line issues and we only had like 3 minutes left. I grabbed the lead guitarist. It had different settings which made the performance even funnier and worse. I still get chills today thinking about it, it is the most memorable one just for 2 reasons, it taught me so much about how to bend in as a band and all my performances after that I have been putting in my best. I do have a video of it and I watch it sometime to trigger myself hahaha.
HC: With the music industry constantly evolving, how do you navigate the balance between artistic integrity and the demands of reaching a wider audience in the digital age?
Gory: I don’t really worry about it much to be honest, I am also aware that music has become rich people’s golf . If you have money you are on top if you don’t then down. But as I travel I meet people, I play live and they love my music. This is the only thing that keeps me going.
HC: When you’re facing writer’s block, what are your go-to methods or rituals to reignite your creativity and get back into the flow?
Gory: I usually learn new things in the writer’s block time, pick up a YouTube video or learn a favorite song from the 60s or 70s. It makes me feel better and things find their way months after that. I make sure to keep focused on learning new music.
HC: Beyond music, what other forms of art or experiences inspire your songwriting – perhaps literature, visual art, or even travel?
Gory: Human encounters because of travels ignited the songwriting flame. I love connecting with people and understanding their background, cultures and where they are coming from. Nature plays its part too. When I hear a bird sing or wonder about why nature is so kind to us, it also leads to writing.
HC: What’s one piece of advice you would give to aspiring female singer-songwriters, especially those from diverse cultural backgrounds, who are just starting their journey?
Gory: We can be a woman with guitars in our hands instead of a man with a gun in his hand. So keep doing it and reach more people in real life than on the internet, it changes the tomorrow of many and they will pass it on to.
HC: If you could collaborate with any artist, living or deceased, from any genre, who would it be and what kind of project would you envision together?
Gory: It would be my childhood favorite musicians like Chris brown or Akon, those are the artists I started listening to and they made my life so much better with their dance moves and music.
HC: Given your heritage, how has that cultural background influenced your songwriting, both lyrically and melodically?
Gory: Being aware of what’s going on around and constantly keeping my own thoughts under check, Being in India itself has given me so many songs because in India one can learn a lot if they travel from north to south , west to east, every state has a lot to offer, how people live, thrive to keep going. If I was born in a different country I think I would be writing about stuff that does not matter too much.
HC: As a solo artist, what are the biggest challenges and rewards of performing and creating music without a band?
Gory: Freedom is all mine and I get to spend a lot of time with my compositions, I have always been musically lonely and never had any musician friends in my hometown, so my band mate was only my guitar. Things generally move fast when you are alone. But also at the same time I feel lonely at times, I feel the need of more musicians. The only thing that scares me about starting a band is that it is hard to live life as a rolling stone and not everyone is willing to do that because indeed financial security is important in today’s world and music does not offer that 99% of the time.
HC: Could you share a specific story or experience from your life that has directly inspired one of your songs?
Gory: I have lot of male best friends and I hate to say that I can easily get along with boys more than girls haha and one of my best friend told me to write songs about how we do all adventures like going on a bike trips, climbing mountains, travelling together and it inspired me to write “Adventures of Us” . It’s for my boys who have stuck around me since childhood. Without them my life would be less adventurous. The friendship that they have still kept alive will always inspire me to more songs about our friendships.
HC: Are there any particular cultural musical traditions, instruments, or scales that you’ve found yourself incorporating or adapting into your rock or gypsy rock sound?
Gory: Yes indeed it was quite surprising for me because I did not really know much about scales, but as I started blending rhythm more on guitar eventually it mixed up with scales too. The mixolydian and Lydian scales I feel are being used more. Also I would like to tell more about it but my limited knowledge about words or theory to explain it will make it harder. The one song off the next album includes 12 chords which makes it all fun.
HC: Who are some of your musical influences, both within and outside of the rock and gypsy rock genres, and how have they shaped your artistic journey?
Gory: My childhood artists are Westlife, Backstreet boys, Beyonce I would listen to them most of the times. Later on I would also listen to Justin Bieber, One Direction. They taught me how to be energetic in the softest ways possible.
HC: Beyond gypsy rock, are there other genres or sounds you’re curious to explore or incorporate into your music in the future?
Gory: Jazz is something I would like to learn from an expert. It blows my mind how they have amazing time signatures and chord structures. So I look forward to learning a bit of jazz sometime in future and invite it in my compositions.
HC: How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision with the desire to connect with a wider audience?
Gory: By being real and raw. I do not understand the things I do not understand and a lot of times I am called dumb for that and I am okay with it but other humble people always take their time to make me understand it although I wont understand it fully and I live for times like that.
HC: What role does storytelling play in your music, and do you ever draw from traditional/cultural narratives or folklore in your songs?
Gory: Yes I do have narratives from my traditional perspective, have written songs like ego mind, connected parts, shine unique , who you are anna with all the storytelling points where human consciousness is imagined to be at it’s highest core.
HC: What advice would you give to other young female musicians, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, who are looking to pursue a career in music?
Gory: Being consistent and not caring too much about what other people have to say are the 2 things will make any woman keep going in their music journey.
HC: Is there a particular message or feeling you hope listeners take away from your music?
Gory: It takes courage to be kind, so be easy on those who are and uneasy on those who are not.
HC: What are your current goals or aspirations for your music in the next year or two?
Gory: I really want to work with a producer who specializes in rock music, show him/her my album and put it out. Also hopefully feel more accepted in my home state and get to play live .
HC: You are currently in Indonesia, how is that going?
Gory:It’s very amazing that I have been meeting musicians from different genres and playing live, I feel much more accepted and full of musical experiences. I realized I am more confident when playing live music now because of the constant opportunities.
HC: Have you played/toured in other countries? Any plans to come to the UK?
Gory: I played in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia. It’s my dream to come to the UK sometime if the visa embassy allows me. Another sad part we have to face being from the other side of the world is the currency, the currencies are very low here which makes issues at the time of getting a visa but I am positive about overcoming them and finding my way to go to the other side. I was very much surprised when I met people from the UK and Europe on my trip and got responses from them for my music so I look forward to finding my way there soon.
HC: Tell me about your latest release.
Gory: ‘Teen Error’ is the EP related to all songs which I wrote as a teenager, having experiences related love, heartbreaks, friendships and losing loved ones. I put it out when I was a kid but did not myself as a musician at a time, did many mistakes but as my advice above I was not caring about what others had to say I was just doing it because I was enjoying it. But now was about the time I fixed those errors and decided to produce it in order to get a bit more familiar with technology and sounds in order to put my best and 100% in whatever music I make in future. Teen error is for everyone who is ready to fix their flaws and set them free.
Listen on Spotify
Instagram @gauripaighan