EDMNOMAD: Hello KSHMR, how are you? We are glad to have you here.
KSHMR: Doing well, thanks for asking!
You’ve recently partnered with Garena and Free Fire. Can you tell us the story behind the partnership?
This is a beautiful relationship made by Spinnin who introduced me to the game and let me know they were looking for a theme song. I sent over several options and to my surprise they were most interested in One More Round which has a western vibe. It didn’t occur to me that they would like this one so much but it’s one of the songs I’m most proud of.
WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘ONE MORE ROUND’
‘One More Round’ plays heavily on KSHMR’s signature vocal-driven production style. Where did you get the inspiration to produce the song from?
I’ve been very interested over the last couple of years in western movies and the sound palette that accompanies them, you had of course traditional western instruments and influence from Native Americans who are a big part of the story. It’s a sound palette that really interests me. Luckily I had Jeremy Oceans to supply the vocals which is in the perfect Johnny Cash style I was looking for.
Have you played K in Free Fire, already? How does it feel to have a character in a game modelled to resemble you?
I’ve played a bit of the game and it feels so cool that I was able to fulfill my dream of becoming a video game character thanks to Garena and Free Fire.
READ THE ARTICLE ABOUT KSHMR’S FREE FIRE CHARACTER ‘K’
Are you an avid gamer? What other games do you play?
I do like to play video games, the Final Fantasy series is one of my favorites in particular. I’m also a fan of FIFA and Mortal Kombat.
Have you spent a lot of time in the studio producing music during these harsh times? Has being locked down due to the pandemic created any challenges to your workflow?
It’s actually been great for my workflow, I couldn’t be happier from a creative standpoint. It’s sort of forced my hand to give myself as much time as I need to experiment and create new music. When shows are in full swing, it’s really hard to turn them down to make music. In this case, it wasn’t even a decision so now I have all this time to work on music.
Which was the moment from the beginning of your career that made you realize that you’ve actually made it. A ‘OMG I DID IT’ moment?
I think ‘Like A G6’ hitting #1 around the world was probably my first real taste of success but on that song I was a producer more in the background. I guess as an artist making ‘Secrets’ with Tiesto and him bringing me up on stage at Ultra was a really surreal experience. I couldn’t say in that moment I thought I made it but looking back it was a really transformative moment in my life.
You have achieved a lot of things in your career so far. Can you, briefly, tell us your blueprint for success in the music industry?
There isn’t really a blueprint. All I can say is don’t give up and try your best to be original.
There are many people out there who are just starting DJing and producing music and are big fans of your music. What’s your word of advice for them?
I would say don’t put too much stock into getting a manager or record label immediately. You can do most of it on your own honing your craft and using social media to spread awareness about your music. If it’s not reacting, accept that your best music may be ahead of you.
What do you do in your free time that makes you happy?
I like spending time with my dogs and playing sports with my friends.
We’ve all seen the consequences COVID-19 pandemic had on the music industry. How do you think the music industry will recover and then, evolve? Do you see any major advances in the industry, like technology becoming a bigger and bigger part of it?
I think streaming is obviously more important than ever and I think that will continue to develop and remain a part of this industry even after shows are back.
