Dhruv talks about dealing with those numb days, meeting SB19’s Justin, making music in cafes, and more.
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When we’re dealing with turmoil, it can feel like a battle of one against many. Whether rooted in the physical, mental, emotional, or a mix of all three and then some, personal struggle is often isolating in how nobody can relate to what you’re going through.
Photo credit: Stefan Kohli
That was the case for Dhruv, who began work on his debut album, Private Blizzard, from a place of “numbness”. Like many of us, Dhruv was going through a personal slump, so he turned to what he does best to get out of it; make music. Most of the album was made in Nashville, which was a first for the musician, but Dhruv also turned to public spaces, like coffee shops, parks, and cafes, to hone the LP’s message and lyrics.
The result is a debut album that’s brimming with personal lyrics and big sounds and instrumentation as Dhruv goes through a gauntlet of turbulent emotions on his journey to find happiness. During Dhruv’s recent trip to Manila where he, among other things, gave a lucky few Filipino fans a first listen to the album before its release, we had a chance to sit down with the artist as he opened up about his Manila experience, coffee shop music making sessions, and more.
So how was your experience like being back in Manila?
It’s so great. Every time I come here, I’m overwhelmed by the amount of warmth, the love for music that Filipino fans have, and everybody here is just so kind and generous. Every time I’m here, you know, people will give me gifts, and it’s just very sweet.
You had a mall show and SB19’s Justin was the opening act. What was it like getting to meet him?
He’s lovely. Given how talented he is, he’s such a modest and sweet person, and very down to earth. Very, very cool.
As someone who has been getting those travel miles recently, what do you think is the most underrated part about getting to travel the world?
I guess something that I never really thought about as a musician was just like how different parts of the world react to music. I think that’s a part that I find super fascinating now but not a part that I thought about before. Like, I remember in Korea, for example, like the crowds seemed really quiet, but they were just really listening and like, they were so polite. And then obviously it’s just like how different people interact with music, how do people listen to it.
For Private Blizzard, you said that this album was like a seasonal thing where you went through different phases of your life. What was it like to go from that winter part of your life to finding happiness or the joy aside through like the spring and summer songs?
I mean, it takes a lot of time, and it’s when you’re in the winter period, it’s hard to imagine that there will ever be a spring period ever again, but I guess that’s one of the best things. And the worst thing of life is just that it’s like they’re opposite. But with those songs specifically, I found that the process of making the music just made me feel better as well.
So starting the album, I was maybe feeling a little jaded, a little more cynical, and then as I kept making music, fell back in love with the process of it. It’s reflected in those final few songs, which were also made towards the end of the process.
In making this album, you spent your time in coffee shops and public places before you honed the sound in the studio. How would you differentiate the experience of writing music in a public place versus getting to work on it in a private studio?
So I find it very inspiring to be around people. I take inspiration from people’s conversations sometimes and some studios, not all studios, but a lot of studios, can feel quite sterile actually, which is not what people would think. But there’s something about booking a room to make music that adds a level of pressure to it. And there’s something that feels so natural and ordinary about sitting in a coffee shop among people who do very different jobs and do different things, that takes the pressure off of it a little bit, I find.
But also, like, the studio is good for some things. So when you’re really trying to work on the musical elements, the musical aspect. I’m not singing or humming when I’m in a coffee shop. I’m typically working on lyrics or ideas for songs. So there are different parts that work better in different environments as well.
Did you find working on Private Blizzard in different locations shape or affect how you approached the project?
100%. London is a place that I feel very inspired by, in part because I am obsessed with the musical history of the place, like some of my favorite artists and albums were born out of the city. So I feel way more inspired there than I do in other cities. And I also just feel more romantic about the world.
A huge part of this album specifically was like walking and basically strolling around and listening to the music a lot, trying to absorb it in that way, and trying to imagine what somebody who is maybe commuting from work, or like walking to see their friends, how they would experience it. And London is a great place for that.
You said you prefer people to listen to the album from start to finish. So what goes into making a tracklist?
Well, with this album, there’s definitely a seasonal level to it and in terms of chronology, at the beginning of the process, I felt a certain way, and at the end of it, I felt lighter. I felt more optimistic and more hopeful. But also with an album as heavy as this, I knew that I wanted to end it on a note that felt more optimistic, more positive. And then there’s certain songs that just feel like they have to go together.
So it’s a mix of lots of different things. On the one hand, it’s definitely intuitive, but on the other hand, there’s a lot of like cerebral type of thinking going behind it as well, where you’re thinking kind of about the overall themes of the album and how they all connect with each other in a track list.
When we first chatted with you three years ago, you were just coming off the success double take. Now, you’re traveling the world and playing your new albums to fans. Did you imagine that you would get here or find yourself in this position?
Maybe in that moment, like maybe I did in that moment, there have been many moments since when I haven’t, because it’s really hard to know. It’s amazing because it gives you a platform, it gives you exposure. But then it’s also like you have to think about how to follow it up and how to convert a moment into a career.
That’s a very stressful thing to think about. And so for me, you know, they’ve been so many moments of doubt. So lots of questions kind of creep up, and it’s hard to imagine that you would be able to do something like this when you’re sitting in that position. But I’m very grateful for it, grateful for this tour. It’s so fun.
What advice would you give to your fans or listeners on how they could deal with or how they could navigate their own private blizzard?
I guess, if I’m thinking about the last two years of my life, what I would say to myself with the hindsight that I have to step outside of the private blizzard a little bit. I’m somebody who likes to really sit in my blizzard, and I think it means that I don’t always get to enjoy the present moment. So if I could go back in time, I would tell myself to step out of it and find ways to enjoy the now. Stop dwelling, stop thinking about the future. Enjoy the present as much as you can.
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