He may come across as reclusive but you really have to delve within the layers to discover the abundant insight that Saby Singh holds in his beautiful mind. Born in Kashmir, the young indie musician's music knows love, loss and redemption like no other.Team Radio City caught up with the enigmatic singer-songwriter ahead of his performance at the first Radio City Freedom Concert which is scheduled to be held in Bangalore. We've got you a handful.What is the unheard story of Saby Singh because we believe you like keeping your music ambiguous?Saby: When I write, I keep myself free, and give myself all the liberty to write whatever just comes. The words are not biased by a theme or restricted by a certain feel, but they are as pure as I think them, and I rarely edit what I write except for altering a word here and there. And there are many variations in the song as well. I let the melody drive the lyrics, not the other way around.My story is not a different one, the same old clichd teenage love affairs where we drive ourselves to a point when we start to think that this is the end of the world and nothing will ever change and things like that. It changes you, the entire theory of being in love, you yourself can differentiate the new you from the old you.My earlier material is straight to the point. The lyrics are as simple as 'a nothing-man is all I feel'. But lately, since I am having more interactions than before, it gets a little uncomfortable. So, now I am trying to put a little uncertainty in the lyrics and try to bind it with a theme.So, yes I guess I am keeping my art open to varied interpretations, and it is interesting.You've acquired training in Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet and you play the tabla, harmonium, piano, flute and the drums. Wouldn't it be an understatement to say that music is all that you live for?Saby: Well, yes it would be. Music has been such a driving force in my life that it is impossible to state in mere words. I spent my entire childhood with my maternal grandpa, he used to be a professional Raagi and the hymns and the exotic scales of classical music left a deep and profound impact on me. I later moved to RnB, pop of the 80's, early 90's, jazz and classic rock, and one fine evening a Beatles song made me think about being in a band.I remember I used to head bang to heavier Classic Rock in my room and see myself in a mirror mimicking the lyrics with an imaginary microphone in my hands. When I heard 'The Rain Song' by Led Zeppelin for the first time, I cried myself to sleep, it was so moving. Me and my buddy who used to play guitar in my first band did these 'Zeppalathons' where we would listen to the entire Led Zep works from first through the last album in one go. And then came, 'Dark Side of The Moon', and Pink Floyd marathons, and good bands and music never stopped coming. And I knew I felt different about it than my peers did. So, I knew, I had to be a musician.Why is it that there is a lot of poignancy in your compositions?Saby: I spend a lot of time listening to stuff because I had a lot of alone time. I didn't have a lot of friends and I was the last choice for the cricket team. And then the girls have not been so nice to me over the years. I had my heart broken a couple of times, one of which had me on anti-depressants. There is a void in my early years,that I tried filling with music, and these thoughts of being 'the other guy' have shaped my perception a lot. I can feel that in my writing a lot of the times. I might be feeling very happy at a moment, and I will end up writing the saddest song ever and still feel great about it. It is just me and the story of my life. I tried writing happy songs. And I never play them live. Never.You hail from Kashmir. Tell us something about its influence in your work.Saby: Kashmir is beautiful, and Kashmiri is one of the sweetest languages out there. Sadly, relevant to the recent years, Kashmir is highly misunderstood at times. I spend 16 years of my life at my home place in Anantnag, but honestly speaking it didn't affect my writing and music at all. There was zero influence of the culture on me. I left Kashmir 7 years back, and later in those years, I started missing that feel. Lyrically, my first song was dedicated to my home, but musically it belonged to the late 70's or 80's. It has only been a couple of months that I have considered listening to Kashmiri music, and reading Kashmiri poems, and I think my music might experience some melodic references from my native place soon.Where do you think is the independent music scene in India going wrong in reaching out to an audience?Saby: I would say that there is nothing wrong with the reach. We are already doing the best that we possibly can. Loads of good gigs are happening lately, and the promoters and curators are doing their level best in marketing and promoting with the best of their assets. It is just that Bollywood dominates India, and the people behind have the potential to invest a lot of money behind the promotion and marketing. The TV is filled with paid promotions, and commercial music. Being independent means being on your own and with some really hard working, like-minded people. And we don't have a lot to invest.I also think that people need to go out more. Only 1 or 2 out of 30 people know about The Local Train, or Ankur Tewari, or Parvaaz, if I ask about it. Also we need to have artistes who are motivated to build themselves up to international standards.Contemporary indie singer-songwriters you admire.Saby: As of now, it is Damien Rice. I only started listening to him recently and he has already blown my brains out. He is a brilliant songwriter. Norah Jones, she writes beautifully. There is Laura Marling, her work and how she has progressed over the years is phenomenal eagerly waiting for her new album. Patrick Watson, heard him at The Humming Tree last year, and I can already feel him creeping in my melodies.Ankur Tewari, his lyrical delivery and style are unconventional. And most of Steven Wilson, his art is changing me as a person for the good.Lastly, your thoughts on performing for the first ever Radio City Freedom concert in Bangalore. What can your fans expect from you.Saby: It is such a pleasure to associate with such a brand and play at one of the best venues in the country. I am very positive about the gig and looking forward to the experience.Bangalore dominates the independent scene in India, and as such I will be the most comfortable performing my originals. I will try to deliver a theme, play them a feeling rather than random songs. So, people can expect an intimate singer-songwriter session full of 'feels' and I hope to connect with the audience.Saby Singh is all set to rock the stage at the Radio City Freedom Concert at The Humming Tree, Bangalore from 8 pm onwards on Jan 25th, 2017. For more details, click hereTo know about everything that's happening at the Radio City Freedom Awards 4, visit our official website.