Inarguably one of the most successful and iconic Indie artiste Raghu Dixit has earned one of the greatest honours for Indian music industry by performing in Glastonbury music fest. Raghu Dixit's journey as a musician has been at peak with the recent surge of original music in the country.

Although Raghu Dixit has opened a whole new diaspora for himself and has finally forayed into the mainstream Bollywood with Y-Film's Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge, the self taught guitarist and songwriter has kept his indie roots intact. The multi-talented artiste has priortized his liabilities with the band's second album and building his national and international fan base.

In a candid interview with Radioandmusic.com's Swagata Panjari, the focused musician speaks about his new ventures including the recent track Masti ki Basti on Dewarist and his long due Bollywood debut. The multi-talented artiste also shared his insight on the current Indie music scenario and his plans for 2012.

Excerpts:

Tell us about your much awaited second studio album.

The material for the new album is ready and being road tested. Its just that we've put over 12 years of effort into the first album and I would really like to ensure that we have done everything right before we put out something new for our fans.

Last year, you were presented with Songlines Award for Best Newcomer at the Latitude Festival in the UK. How important are awards in a career?

It's always nice to be recognized isn't it? The Best Newcomer award was the first award I have ever received in my career. It's quite ironic that about 15 years of doing this, I got the best newcomer award. I think it's a sign that this is the beginning of many new things that are to come.

Any international tour lined up for 2012?

Yes, we are currently plotting for a small visit to the UK in April and then again for a longer summer tour in mid-2012. We might also be pulling off a tour in US and some parts of Europe later in 2012.

How was it to collaborate with Rewben Mashangva on �The Dewarist'?

Rewben is amazing; there is no other way to describe him. He has been making music and spreading the message of peace and love in the trouble filled North East for decades. When we were offered a chance to collaborate with Rewben in Shillong, it was a dream project and we were assured that we would make something beautiful together.

Tell us about your track Masti ki Basti.

Masti Ki Basti is a fun song, about living in the moment and celebrating the fact that you are alive for another day. In many parts of the North East, where Rewben is from especially, being alive itself is a hard thing to do, so when he came with the song, Hopee Pee Ley Ho Ley, which he said was sung when the community gathered and celebrated, it was an easy base for us to build 'Masti ki Basti'.

Lately there are several new platforms that are giving independent music the kind of presence and exposure it never had in the past. Comment

I think any initiative that makes people listen to good music are great and will have my full support. I would however like to say that we should stop making this only about Independent music, as any genre of good music will filter through and survive. Initiatives like the Webcerts and promotion of music on other sites are great for people to conveniently discover music they might like and that will only help the music scene in general.

This year you also made your Bollywood debut with Mujhse Fraandship Karoge. How was your experience?

The experience was incredibly smooth sailing, and composing the songs was a breeze. I didn't have to re-compose any of the songs; the first options were approved. The only thing is that I was composing for the film while I was still on the UK tour. At times I used to sit and write songs at the airport.

After being an independent artist for years what allured you in  Bollywood?

I always wanted to make great music. It has taken me along on this fantastic journey, of which, Bollywood is the newest phase. I did not view entering Bollywood as a goal, but I was definitely not averse to it and this project was a fun start, with enough freedom to experiment with various different styles of music.

All of a sudden there is outburst of independent composers in Bollywood industry. What is the reason behind it, is it money or recognition?

with the upcoming new directors and concepts Bollywood is changing. The quest for interesting sounds has provided a new platform for musicians to showcase their talent. The money and recognition comes because of successful music.

Do you feel music Industry has been overtaken by Bollywood ?

Bollywood is one of the best platforms that musicians can use to show off their talent. I wouldn't categorize 'Bollywood' as a genre of music, at least not in today's scenario, where you have new composers experimenting with sounds, and actively utilizing it in movies that have unique story lines. There will always be the commercial side to Bollywood, with the item numbers and 'formula' movies, but then I see a new sound emerging and I think that is going to get a lot louder very soon.

How do you as an artiste plan to explore the digital medium?

We have a very dynamic website and an active presence on all digital networks and communities through which we can reach to our audiences. For 2012 and our new album, we are working on some of the innovative marketing ideas, so you will hear about it very soon!

With new age media booming, don't you think musicians should also be well-versed with the business?

Now-a-days its much easier for artistes to address their fans directly and take control of the market with internet and technology available.  I think its time artistes took a lot more interest in everything that happens around their music, and this needs to go beyond just making and playing music.

What is your take on the current dwindling sales of albums?

Good albums are still selling. Music consumption is at its highest today, it's just not through CDs in stores. So while it's true that the numbers of CDs selling are lower than they used to be, there are many more avenues available for music to be sold.

Do you think music labels are doing enough to get best out of non-film music genre?

We don't have music labels doing enough for non-film or at least Indie music. It is a great space for someone who wants to build a business.  However, there are indie musicians that are starting to make records which are receiving good response with mainstream airplay. I think Indian non-film music will reach a tipping point very soon, it is going to cross over to the mainstream in a big way and we are right now at the beginning of such a revolution, it is only a matter of time.

Which are your future projects?

The immediate project that I am keen on completing is the second album of the band. As for more movie projects, I would definitely be interested, and am looking forward to being able to make some fantastic music for some interesting movies.