Young talented singer Meet Jain pursued Master's in Industrial Biotechnology, but destiny had different plans for the upcoming talent from Ahmedabad. He started his music career by winning the Idea Rocks India in 2013 that gave him a platform to perform with the one and only Mika and since then there has been no stopping. He also went on to win some other reality shows until he came in the spotlight with the very first season of The Voice. He had become so popular that after his elimination from the show he was called to host the backstage section of the show, which probably happened for the first time. His story has been so inspiring that he was recently invited to speak to TEDx Chennai.

Since then Meet Jain has sung for numerous Gujarati films like Armaan, Superstar, Premjee, Ghar Ek Mandir and the recent one, Bau Na Vichar. Meet has also sung for an animated Bollywood film, which is scheduled to release soon.

We at Radioandmusic were bewitched by this talent and spoke to him in about his journey in the world of music.

What was the biggest challenges of your life?

I left a secure job to pursue music, which was my biggest challenge. Biotech was something that I studied a lot, gave exams for and when I was qualified, I gave it up.

Initially when I started working for a pharmaceutical company, those three months of my life were really boring and I felt depressed. I had to follow a fixed routine when I am the guy who always wanted to indulge creativity in my day-to –day-life. I realized that I wasn’t satisfied. Meanwhile, a music reality show The Voice happened, which gave a kick-start to my career. Coming to a new territory, where not many people knew me, was a huge challenge.

You have performed with Mika Singh for dozens of gigs. Did those performances make a difference in your life?

Those gigs gave my confidence - a boost. Earlier, I used to perform in front of a crowd, I knew and then I had to perform in front of an unknown crowd (about 15K people). After a 15 min performance that I gave, the crowd knew me and people have still kept me in mind. This gave me confidence.

How are you balancing making new music and performing gigs around the same time?

I am just focusing on my music right now as it demands more time. I also have another tour and different gigs in Gujarat and Delhi.

You are a self-trained musician

I am not a trained singer but did self-learning from YouTube. Whoever I meet, I ensure to learn something from them. I used to sing during my college days and people motivated me to pursue this career choice. 

After my show The Voice, I have become a confident performer. From the past three years, I have been doing live shows. I have made myself so strong that even if there are thousands of people in front of me, I have the capability to entertain them. When I was eliminated in The Voice, there was huge chaos on social media that it was a wrong decision to remove me. Although I was out of the show, I won the hearts of many people. During the show, I learnt how to interact and converse well with people.

What is the best compliment that you have received up till now?

I get compliments from my fans, which is a booster for me to bring something fresh to the table. My seniors from the music industry like Salim Sulaiman had told me that I have a very cinematic voice and will complement onscreen heroes. Sunidhi Chauhan had complimented me saying, ‘You are a soulful singer, who sings from the heart.’

What has always kept you motivated?

I had written my first song when I shifted to Bombay. There was a time that I did not have a house to stay and had to do my riyaz. There were tough situations in my life that led me to make more music. Challenges have, therefore, made me a strong person.

You do a lot of live gigs, while is it a struggle for Indie artists to make a name in the industry.

There are two ways to look at this. Yeh life ke do paheya hai, even if one is not working then the other one is always open. Nowadays, there are many independent artists who do live shows. Both live and playback are equally important. Playback can give you a good hike. If your song becomes famous, performing live will benefit you. You build your own audience with independent music.

These days there are many singers that are coming up and its nice to see that they are being supported. There was a time where a few people were only the popular ones who were appreciated, but now the scenario is changed.

Who is your favorite singer?

Sukhwinder Singh, Sonu Nigam, Arijit Singh are my favorites. I do aspire to have all the qualities, they have. I work hard each day to become like one.

What are the qualities one must have to ace a reality show?

Give your best, a reality show is a good opportunity for singers. People have misconceptions that reality music shows are scripted but it’s false. At least the talent that one contestant portrays that can’t be scripted

 Any message to the ones who want to pursue a career in music?

 ‘I should be a better person than what I was yesterday’ is my mantra. If everybody uses this formula then one can expect huge progress in future. Compete with your own self and get inspiration from others. Don’t lose hope, keep trying as that’s the key to become a successful person.

What’s next in the pipeline?

My next gig is happening in Canada and it’s an eight-day tour.