LA-based DJ and producer KSHMR has unveiled a new track “Devotion” to celebrate his 10th anniversary in the music industry. This club anthem, which has been a highlight of his recent tour, features a collaboration with Thai artist 22Bullets. “Devotion” seamlessly integrates heavy basslines, vibrant synths, and KSHMR’s signature melodies to create an electrifying auditory experience. The track also incorporates a famous sample from Nomad’s 1990s hit “(I Wanna Give You) Devotion.” KSHMR first gained recognition in 2014 with his debut track “Megalodon,” he continues to celebrate his Indian heritage alongside diverse global influences in his music. “Devotion” has already made waves during his live performances at the North American club tour and the Ultra Music Festival Miami Main Stage.
Interview with KSHMR:
Hello Niles, It’s a pleasure for LoudLife to speak with such an icon, how is life going?
Life is going pretty well, I just got back from a tour, have been touring for the last two months, went to Europe and South America and now I’m about to leave on an RV trip around America with my friends and my two dogs.
In 2024, you’re celebrating 10 years as KSHMR. Reflecting on this journey, what do you consider your most defining moments and how have they shaped your career?
I would say the most defining moment was probably when I started the project with Megalodon. That was the first song I put out. It had a fun music video where these girls are going out for a little girl trip and they get eaten by this prehistoric shark. Then fast forward to Tiesto bringing me out at Ultra. That was the first time I showed my face publicly. We performed “A Song’s Secrets.” And then fast forward a little bit more. I brought my grandpa out on stage in India to perform there and do a tribute to him and my grandma.
Your recent club tour, concluding with a double sold-out show in Los Angeles, has been a massive success. Can you share some of the highlights from this tour and how it felt to perform in front of your home crowd?
Yeah, the tour really motivated me to make a lot, to, you know, just kind of revamp the set entirely. I’ve been playing edits and mashups for a long time and it was time to just look at everything, see how it could be updated, and also finish some songs that were in progress so that I would have new IDs to play during the show. But yeah, those shows in Los Angeles… in particular. Really great shows, sold both of them out. Really great energy in the room, and especially, you know, because I got to bring all my friends and family for those shows. So that was really nice. It just felt like, you know, a hometown show with everybody there.
Could you take us back to the Ultra Music Festival? How did you enjoy your performance this year?
You know, it’s a complicated question. I prepared a lot for my show at Ultra this year, then there were some things that made my show quite a bit shorter, like the night before, the show getting cut off due to rain, so they moved some of those artists to my day on Saturday, so I had to cut my set down for that, and from there I knew I was going to go do a 30 minute set, but I only found out about an hour before I had to go on, so you know, it was a lot of thinking on the fly of all this music I want to play for people and how do you give it to them in that short amount of time. And also while I was on stage, a bunch of water fell onto the equipment. So that shortened my set a little bit more as I had to talk to the crowd and burn a little bit of time waiting for the equipment to get replaced. But hey, you know, I still got to play a lot of the music I wanted to play. I still had a good time and I think that the fans, you know, for what it was, I think they really enjoyed it.
Your newest single, “Devotion”, is out now, what was the inspiration behind this track, and what was it like collaborating with 22Bullets?
You know this this track was inspired by, well it was a sample of an old dance record that we flipped that horn sample and “I want to give you devotion” and 22 Bullets had the idea to flip it. And from there, I just, you know, helped out with the production, did my thing on it. And I think the end result was something that’s really great to play at live shows, especially. And I think, you know, just a song I’m really proud of. And I love 22 Bullets.
Watch Official Video for “Devotion” by KSHMR and 22Bullets
With a European tour on the horizon, what other projects are you working on for 2024? Can fans expect any surprises or new ventures from you?
Yeah, you know, I’m always touring. I’m getting a little break this month, but I’m going to try to come up with that new music, new KSHMR songs. There are some collaborations in the works, but I like to keep that stuff to myself until it really materializes. In terms of other ventures, yeah, you know, I’ve been really interested in the deep ethnic house. It’s a genre I really like listening to on my own time, and something that I think I’ll explore more as an artist myself. And then, of course, Sounds of KSHMR, Volume 5. I’m starting the early stages of, you know, beginning to think how we’re going to do that. It’s a big project, the Sounds of KSHMR.
Last year, you released “KARAM”, an album recorded with Indian artists and sung in domestic languages. How important is it for you to connect with your roots and how has the reception been in the Indian market?
Yeah, it’s really important for me. I love to work with Indian artists and involve India in my music whenever I can. And I’m also a big hip-hop guy. That’s the genre that I started out in. So to see that scene blossoming in India, I really wanted to be a part of it. I went out there and to the best of my ability, I worked with everybody that I could and tried to dig my feet into that scene. And you know, it was complicated. It was complicated because there were so many different people with different politics needed to make the album what it was. But in the end, we were able to cross the finish line and get it done. I’m really proud of it. I think it was received really well. I think, you know, people really appreciated all the work that went into, not only the music and getting the collaborators but the storyline that happens in the album that’s told through these interludes. And it really took a lot of people to make that album happen and I’m very proud of it.
Over the years, your music has evolved. How do you balance innovation with staying true to the KSHMR sound that your fans love?
It’s a great question. Um, you know, for a while, I would try to put ethnic Indian instruments and everything, and that was sort of my signature. It is still something that I really enjoy. I think that’s how I made everything sound a little cashmere. But recently, I’ve just, you know, I think about the music that I want to play live. I don’t want to say that the music has been cheap by any stretch but I’ve been, you know, putting less weight into each song and how it has to be this reflection of me, the cashmere project. If I like songs, I make them and if they evoke a certain emotion for me, then I make them and I’m still proud of them. More serious projects, like maybe this one I’ll be going into with the deep ethnic house sound. And I’ll probably give more thought into the overall, you know, feel, that binds all of that music. Whereas right now, yeah, innovation for me just means I’m listening to what’s out there, I take what I find interesting about it, and I put my own spin on it.
Looking back on your decade-long career, what advice would you give to new artists who look up to you and wish to build up their path in the music industry?
Well, it’s a much different time now than when I started. The volume of new artists and new songs is crazy. I don’t know if I’m the right guy to give advice about how to succeed in this day and age. What worked for me may not work for people right now, but some things are true: I think that early on, especially, it’s important to represent one thing, one emotion, one story to people and make the edge of your blade very sharp as you’re trying to poke into the industry. And if you have a sound, something that is specific to you, just really focus on that, build that, see what more you can do with your idea that is most unique about you before you venture into a bunch of other things, a bunch of other genres. Try to make your sound and your image and your branding very specific so that people can gain some attachment to you, feel some loyalty towards you. And, you know, as you move on, you can explore other things and sort of broaden the scope of what you’re offering to people.
With a career that spans a decade, where do you see the genre heading in the next few years, and how do you plan to evolve with it?
I don’t know. I mean, the dance music genre is, you know, groovier. There’s a lot of less anthemic, more subdued, more chill, cool guy kind of shit that, you know, doesn’t really interest me that much. I’m really into melody, big melody, sing-along melody, things like that. And I’ll probably just keep doing more stuff like that and pull the parts of dance music that I do find interesting into my work. You know, there’s things like the rolling bass, which has become more and more popular that I really love, so you know I’m incorporating that. It’s a blend of, you know, what I think feels sort of current or even feels new. And melody. I mean even if you strip away all of the Indian stuff I’ve been known for all that stuff. I really just love Memorable melodies, so that’ll be the way that I add my touch to you know, the the template of what’s going on right now.
Thank you for your time and hope to see you in Europe somewhere soon! 🙂
