“I still take myself as a struggling artist.” – Natasha Baig

As the music industry in Pakistan fights for original content and conglomerate-free platforms, there are a few artists and music creators who are striving to bring a fresh perspective to the game. One such artist is Natasha Baig, whose Coke Studio debut last year may have brought her to the limelight but it’s her quest for finding new meaning in her music that is charting her journey.

Speaking to Instep, the ‘Shikwa/Jawab-e-Shikwa’ artist reveals what her life after Coke Studio 11 has been like and what the near future holds for her…

Instep: Your debut on Coke Studio 11 with ‘Shikwa/Jawab-e-Shikwa’ brought you to the mainstream. What do you have to say about that experience?

Natasha Baig (NB): I am glad that my debut on Coke Studio 11 brought me to the mainstream because honestly, I was not expecting that. In my point of view, Coke Studio is all about either making it or breaking it, so not everyone gets fame from the platform. There are artistes who have come and gone and so, I was also scared that no one will notice my song. I had a difficult time because the song is hard to do and I researched a lot. But to my surprise, I was really happy that people were actually feeling the song and their emotions were coming out.

Also, I would like to add that my experience throughout my time with Coke Studio was amazing. I am glad I had a chance to work with Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kazi because they are supportive people. They are the sort of people who made me comfortable and they didn’t treat me like a new artist. Similarly, working with Fareed Ayaz and his Qawwal group is also an experience which I will always cherish. It’s been a year almost but it was one of the best moments I have been a part of.

Instep: How have you dealt with the fame and success that you have gotten after Coke Studio 11?

NB: I honestly don’t know what fame and success is, because here in Pakistan it’s quite subtle, in comparison to places like Bollywood and Hollywood. But, I will say that my experience did help establish me as an artist for the masses. At that time, I only wanted to do justice to ‘Shikwa’ and I thought that fame and success are things that one can deal with later.

However, I feel that I want to have more success. Coke Studio just gave me a platform but now, I have to work harder to be more successful and to bring my work in front of the people. I still take myself as a struggling artist and I am working really hard.

Instep: You also released your latest single ‘Ho Mian’ after Coke Studio. What feedback did you get for the song?

NB: Because of Coke Studio, I garnered a trove of fans and I wanted to give them some more from my side. So, after ‘Shikwa’, I felt that people were recognising that there was more to me and hence ‘Ho Mian’ came out. I was happy that people were now understanding my music and that gradually, it was reaching out to them. I am glad that the feedback has been great since then.

Instep: Are you planning on releasing a solo album or an EP soon?

NB: My EP is already available on every digital sound platform out there in Pakistan. But, I am now interested in releasing a solo album soon. Even though people say that in today’s day and age releasing an album doesn’t change the game, I still feel as an artist it is my job to release an album and I hope that I am able to do so every year. I have started working on it but I can’t promise when it’ll come out. When I was researching how to release an album in Pakistan, I realised it’s a difficult task because we don’t have a proper record label. However, I am hoping it will not stop me from releasing what I want to.

Instep: You are also collaborating for Paanch – The Mixtape, initiated by Babar Sheikh, Ahsan Bari and Wajiha Naqvi. What can we expect from the collaboration? What kind of music and songs are you focusing on?

NB: With Paanch – The Mixtape, I am going to be doing one song like all the other fellow artists such as Sounds of Kolachi, Jimmy Khan, Chand Tara Orchestra - who are working on it with me. The type of music that I and the team are interested in is going to be raw and energetic. Both Babar Sheikh from CTO and Ahsan Bari from SOK want me to be myself in the song and bring my element to it. I am glad to be a part of this project because it’s nice to see that people of the industry want original stuff coming out. They want things the way I am.

There’s desperate need for original content in the subcontinent, and we’ve really grown out of original music. We need to do more. Through Paanch – The Mixtape, we’re bringing that idea of originality back with this platform and new music.

Instep: What else is in the future for Natasha Baig?

NB: There’s a lot in the future for me. I haven’t restricted myself with anything and I don’t want to. I don’t know what the future holds but I know I have to keep working consistently. I am working on new content and I want to create an impact in the music industry. This is my vision.

You never know what will happen but I am looking at more collaborations and new ideas soon.