“Oh man, I’m really excited! Delhi is my home ground, and I get a lot of love from Delhi people,” says Negi who was the frontman of The Local Train and officially parted ways with the band in April 2022.

His anticipation for this gig is palpable, and this time, it’s not just about delivering known hits. Negi is using the occasion to experiment with fresh tunes for his upcoming second album, a musical project that has recently taken shape.

“It’s not about the song being judged, I actually want to do more at my gigs,” he adds, explaining that the anticipation of the crowd or the thrill of performing live pushes him in keeping his live performances dynamic, constantly evolving, and intimately connected to his current creative state.

The 39-year-old recognizes that playing a song in the studio is worlds apart from the experience of performing live. The energy, the connection with the audience — all of it plays a pivotal role in shaping the art. “I want to be somebody who has a lot of songs, and he just decides on that day what to play, you know, and I want me and the audience to be like, completely fine with it. I want them to come for that, basically,” he says.

Negi’s unapologetic stance against conforming to industry norms and chasing hollow metrics on streaming platforms further pushes him to work on the live music aspect harder than any other peer of his. Negi doesn’t buy into the notion that success hinges on a hefty marketing budget or the accumulation of millions of streams.

“I make something, and people find it whenever they find it,” he asserts, refusing to succumb to the “get famous in 15 minutes” mentality. His focus lies on personal and artistic growth, both for himself and alongside his dedicated audience. He has chosen to conduct his music journey in the public eye, welcoming the transparency and the connections it brings.

“I want my audience to see where I was as a part a year ago, because I want to them to understand the story behind my music. Everyone knows what I went through when I released my album Shakhsiyat, and that was a very different kind of experience,” he says, adding that he cherishes the interaction with his fans who engage with his lyrics and riffs, as it fuels his passion and creativity.

As he readies himself for his Delhi gig, it’s clear that his focus extends beyond the music itself. “I just believe that I make something and people find it whenever they find it. I don’t want to take that pressure of allocating budgets to marketing a song, so that it gets an x number of views. I’d rather spend all that money in buying guitars, you know?” he laughs and signs off.

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