Sid Sriram Interview: On Introducing Carnatic to Coachella, Praise from Virat Kohli, and His Latest Track 'Sol'

Of Sid Sriram’s many remarks in this conversation, something that he ingeniously says of himself is representative of his journey in film and independent music. The word “shapeshifter”, a term the singer uses to describe his oeuvre that began with his sensational “Adiye” for A.R. Rahman’s Kadal, 12 years ago, is what the singer stands for today. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call the 35-year-old Sid Sriram the face of global Carnatic crossover. When he’s not performing at NPR’s Tiny Desk or singing a deeply devotional piece from Thiruppugazh (the 14th-century anthology of Tamil poems) for Colors, the prestigious German music performance platform, he is breaking ground at Coachella for becoming the first South Indian to perform at the music festival. 

“Carnatic music is at the core of what I do, but the boundlessness in music is what I think I represent,” the singer tells The Hollywood Reporter India. 

Sid, who was born in Chennai and grew up in the Bay Area of the United States, has been singing ever since he can remember, but to be specific, since he was three years old. He calls music an element as fundamental as any other in his life. “My mom is a musician, and so is her father. I had the right people around me, and the childlike love of music and passion for it have never gone away. I'm grateful that the light has never dimmed, he says.” The singer gained fame for his diverse range of film music across the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, and Marathi languages. His collaborations include songs with Rahman, Anirudh Ravichander, Ilaiyaraaja, Pritam, and most recently, American rapper Nas and musician Steel Banglez.

Finding Purpose 

But Sid wants more. A few years ago— he attributes this drive to pandemic-fuelled lockdown introspection — something changed. “When I was younger, so much of what drove me was the desire to show the world what I could do,” he says. “I was aware that I had a certain gift with music, and I wanted everyone to know that.” But once a certain level of celebrity was reached, the same driving force shifted gears. “It has always been a dream of mine to take the music that's made me who I am, across the world. It got especially clear once I got a little bit older and my career started progressing. I was able to fall back in love with music for music's sake and specifically Carnatic music.” 

When he came out the other side, he saw with clarity his purpose: to be the ambassador of Tamil sounds, and more specifically, Carnatic music.

Sid’s striking single “Sivanar”, a song he recorded at the popular Thaipusam Hindu festival celebrating Lord Muruga in Kuala Lumpur, and one he also performed at Coachella last year, is an extension of this philosophy. Detailing his set at the festival, the musician wrote a note on Instagram: “I come from a discipline called Carnatic music, I’m proud of every damn part of who I am, and I promise you we are on our way to changing the tides of music/love/healing around the whole world,” signing it off with  “This is just the beginning”. 

In many ways, Coachella was the beginning of Sid’s relay of the genre to the world. “With regards to Tamil and Southern Indian sounds, they are celebrated wonderfully within this region of the country and nationally. But globally, I wanted to find out what it can mean, whether it is rhythmically, melodically, in terms of language or the ethos. The beginning was personal for me… taking this music outward and travelling the world with it, and secondly, it was the beginning of these sounds traversing the world.” 

The musician’s latest single, “Sol”, combines his love of Carnatic and contemporary music. “My whole life has been an exploration of how these two different worlds can come together. We have done it in a way that uses different kinds of shifts in set design, scale and movement. It is a coming together of all the things I love both sonically and individually.” The song is directed by Parasher Baruah, the filmmaker who also helmed Sid’s “Sivanar”. 

Pressure Points 

As a musician, Sriram believes that the only responsibility he has is to be honest in his pursuits. He doesn’t take this lightly. “That doesn't feel like a task. My whole career from the very beginning has been a testament to the fact that you can't be put in a box,” he says. At the same time, he doesn’t feel the weight of this expectation. “It doesn't feel like pressure, because I am aware that music is far greater than me, an individual,” he recalls the first years of his career, when, after “Adiye” came out, the phone wasn’t exactly ringing off the hook. In fact, the musician only recorded three songs in the first four years of his career. “When you're building castles in your head that you're going to be famous with ego-driven pursuits, and none of that happens, you're left with just music. I needed the discipline of practising music every day.” 

One could attribute his collectedness to his relationship with fame. He is still amazed when it’s pointed out that his voice — often from his irresistible and brooding film music — is possibly the soundtrack to so many young people’s lives. 

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t still get tickled by praise. Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, for instance, recently named “Nee Singam Dhan”, a song he recorded for Tamil film Pathu Thala (2023), as one of his favourites. “It still makes me feel great. It is always nice to know that the things you're doing are reaching people in the way you like. And when you see a leader in their field like Virat, someone who understands the rigour of dedicating oneself to one's craft, it feels extra cool.” It is here that the musician notes that he has a different kind of appreciation for praise now than he did in the beginning. “I am definitely not seeking validation, nor am I actively hoping something like that comes my way.” It almost makes it even sweeter, he smiles.