Ritu is a neo-soul singer-songwriter born and raised in London. Growing up with Indian parents she was surrounded by the culture and listened to a lot of Indian music, which has heavily influenced western music, and has a lot of similarities with jazz music. This made her be inspired by artists like The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, and Fleetwood Mac, which then led to her creating her own jazzy pop sound. Her music reflects current neo-soul artists, such as Joy Crookes and Arlo Parks, whilst adding influences of pop and jazz music.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Ritu. What first got you into music?
I started singing at playing piano at a young age and that’s what got interested at first. Originally I was learning classical music but as I got older I started to listen to more and more genres of music and I loved trying out new songs to sing and play.
What do you think your role is in this world?
Hopefully to just continue to play and write music whether it is professionally or as a hobby.
Your latest track is 'Swimming'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
I wrote the song a couple of years ago and I started with the pre chorus of the song which I don’t usually do. I often struggle writing happy lyrics as they come out quite cliche so that’s what I struggled with the most. But eventually I managed to come up with the chorus.
What’s your scariest experience?
I was once mugged in Vietnam, so probably that.
How do you spend your time?
If im not making/listening to music I spend my time mostly with my friends, playing sport or doing some sort of arts and craft.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of managing to complete my EP and writing all of the songs on it.
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
Probably Jorja Smith or Joy Crookes as I take a lot of inspiration from them.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
I constantly work on my music and find new ways to progress my skills, but I also make time to ensure my passion for the process continues as it can be easy to lose when you focus too much on the business.
Do you think that technology is improving lives?
I think that it definitely is in a lot of way, however there are obviously examples where it has made lives worse.
What superpower would you have and why?
I would love to be able to fly.