Today we’d like to introduce you to Nachiket Karekar.
Hi Nachiket, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started playing drums on pillows when I was around 13 years of age after my cousin introduced me to Linkin Park and Green Day by burning CDs of their music for me. I remember teaching myself how to play the drums by looking at videos of the Live in Texas DVD by Linkin Park and trying my best to figure out what notes the drummer Rob Bourdon was playing on the drum set and correlating it to his hand/leg movements in the video.
I formed my first ever band, “Still A Long Way” in 8th grade with my high school buddies and we played our first ever gig in my school when I was 15. It was a farewell gig for our seniors graduating high school. Being terrified of the stage as a kid, I felt somewhat comfortable hidden behind the drum set on stage. It was a rush like no other.
My dad was impressed by my band’s first few songs (He even had one of them as his phone’s ringtone for the longest time) and he promised to get me my first drum set if I score 94% in my 10th-grade exams. I studied Uber hard and still got 93.27% and he said the offer was only for 94%. I remember calling all his friends and relatives and complaining about him. Voila! I got my first drum set at the age of 16! It was a Mapex Horizon series drum kit in Midnight Black with Zildjian ZBT cymbals 🙂
My first band got disbanded when I was about 18, fresh out of high school, at the same time as my first ever heartbreak. My bandmates at the time, who are still my best friends, quit music and formed a video production company called PRISM. We started off creating music videos at extremely low budgets by imitating our favourite bands, and soon these guys were professionals, making music videos for other bands. I also got inspired by them to create video content of my own. I remember shooting my own drum covers after we shot these “zero budget” music videos!
In this process, I also taught myself how to direct and edit videos on my own. I started uploading drum covers on YouTube in my college days, and they started garnering attention in the local music scene. I started getting all these gigs with bands that I used to look up to!
I always tried to upload drum videos with varied styles of music such as progressive metal, pop punk, hip hop, bollywood, hard rock, etc.
Ever since then, I was a part of multiple bands that recorded, performed live and toured all over India. I’ve been a part of numerous bands that have released singles and albums on all streaming platforms. Some of them are The Indian Jam Project, Tripp Pilots, Protocol, After Acoustics, Bombay Bandook, etc. The Indian Jam Project has millions of views on YouTube cause of the unique concept of Western song and movie score arrangements on Indian Classical Instruments!
After graduating from college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and Advertising, I got a scholarship into Asia’s biggest music school: Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music where I did a short course in Music. It’s also where I learnt theory for the first time and other aspects of music such as Harmony, Staff notations, etc. I was self-taught no more!
I acted in a bunch of television commercials for well-known brands such as Gillette, Ceat Tyres, Vivo phones, OLX, SOFIT, etc. I was also part of a few reality tv shows on MTV India that were extremely famous, such as Splitsvilla Season X, Colors of Youth Season 4 and Elovator Pitch. But the popularity never left me fulfilled as I wasn’t doing as much with my music career as I wanted to.
I moved to LA about a year ago to pursue my education in music at the Musicians Institute, now play with a bunch of artists all over America, especially with my band Vella La Vella. I’ve also taught drums since I was 19 and have had 100+ students in groups and private lessons!
Also, I’ve played a number of shows in LA with singer-songwriters and bands at legendary venues like the Whisky a go go, The Viper Room, The Virgil, The Mint and places like Priest Lake in Idaho and the Nascar race in St. Louis since moving to America!
My band Vella La Vella went viral on TikTok and other social media because of our ingenious “Drum Car” (a muscle car with a drum set on its back) and we went on to headline the Whisky a Go Go in 2022! We’re in the final stages of our debut full-length record which is already recorded and we recently shot a music video for our first single off of the album called “Blonde, Bad and Beautiful”.
I also am an independent artist who releases music of his own and posts vlog content on YouTube.
In the lockdown of 2020, I released my debut single as a singer-songwriter and animated the music video by teaching myself Photoshop from scratch!
It helped me score a scholarship into the Musicians Institute too.
Here is some work of mine as an independent artist:
Debut single/ self-animated music video: https://youtu.be/IangsPPY0ZU
All instrument cover: https://youtu.be/hGubPv8xulo
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, as you know, an artist’s path is never straightforward. I’ve had my share of self-doubt, anxiety and other generic artistic roadblocks.
After my stint in reality tv, my popularity grew but so did my ego. I suddenly felt like I deserved more than just playing with indie bands and songwriters. Although, I soon realized that the path to the top is rooted in DIY indie bands that I was already a part of and that I just had to trust the process.
I’ve also had moments when I wanted to quit music altogether cause it just wasn’t lucrative enough. I mean, bands in India get paid in peanuts, and I wasn’t even able to earn enough money to even rent a place for myself. Also, rejections in my acting auditions weren’t helping my mental health either.
I was fortunate to have parents that supported my career and kept pushing me to keep going and keep my head high. My mom was the reason why I did the MTV reality shows in the first place. I was reluctant when I got selected for Splitsvilla, but she was the one who convinced me to get out of my comfort zone. And my dad has been pushing me to move to the USA ever since I graduated college so that I understand firsthand what it takes to earn a living and be truly independent.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a professional musician and educator and Actor/Model. I have played studio and live sessions as a drummer with many well-known artists in India, such as Leslee Lewis, Dino James, The Indian Jam project, Bombay Bandook, Tripp Pilots, Last Ride Home, Protocol, After Acoustics, 2 Blue, Corner Cafe Chronicles, Insignia, Raahie, Greyfade, Revolt For, Still A Long Way, etc. I’ve also played with a number of artists in Los Angeles, such as Vella La Vella, Radio Ritual, Oceans Away, Jei-Rynn, Yadzi, LeRoy Mobley, Luke Beasley, Juliet Callahan, etc.
My band Vella La Vella recently recorded our debut full-length album, which we’re gonna release soon! And we’re also dropping our first single, “Blonde Bad and Beautiful” with a music video sooner than you think! Keep your eyes and ears peeled.
Also, I’ve been teaching drums ever since I was 19. Considering both private and group lessons, I’ve had 100+ students till date. In India, I used to teach in a private school called Euro School in Thane where I had more than 20 kids in each class, where I had to strategically design drum lessons, keeping the fast and slow learners in mind.
I currently work at Guitar Center (West LA) as a drum and guitar instructor in the Lessons department and in a company called Kid Row, where we teach young kids how to play in a band setting and switch between multiple instruments!
I’ve also acted and modeled in a bunch of television commercials for well-known brands such as Amazon Prime, Ceat Tyres, Gillette razors, Vivo phones, etc. And in reality shows on MTV India like Splitsvilla Season 10, Colors of Youth Season 4 and Elovator Pitch. I’ve also acted in bunch of music videos for my friends’ bands!
Other than music and acting, I’ve worked as an intern in an advertisement agency called “Contract Advertisement” in the Account Management department, where I had to act as a middleman between clients and creative professionals.
In my time in music school in LA, I also worked as a production intern at a nightclub called Catch One, where I had to help manage five stages at the same time and troubleshoot any problems.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love Los Angeles from the bottom of my heart. Just like Mumbai (where I’m from), it’s the land of dreams except for the fact that people from all across the world and not just the country who are exceptional at their crafts decide to move over here and try their best to “make it”.
It’s also abundant with opportunities. If you play your cards right and are good with networking or talking to people in general, you’re gonna be blessed with an abundance of work that’s gonna enrich your soul and help you serve your purpose on this planet. The ratio of hard work and returns of labor is extremely high, higher than in any other place I’ve been in. You get recognized for your work way more, especially as an instrumentalist, which is very rare back in India.
I also absolutely love the weather in this city. The beaches in the summer are my favourite part of the city. Also, the fact that there’s all kinds of terrains, such as the deserts and snow-clad mountains, all in driving distance! California is extremely beautiful.
What I really don’t like about the city is how expensive everything is, from groceries to rent. It’s borderline unfair sometimes. But then again, I understand that it’s the best of the best living in this city and that comes at a cost!
I’m also not a big fan of the growing homeless population, drug problems and the dirty streets of Hollywood where I live. But I’ve grown to get accustomed to the duality of the situation here in LA!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nachiketkarekar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NachiketKarekarOfficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nachiketkarekar/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nachiketkarekar
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NachiketKarekarMusic
Image Credits
Nick Coggiola
